A House Divided
What followed was a masterclass in domestic quarantine. Leigh transformed their home into a zone of calculated exclusion. With a firmness that surprised even her, she relegated Derek to the guest wing, drawing a metaphorical line in the sand at the base of the stairs.
The house became a theater of antiseptic vigilance:
- The Barrier: The twins were moved exclusively to the upper floor, their nursery becoming a fortified sanctuary Leigh guarded with religious fervor.
- The Protocol: Meals were left outside Derek’s door on disposable trays. Every doorknob he might have touched was scrubbed with bleach until the scent of chlorine stung Leigh’s nostrils.
- The Distance: When she did speak to him, it was from the hallway, her body angled away, a physical manifestation of the wall she had built between her love for him and her duty to her children.
