ELENA

~•~

He came in after dark looking like the day had chewed him up, and the second I saw his face I almost forgot every rotten thing Andrea had put in my head. Almost.

“You’re still up,” he said.

“Couldn’t sleep.” Funny how that was everybody’s line in this house now. “How were the docks?”

“Long.” He shrugged out of his coat and dropped into the chair across from me, heavy, like his bones hurt. “Why are you waiting up for me?”

“Can’t a wife wait up for ...