Askatla woke with a start at the feeling of something shifting near her waist but relaxed at finding it was only Oeuf’s fingers unbuckling her seatbelt and preparing to carry her inside. 

“You know, you could have woken me up,” she chuckled cordially, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before giving him her hand so he could help her out of the sedan instead.

“You had an eventful evening,” he replied as he closed the door behind her. “I wished to let you rest as much as possible.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Oeuf,” she smiled up at him as she crossed the threshold from the garage into her house. “The ride was as smooth as ever.”

“I am glad to hear it,” he nodded solemnly. “Rest easy for tonight and I will see you in the morning.”

The door softly clicked shut between them, and Askatla turned to face the empty house. She held her next breath, feeling it stretch out in her lungs, then let her cheeks puff as she released it through pursed lips. Opening her eyes to the darkness beyond her foyer, she sat lightly on the bench to her left, unclasped her heels, and collected them…