Buses rattled at the stops.
A crow cawed in the distance.
An ordinary day.
She returned home around noon.
Darius was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and looking out the window at the parking lot.
When she walked in, he spun around sharply.
“Where were you?”
“At the store.”
Kiana put the bag on the counter.
“We were out of groceries.”
He nodded, but his eyes were suspicious.
“Hey, you haven’t changed your card recently, have you? The PIN or anything?”
Kiana took the milk out of the bag and put it in the fridge.
“No. Why?”
“Oh, just wondering. Maybe you should, for security.”
“I don’t see the point. Everything’s fine with mine.”
He paused, then stood up and left the kitchen.
Kiana heard him pacing around the apartment, opening drawers, closing them, then silence again.
In the evening, he went out, saying he needed to meet a friend to discuss work issues.
Kiana didn’t ask any questions, just nodded and wished him a good night.
She was finally alone.
She sat by the living room window with a cup of tea and watched the street.
The streetlights had come on, casting yellow patches on the pavement.
The wind chased fallen leaves across the sidewalk.
