I walked into my house and put my stuff down by the stairs. I listened for my mother, but couldn’t hear anything. I took a deep breath, afraid of what awaited me, and called out, “Hello?”

There was no answer. I walked into the kitchen to check for a note or something. I didn’t see anything. I continued to check the house, venturing even into her room. She was no where to be found and neither was a note. I went back to the kitchen and checked her calendar. She didn’t have any appointments or anything written down, but that doesn’t mean she decided to go out after work and not tell me. It wouldn’t surprise me.

I pulled an apple from the fridge and began to chop it into slices. When I was done, I used a spoon to grab a glob of peanut butter for dipping. I took my snack and my backpack upstairs to start some homework.

I pulled out my math and set to work. I did about three problems but found I couldn’t concentrate. I sighed and set my pencil down. I let my mind wander.

I wonder how Nathaniel’s doing…