At the front door, I slipped my key out slowly and turned the lock as quietly as I could.
The moment the door opened, I went straight for the bedroom. The door was half-open. Through the gap, I could see the room was empty.
I turned to the guest bedroom.
Pushed the door open. No one.
The study. The bathroom. The balcony. I even checked the storage closet.
Every room was silent. Not a soul.
Where was Ethel?
Just as the question formed in my mind, the kitchen door swung open.
Ethel stepped out wearing an apron, carrying a plate of food.
She spotted me and froze, surprised.
"Honey? You're home so early today?"
She set the plate down on the dining table and gave me a warm smile.
"I was planning to make a few more dishes before you got off work. You're back too soon. I'm not even finished yet."
I glanced past her into the kitchen. Chopped vegetables were lined up on the cutting board. A pot of pork tripe and lotus seed soup, my favorite, was simmering on the stove.
She'd clearly been in there for a while.
The tension drained out of me. I managed a small smile.
"Nothing going on at the office today, so I left early."