Rachel didn't remember much of the ride home; only that the city lights blurred past the cab window like streaks of gold and gray through her tears.
The driver had asked once if she was okay, and she'd only nodded, clutching her bag tighter on her lap. Her throat hurt from holding everything in.
By the time the cab pulled into driveway, her chest felt hollow. The world outside looked soft and peaceful, the glow of the porch light, the faint hum of crickets but it only made the ache sharper.
She paid the driver with trembling fingers and stepped out slowly, her body heavy from exhaustion and grief.
She'd told herself she'd be strong, that she wouldn't fall apart until she was alone. But when she saw the soft yellow light spilling from the living room window, something inside her cracked again.
She opened the door quietly and stepped in.
Bella was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in hand, scrolling through her phone.
