The apartment was hollow, with the drapes drawn close. Splinters of the evening sun drifted through. As the man walked through the dwelling, no audible voices echoed from the walls and ceiling. His toes and ankles cracked with each footfall. Engaging the lamp switch, the air conditioner bellowed to life. Draping the cavity of the structure in Arctic air. Soft white light filled the master bathroom. Dark rings surrounded the man’s eyes as he gazed into the mirror. Fatigued was his body from the lack of sleep. Apprehensiveness pulsed through his veins as he tried to brush his teeth. The minutes ticked by. Undressing, the man started the shower. Steam copulated with the mirror before he entered. The hot water ran over achy muscles. Releasing the fragments of sorrow. He never imagined that he would be in this place. Especially after being away so long. The feeling of being alone is a foreign concept to him. When every waking moment of being surrounded by his family. Kids running a