The house was already dark when I turned off the car engine. The rain had just stopped, leaving behind the faint


    scent of damp earth that drifted in the moment I opened the door. Emily looked tired in the front seat, and


    Noah… was fast asleep in the back, his breathing soft and rhythmic.


    Slowly, I lifted Noah into my arms. His small body was limp, his head resting gently on my shoulder. My coat was still damp from the downpour, but I didn’t care. My steps were slow as I climbed the stairs. The house was


    silent-no voices, no sign of life in the living room or kitchen.


    I opened Noah’s bedroom door andid him down carefully on his bed. His face was calm, lips slightly parted, his little hand wrapped around a small blue pillow.


    Instinctively, I adjusted his nket. But then, my hand froze.


    My gaze was drawn to the small table beside his bed. There stood two Transformer X-10 robots. One was blue- the one I knew Emily had bought him-and the other was maroon, identical in design, only differing in color.


    My brow furrowed slightly.


    I was pretty sure Emily only bought one. She’d proudly shown me the receipt, and Noah had clutched just one robot the entire ride home. So where did the othere from?


    I leaned in, examining the shape and branding. Yes, identical. Not a knock-off, not a cheap imitation. The same model. Just a different color.


    I sighed and shook my head slightly. “Maybe Sienna bought it,” I muttered to myself. But I didn’t want to think too much about it. I wasn’t sure when exactly I became this unwilling to care about the little things.


    I stood again, watching Noah for a moment. He was growing so fast. And maybe… too fast at learning how to


    I walked out of the room and closed the door softly. I had no desire to investigate further. Not tonight. My body was tired, my mind even more so. And honestly, what for?


    In the hallway, I nced briefly toward the room at the end. Sienna’s room. But only for a moment. I chose to walk into my own bedroom instead, leaving the silence to settle again between the walls of this house.


    I entered without turning on the light. Let it be dark. I knew theyout well enough. I peeled off my rain-


    11:12 AM Tue 2 Sep


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    ? 50%


    drenched shirt and draped it over the chair. My body felt cold-but it was more from the exhaustion that had


    piled up since earlier in the day.


    I stared at the faint outline of the bed, still perfectly made. There was no sound of breathing from the other side.


    Of course there wasn’t. It had been that way for several nights now. Sienna often came homete- or didn’t


    I stepped into the bathroom and sshed cold water on my face. It made my eyes widen slightly, but what I felt wasn’t freshness-more like rity that only made the emptiness sharper.


    Back in the bedroom, I opened the drawer of the nightstand. A stack of papers I’d moved from the office a few


    weeks ago sat inside. Financial reports… and divorce papers. Still unsigned. Still sitting there, untouched. I


    didn’t really know why I hadn’t just signed them. Maybe I was still buying time. Or waiting for something that


    deep down I knew would nevere. 1


    I let out a long breath and sat at the edge of the bed. Suddenly, I remembered how Noahughed earlier when the rain pelted the car windows. His eyes had squinted, and he turned to me and asked, “Daddy, is the sky


    mad?”


    I’dughed then. But now, thinking about it, all I felt was a dull ache. Because even Noah, that young, could


    sense a storm—even if it wasn’ting from the sky.


    Suddenly, I heard the front door open. A quiet sound. I turned my head, waiting to see if footsteps would head


    toward this room.


    They didn’t.


    Just the sound of shoes being hurriedly taken off… then silence again. Seconds passed.


    I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. All I knew was-I had no energy left to get up. No desire to step out and pretend everything was fine.


    I stared up at the barely visible ceiling in the dark. For the first time in a long time, I admitted to myself-this house no longer felt like home.


    I wasn’t even sure we could still call ourselves a family.


    I leaned back slowly until my shoulders met the mattress, legs still dangling off the edge of the bed. The springs creaked softly beneath me, filling the silence like an unwanted reminder that I was still here, still breathing, still pretending to be part of something that no longer fit. Somewhere upstairs, the faint hum of the heater kicked in, a mechanical sigh that echoed the one buried deep in my chest.


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    Tue 2 Sep


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    I tried closing my eyes, but rest wouldn’te. My mind wouldn’t stop turning-small things, random moments. The way Sienna used to hum while folding Noah’sundry. How she’d tap the side of her mug twice before drinking. The quiet way she exited rooms, like she never wanted to disturb anyone. I used to think that was thoughtful. Now I wasn’t sure if it was just her way of disappearing without drawing attention.


    Downstairs, I heard the faint tter of something-keys? A bag being set down? Then nothing again. Just silence. Heavy and familiar. I still didn’t move.


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