The house was quiet after Tom and Lucy had left for the office. Dawn had stood at the door to wave them off, her hair tied back, her arms folded against the cool morning air.
"Call me if you need anything," Lucy had said.
"I will," Dawn replied.
Now the house felt big and calm. But it did not feel lonely. It was the kind of silence she needed to record her podcast.
After feeding up, Dawn stood in the middle of her bedroom and looked around, trying to ensure that she'd chosen the right spot for the video she was about to record.
Satisfied, she walked to the corner of the room where two medium-sized boxes sat on the floor. She knelt and pulled the first one closer.
She smiled when she saw her name was printed on the label.
Dawn Hank.
Tom was already working on her name change.
She carefully tore off the tape from the first box to reveal the ring light. She lifted it out slowly and smiled as she turned it in her hands.
She ran her fingers over it gently, almost lovingly.
