CHAPTER 43: SANDRA

After scrubbing the kitchen to work out the breakdown of this morning, I grabbed my coffee mug in both hands and sunk into one of the kitchen chairs. It was not quite Starbucks, but for the first time in a year, I didn't have the energy to make the run two blocks across to the nearest coffee shop.

The floorboards creaked from upstairs, and a few seconds later Dad shuffled into the kitchen. He was already dressed – I guess I blocked everything out when I was cleaning.

“Morning, Sandra.” He kissed the top of my head and stopped, looking around. “Kitchen looks clean.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I needed something to do.”

He glanced at me as he poured a coffee. He took four tablets from the bottles lined behind the kettle and threw them back, washing them down with the coffee. Dad made his way to the table and sat opposite me, his gray-blue eyes studying me.

“So,” I said to break the silence. “Do you usually sleep this late?”

He grunted. “Like I said, damn tablets give me insomnia. So lately