The heat that had been rising and falling all through my shift went completely still the moment I stepped inside the apartment, as if the place itself had decided I was allowed to breathe again.
The fever reducers I'd grabbed from the convenience store stayed untouched in the plastic bag. I didn't even feel like I needed them anymore.
Without taking them out, I washed up in warm water, letting the steam cling to my skin and calm the strange restlessness in my chest.
Afterward, I sprawled across the sofa and opened a game on my phone, pretending I was focused on it.
The front door clicked.
I shot upright before I even realized I was moving.
"You're home!"
I was especially restless today. The realization in that freezing alleyway still crackled under my skin, leaving me with an energy I didn't know what to do with.
