ADRIAN
"Mommy."
I take the stairs two at a time.
"Mommy, where are you?"
The kitchen is empty. Nobody is in the long room with the table either.
Dad said she was back. So where is she?
"Mommy."
I go down the hall. There are boots by the side door that aren't hers.
The bathroom door at the end is shut, and there's steam coming out from under it.
I put my hand flat on the wood. It's warm.
"Mommy? Are you in there?"
Nobody answers me.
I put my ear on the door. The water is loud, but underneath it, there's a heartbeat. It's hers. It's going like she's been running.
"Mommy."
I knock again, harder, with the flat of my hand.
"Mommy, it's me. Can I come in?"
She doesn't answer me.
I'm not allowed in the bathroom when she's in it. She tells me that every time. But she isn't saying
