Zara sat quietly in her car, wiping the last traces of tears from her face with a tissue. Her eyes were red and swollen, her breath still unsteady.
She took a deep breath, then reached into her bag for some powder, dabbing it gently on her face.
The makeup barely hid the exhaustion, but she forced a big, bright smile at her reflection in the mirror.
"Good," she whispered, trying to convince herself as much as the mirror. She stepped out of the car and walked up to the front of her apartment building.
She paused briefly, eyes scanning the street. No black Camry. No parked vehicle out of place.
The anxiety that had gripped her chest all day loosened slightly. No mysterious cars. No strange faces. And no call from the police.
Strange.
She exhaled and opened the back seat door, grabbing the shopping bags filled with gifts she had picked up for the kids.
Not from Arizona.
She adjusted her jacket, tightened her grip on the bags, and walked into the house.
