The house carried the hush of evening, that strange quiet where the air feels heavier, as though it is listening. Rain had stopped hours ago, but the smell of wet earth still drifted faintly through the open window above the sink. The refrigerator hummed, steady and patient, while the clock on the wall ticked loud enough to mark each second.
Elena leaned against the counter, swirling a glass of red wine slowly in her hand. The color caught the glow of the kitchen lamp, the liquid glinting like blood when it tilted. She hadn’t planned on drinking tonight, but the silence had pressed too hard, and the bottle had been there, waiting. The first sip hadn’t brought calm, only a thin warmth in her throat that refused to reach her chest.
“Mom?”
Kevin’s voice came gently from the doorway. She tu
