I woke up in the dark and panicked when I couldn’t see. The darkness was suddenly and irrevocably unsafe again, and now I felt lost in an abyss. I couldn’t tell if I was alone or not. It scared me. I climbed out of the bed, tripping on the blanket that trailed onto the floor. Fumbling my way across the room, I tore open the door that led to the kitchen. Weak morning light filtered in at once and dazzled my eyes. But when the spots of color faded away, I could see that I was the only one there. Still, I had to check the other rooms for signs of life before I felt safe.
I sank down onto the window seat with shaky limbs and stared at the room. My discarded underwear was still lying in a bunch beside the door. We had upended two shopping bags in the flurry of movement that took place. My swea
