Kathy opened the door, smiling a bit at the familiar sight and scent of their house. It was comforting, if nothing else, but then...
She wondered how long it would be until she came home to an empty house, and she coughed a little to hide the unhappy sounds that were trying to escape. She turned around. then, and gave Alex a hug, tucking his head under her chin and letting a few of the tears fall.