She stayed at the café for an hour or so. It got late enough that she could say goodbye without it looking weird, and she walked towards home. The park near her house was dark because someone had knocked one of the streetlights out. There were shadows and some men sitting on the park seats. She had her earbuds in but wasn’t listening to anything, she just wanted to make sure no one thought she wanted to be talked to. She walked, head down but not overly fast, not like she was running or anything. It was a tenuous balance. She got through the park and then the road was relatively well-lit, but people had died here too. Women. One man. When she got home, the house was dark because she hadn’t left the lights on, because it had been light when she’d left. She cursed herself as she tried to get the key in the door in the dark. She’d taken her keys out when she’d left the café. Held her keys all the way home between her fingers. It looked weak to look behind yourself, so she didn’t, but she’d wanted to. She finally made the key fit the lock and when she was inside she was still alone. The house was quiet. There was no one there. But she said, ‘Hi. I’m home.’ Just in case anyone was watching her from the street, or anyone was waiting for her in the house.

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