The Night Someone Listened

I don’t really tell people about this because it sounds small when you say it out loud,

but it’s one of those things that never left my head. This happened a few years ago when

I was still living at home and working irregular hours. Some days I’d come home late,

other days early, and my routine was all over the place. One evening I came home earlier than

expected and noticed the hallway light was on. I remember thinking my mom must’ve forgotten

to turn it off, even though she’s the kind of person who double-checks everything.

I didn’t think much of it at first. Later that night, when I went to bed, I heard someone

walking around downstairs. Not loud footsteps, just the kind of careful movement you make when you