A pause before inserting the key in the lock. A breath to clear the disappointment of the day. A thought to remind her of all that she loved on the other side of that door. Now she was ready to unlock the door, to stride into the warmth of home. Four paws thundered round the corner, a soft black head burrowed into her legs in greeting. She could hear sounds of life from all the corners of the house, though none were a greeting for her. With a final pat she dropped her keys in the woven basket on the hall table and shirked the heavy winter coat from her shoulders. She kicked off her shoes and almost left them where they landed. Need won over weariness as she bent to retrieve them and dutifully put them in their appointed place. Next came the closet to deposit her coat and still no small voices rang out from the house to say they missed her. The kitchen was bright but empty, her bag was deposited on the coat tree by the kitchen door and her sleeves rolled up in anticipation of the next task. She added her own sounds to the various stirrings of the house as she emptied the dishwasher and put away the crockery from breakfast and lunch. She knew she would get told off for not making the appropriate child do this task but she didn’t want to disturb the peace just yet. Her Shadow padded around the room with her, expectantly, occasional drops of drool plopping onto the tile of the kitchen floor. He could wait a bit longer. Out came pots for pasta, a pan for sauce, place settings for the table. While food bubbled away on the hob the faithful companion finally got his dinner. All that waiting only to be inhaled in a matter of moments. Best friends maybe, but definitely not the friend you want to eat with. With Shadow outside and plates of warmth and love on the table, a last touch, candles and the flowers she had picked up at the train station. She let the digital assistant ring the dinner bell and smiled as shouts of glee range out from every room upstairs. Four voices thundered down the stairs, not even waiting to be in the same room to start telling her all about their day. The one voice that she waited to hear all day came in from the back garden office and wrapped her up in his own love and let her just breathe and be still before turning to sit at the table set for two.