Ashes to Ashes - Chapter One

Evan pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the closed garage door. It felt wrong in so many ways to be here and know that her sister and her wife wouldn’t be inside. The cooling engine clicked in the silence and Evan told herself to get her ass out of the car and go inside. Finally, her need to use the bathroom got her to get out and walk up to the door.

The digital lock took the code she entered and the door opened without any trouble. A rushed passage from the front door to the half-bath just off the foyer kept Evan from having to see too much before she could ease the urgency of her need. She stared at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands, then splashed water on her face in an attempt to clear some of the weary fog. “You’ve got this, Evan,” she said to her reflection, then stepped out into the silent house.

There was nothing that would give a person the hint that those who lived here wouldn’t be back at any moment. The house was clean – she’d paid a service to come in and throw out the spoiled food and take out the trash, clean and polish, and do the laundry. All she had to do was wait for the grocery delivery and unpack her own things. For now, anyway. The list of things she had to get done in the next three days was as long as her arm and only about half of it would be easy.