K. walked down the stairs from the train station. They were exhausted from work and just wanted to go home and call Stelle. Hopefully she was already back at the hotel room and free to talk after another day at the conference.

K. checked their phone. No new message from Stelle so she probably was at a late lecture.

When they came home, K. walked straight to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Checking social media for notifications on their phone they went to the living room and fell onto the couch eating the protein bar they took from the kitchen only half conciously.

With an exhausted sigh they threw away their phone beside them on the couch and took the last bite.

K. looked around absently but suddenly flinched in surprise by what they saw lying on a commode across the room.

There was the face mask they sometimes wore when in bed together with Stelle along with a little note.

K. jumped almost over to the piece of paper and read it.

"came home early"