After hearing Liam run the shredder up in his room for ages, the silence was a relief. When it remained complete, not broken by music or sounds of someone moving about, it eventually became worrying. More worrying than a boy with no important paperwork running a shredder.
Danielle found him at his desk, utterly rapt. His desk was littered with narrow strips of coloured paper.
Unnoticed, Danielle watched her son pinch a tiny green paper spiral into a leaf shape to add to a card starting to show a flower bouquet. She snuck out and left him to it, smiling.