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By the time the cab finally eased to a stop in front of our house, the sky had already started that slow, fragile shift between night and morning..... the kind of pale, bruised blue that made shadows seem colder, sharper, almost accusing. I blinked at my phone. 4:17 a.m.
I’d never been out this late before. There was something in the quiet, the way the street felt empty and watchful, that pressed against my chest..The cab driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing just slightly. There was a question there.....silent, unspoken....but I could tell he wouldn’t voice it. I forced a small, polite smile and dropped the fare into his hand.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely cutting through the thick, cool air.
The cab pulled away, and I watched its taillight
