Loneliness
Hughes slumped into one of the living room chairs, pretending not to hear the torrent of rain outside. The rain kept people indoors. And when people stayed indoors, Maes was left without visitors.
Gracia and Elysia were away visiting with his in-laws. It wasn't that he didn't like the people, on the contrary, they were just as infatuated with their granddaughter as he was. But he was stuck at home with work. Important work that benefited the entire country. Valuable, imperative work that left him painfully alone at home when the day was done.
The silence of the house under the rain was starting to get to him. Maybe it was time to break out his last resort—a stash of extra-special pictures of his beloved family. But just as he thought of it, the doorbell rang. Curious, he rose, partially wishing he had one of those pictures out already to show whoever was there.
He opened the door, and the figure outside quickly brushed in, immediately starting a collection of puddles on the entranceway floor. Hughes' first reaction was to frown at the intrusion.
"I heard they were out of town, I thought you could use the company."
Hughes' expression was forced to stop, reverse, smile. It was Roy.
