Evelyn
I stood frozen under the running water, every muscle tight, waiting for the bathroom door to open.
Instead, I heard Mark’s voice from the hallway.
“I forgot some documents,” he called out. “I’ll be back later.”
A few seconds later the front door opened and closed. The sound of his car starting up followed, then faded gradually as he drove away until the house was completely quiet again.
I let out a long, shaky breath and leaned my forehead against the cool tiles. My legs felt weak with relief, the kind that comes after your body has been braced for something that never arrived. I stayed there for a moment, eyes closed, letting the last of the water run over my shoulders until my heartbeat found its way back to something normal.
After turning off the shower and changing into dr
