The warmth of the afternoon had settled comfortably over the park by the time Zane approached the maple tree where Willow had spread the blanket. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in soft shifting patterns, painting the grass with moving shadows as the breeze stirred the branches overhead. From a distance the scene looked peaceful and ordinary. Willow sat on the blanket with Zana in her lap while the child busied herself with the corner of the fabric and the torn remains of the leaf she had discovered earlier.
Yet Willow's gaze remained fixed somewhere beyond the open lawn, resting in the direction of the tree lined path where the woman and the children had disappeared. Her body was still, her attention turned inward in a way that made the noise of the park seem distant.
Zane noticed the stillness before he even reached the blanket.
