Empty house

There's something strange about coming home, expecting everyone to be there, ready to say "welcome home", only to discover that the house is empty. So when this happened this afternoon, I of course called LOML's cell phone, to find out where they were, and when they'd be back. But the phone just rang in another room --- left behind, another not-so-silent reminder.

They phoned a little later --- they had gone for a walk in a state park an hour or so from here, and were on their way home. And all was fine.

But it was still disconcerting.

Yours, off kilter,
N.