There is only one cashier, and it is Mr. Williams today, that explains the long line. Grace sighed and looked down at the items in her basket and wondered if it would be better to come back later. She still had cheese and crackers she could eat, and the milk was not spoiled yet. Looking up and seeing that Mr. Williams was still talking with Mrs. Snyder, Grace decided. Abandoning her basket, she made her way out of the market. On her way out, Grace noticed a chip display by the doors. Pretending to look for her keys in her purse, Grace snagged a bag and kept walking until she got in her little white four-door sedan and drove off. When she stopped at a light, she opened the chips and savored the barbeque flavor. The bag was halfway gone by the time Grace arrived home.

Walking up to her front door, Grace looked around before unlocking it and entering. Grace placed her keys in a bowl and went into her living room, where she flopped onto the couch. Pulling her computer onto her lap, she began to answer emails. She deleted multiple emails without opening them, and others she replied to with referrals. All was quiet, except for the melody of her neighbor’s wind chimes, which caused Grace to freeze and sit her computer down on the coffee table. She removed a drawer and grabbed the gun she had hidden. Making her way slowly and methodically, Grace cleared her first-floor rooms. That just left her second floor. Slowly creeping up her stairs, she avoided all the steps that creaked until she came to the top. She once again cleared each room. No one was in the spare bedroom or the small office she never used. The only room left was her bedroom, and as she got closer, the chimes got louder. Taking a deep breath, Grace opened the bedroom door and cussed in her head when it squeaked. The door opened, revealing a cracked window, along with a sleeping figure on her bed. Grace laid the gun on a table and walked over to the window, where she lammed it shut. The sleeping figure jolted up and frantically looked around until they spotted Grace.

“What the hell, Grace! Why did you do that?” Grace placed her hand on her hips.

“You don’t get to speak to me like that since you broke into my home. What are you doing here, David?” David stood up from the bed, stretched, and smiled at Grace.

“Can’t a man visit a good friend?”

“That is a load of bull. Now tell me why you are here before I show you the door.” Grace took a step forward and poked David in the chest. David raised his hands.

“I’m telling you the truth. I decided to take a nice relaxing vacation, and your town was my first thought. I figured you would have a spare room I could borrow.” He gave Grace another smile, and she poked him again.

“When have you ever wanted anything to be relaxing. I’m serious David, why are you here?” David lowered his hands, and the smile left his face.

“I’m just looking for a spare room as I reevaluate what I want to do going forward.” Grace took a step back and looked at David. He was not wearing his customary suit, and his hair was not slicked back. When they worked together, Grace never saw him in jeans and a t-shirt.

“You are thinking of leaving the group,” Grace stated.

“I am.”

“What has changed?”

“Leadership is moving us further in a direction that I don’t agree with.”

“You were okay with it a few years ago.”

“I know, and I am here admitting I was wrong.” David hung his head. “I realized the ideals we started everything with are gone, and I just left.”

“They don’t know, right. You made sure no one followed you here.” Grace reached out and grabbed David’s shirt. “If you bring them here after all I did to disappear, I will kill you.”

David looked at Grace and pried her hands from his shirt, but he did not let go of them. Instead, he brought them to his lips and kissed them.

“I promise, I covered my tracks.”

“I am going to hold you to that,” Grace whispered. Grace removed her hands from his grip and walked to the door. Grabbing the gun from the table, she motioned for David to follow. They both walked down the hallway to an open door. “Here is the guest bedroom. Fresh linens and towels are in the closet, and the bathroom is right across from the stairs.”

David walked into the room and turned back to Grace.

“Thank you.”

“Thank me by not staying long.” Grace turned to leave but stopped. “Also, if you want something better than cheese and crackers for dinner, I hope you have the money for pizza.”