Sienna's POV
The afternoon seemed to crawl more than normal. The clock on the wall in the living room ticked gently, counting time as it got nearer to night. I had cleaned the kitchen and was now on the couch, looking out the big window that looked at the street. On the table, the cake I made before was set nicely on a plate with its soft cream and chocolate bits. I didn’t try it yet. I wanted to wait for Noah and Liam to get home to see their faces the time they tried it.
For a reason, waiting for them felt different today. A soft but real pain of missing slipped into the gaps between my little jobs. I knew that, lately, my feelings for Liam had begun to shift. Or maybe they hadn’t shifted at all, maybe they had always been there quietly buried under fear.
I grabbed my cup and took a sip of the hot tea that started to cool down. Outside, the sun was going down behind the buildings, leaving stripes of orange in the sky. Every noise from the street made me look over, wishing it was Liam's car. I chuckled at myself feeling silly, as if I was waiting for a partner coming back from a far trip, even if it had just been some hours since he left this morning!
I stood and went to the kitchen making sure everything was neat. The soft smell of vanilla still hung in the air, mixing with the freshness of flowers in a small vase on the dining table. I stared at the door. Silence.
I walked to the living room and sat on the edge of a couch, holding a tiny pillow. The stillness of the house made each clock tick sound louder. Normally, I liked this kind of quiet, but tonight it felt strange. Something in me felt not whole as if part of me was waiting to be complete again
I grabbed my phone only to see the time still no message from Liam He often tells me if he is late from work I tapped my thumb soft on the screen before putting it back on table
Perhaps they were already going home. Perhaps Noah was talking nonstop like he always did, making it hard for Liam to text. The idea alone made the edge of my lips curl up?
I turned my eyes back to the calm road. A couple of kids rode home on their bikes, their bells jingling loud before fading away. The air got chilly, the night breeze moving through the window and lifting the tips of curtains. The orange sky slowly changed into a gentle purple.
I stood up again for the first time in an hour and walked to the table to check if the cake still looked nice. Not knowing it, I fixed the cream that was already good, moving the plate so it sat just right in the middle. Like if everything had to be perfect when they got home.
I let out a small sigh.
“What’s off with me.” I said with a little grin at myself.
I held my hands tight to battle the coming cold. The breeze touched my hair softly, causing me to push it back behind my ear. I thought of going back in since it was becoming colder but my feet did not move.
Then, a noise of an engine quit in front of the house my heart jumped I turned fast my steps light as I went to the door The moment a key turned and the door swung open Noah's little laugh filled room
“Mommy!” he squealed happily. His tiny body ran toward me hugging my legs. I bent down and wrapped him in a warm hug.
“Hi, dear. How was school today?” I asked with a grin.
“It was super fun! When we reached home, Daddy taught me soccer and I couldn't stop laughing. He was thrilled.”

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