32. 25 Years Ago: Loneliness in Company

The house, once filled with family bustle, now echoed with the quiet of empty rooms. Henry’s late arrival was met with the dim light of solitude. Edith, seated in the living room, offered a faint smile as he entered, receiving only a tired nod in return. “Long day?” she asked gently, observing Henry shed his coat. His reply, “Same old, same old,” was distant, his attention already on the staircase to his workshop. This routine, a constant through the years, was now more noticeable with the children gone. The evening’s quiet hum grew deeper with Henry’s descent to the workshop, leaving Edith alone with her thoughts and routines.