The afternoon seemed to crawl more than normal. The clock on the wall in the living room ticked gently, counting time as it got nearer to night. I had cleaned the kitchen and was now on the couch, looking out the big window that looked at the street. On the table, the cake I made before was set nicely on a te with its soft cream and chocte bits. I didn’t try it yet. I wanted to wait for Noah and Liam to get home to see their faces the time they tried it.


    For a reason, waiting for them felt different today. A soft but real pain of missing slipped into the gaps between my little jobs. I knew that,tely, my feelings for Liam had begun to shift. Or maybe they hadn’t shifted at all, maybe they had always been there quietly buried under fear.


    I grabbed my cup and took a sip of the hot tea that started to cool down. Outside, the sun was going down behind the buildings, leaving stripes of orange in the sky. Every noise from the street made me look over, wishing it Liam’s car. I chuckled at myself feeling silly, as if I was waiting for a partnering back from a far trip, et it had just been some hours since he left this morning!


    I stood and went to the kitchen making sure everything was neat. The soft smell of vani still hung in the air, mixing with the freshness of flowers in a small vase on the dining table. I stared at the door. Silence.


    I walked to the living room and sat on the edge of a couch, holding a tiny pillow. The stillness of the house made each clock tick sound louder. Normally, I liked this kind of quiet, but tonight it felt strange. Something in me felt not whole as if part of me was waiting to beplete again


    I grabbed my phone only to see the time still no message from Liam He often tells me if he iste from work I tapped my thumb soft on the screen before putting it back on table


    Perhaps they were already going home. Perhaps Noah was talking nonstop like he always did, making it hard for Liam to text. The idea alone made the edge of my lips curl up?


    I turned my eyes back to the calm road. A couple of kids rode home on their bikes, their bells jingling loud before fading away. The air got chilly, the night breeze moving through the window and lifting the tips of curtains. The orange sky slowly changed into a gentle purple.


    I stood up again for the first time in an hour and walked to the table to check if the cake still looked nice. Not knowing it, I fixed the cream that was already good, moving the te so it sat just right in the middle. Like if everything had to be perfect when they got home.


    I let out a small sigh.


    “What’s off with me.” I said with a little grin at myself.


    Funny how one day can change just becaus someone was nice to you. Liam that morning, the way he grinned at me. The soft tone in his voice, the kind pat on my shoulder before he went away. Those small things stuck with me so much.


    I went back to the couch, holding my legs while I looked at the sky getting dimmer. The neighbor’smps started to turn on one by one. My eyes got a bit sleepy but my heart felt more alert. Waiting, <ul><li></li></ul>


    I attempted to take my mind off things. I grabbed an old magazine from the table, looked at it, then shut it once


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    more. I didn’t actually read a line. My thoughts were too noisy, too packed with chances, was Noah worn out from school? Was Liam stillpleting something at the office? Did they drop by a small store to get Noah’s best choco milk?


    I bit my lip and stood, heading toward the porch.


    When I opened the door, the night wind weed me with the smell of ground and wet leaves. I stood there, one hand on the door frame. The street was more quiet now. Cars went by and sometimes birds came back to their nests.


    It felt odd how the being of two folks could crowd a home so full. Without them, this spot felt like bare ce furniture tidy yet dull. I used to waste lots of time alone and I was okay. But now it seemed like something was


    absent.


    I breathed in hard, taking the cold air into my lungs.


    I held my hands tight to battle theing cold. The breeze touched my hair softly, causing me to push it behind my ear. I thought of going back in since it was bing colder but my feet did not move.


    Then, a noise of an engine quit in front of the house my heart jumped I turned fast my steps light as I went to the door The moment a key turned and the door swung open Noah’s littleugh filled room


    “Mommy!” he squealed happily. His tiny body ran toward me hugging my legs. I bent down and wrapped him in a warm hug.


    “Hi, dear. How was school today?” I asked with a grin.


    “It was super fun! When we reached home, Daddy taught me ser and I couldn’t stopughing. He was thrilled.”


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    <strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.