He’s Not Home

Kira returned to a dark and quiet villa. She switched on the light in the foyer. ‘Hello? Anyone home?’ No reply. Then she remembered Elsie was at the hospital with her nephew. The other domestic employees had left for the day. What about Austyn? Kira checked the time. Twenty minutes past eight. She headed upstairs and took a shower. When she came out, the bedroom was still empty. No sound or light from downstairs. She dug out her copy of ‘Rhetorical Theory’ from her backpack. It was required reading for a course next semester. Thirty pages later, Kira looked up from the dense text, bleary-eyed. It was now half past ten. ‘Why aren’t you back yet?’ she mumbled, a little frustrated. Austyn was a man, taller, stronger and older than her. Shouldn’t he take the high road? First, he stormed off at the hospital carpark without explaining why. Then he gave her the silent treatment. And now he was staying out all night, just to spite her? It was so childish. Kira massaged her temples and stifled