TWENTY-THREE

WITH A sigh of relief, Brad finally clicked "send" on the last email of the day. He'd been burning the midnight oil for weeks, but he was determined to make time for his family.

As he turned off his computer, he looked out the window to see the last rays of the sun setting its ablaze. A dark, indigo blue was beginning to spread across the horizon, like a shadow creeping in from the edges. The few clouds that dotted the sky were painted with a golden light, glowing like tiny beacons in the fading light. The air had a chill to it as if the night was trying to reclaim its territory from the day.

Brad exhaled in rueful defeat. He had realized how little he spent with Nora and Max and planned to do something fun with them this Saturday but he'd been immersed in his work again and lost track of time.

He quickly grabbed his keys and coat and made his way out the door. At least, he'd be in time for dinner today.

Moments later, he pulled into the driveway, grabbing his case as