VIOLET SWAN.

OREGON – PORTLAND.

꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎

The noise from the garage wakes me. I grab my phone from the floor beside the sofa and check the time—realizing it’s already past midnight. *Why is he coming back so late? He was supposed to be here four hours ago.* My mind won’t stop spinning questions, and none of the answers calm me. I close my eyes, set the phone on the coffee table, and sink deeper into the cushions, pretending to sleep. The living room air is cold, heavy with the scent of scented candle wax and the faint trace of my perfume on the blanket draped over my legs.

I hear the click of the lock, then the soft creak of the front door closing. He sighs. The metallic clink of keys dropping into the entryway bowl. His footsteps—slow, heavy—head toward the dining room. I don’t move. I pretend to breathe evenly, though my heart beats a little faster. Gradually, his steps draw closer. He stops. I feel his presence before I feel his touch—