The diner didn’t return to normal all at once.
It happened in fragments.
A spoon clattered against a plate. Someone whispered too loudly. A child started crying somewhere near the window. The grill hissed like it always did, but now the sound felt sharper, louder, like it didn’t belong in the same room as what had just happened.
Moments earlier, the entire place had been frozen.
Victor Cruz had his hand around Elena’s throat.