I close my eyes and feel my face heat. I panicked, then panicked everyone else for nothing.
“And did you remember to reset the alarm when you left?” I ask.
A pause. “No, I’m sorry. I think I forgot. Your father drives me crazy. He couldn’t find the peanut butter, even though it’s in the same cabinet it’s been in for the last-”
“Did you touch anything else while you were here?” I cut her off. “Any of the books on the dining table or any of the windows?”
Another pause. “No, I don’t think so. I know better than to touch your books.”
“You’re sure?” I ask. My mother’s visit explains at least two of the anomalies, and at this point, I’m hoping I can blame the other two on her as well, even if it makes me seem like a crazy lady who overreacted to a bottle of wine in her fridge.
“I’m pretty sure I didn’t,” she says. “I was only there to drop off the wine, then I left. I found it at the store and thought it was that kind you like, so I picked it up and figured I’d drop it off on my way home.”
I manage some sincerity as I answer her. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate you thinking of me. Just…let me know you stopped by next time.”
“Sure. Is everything alright?”
“Fine. I’ll talk to you later. Love you. Good night.”
I don’t wait for her to say ‘good night’ back before I hang up the phone and look at the officer.
“It might have been a false alarm,” I say. “Sorry about that.”
“Better safe than sorry,” the second officer says before the first can answer, and I’m grateful to him for not making me feel like an idiot.
The first officer takes my information while the second goes inside to double-check that no one is there, but he comes back out several minutes later and gives the all-clear.
The first officer leaves, but the second stays to get an autograph from Ash. I take their picture together as well. Finally, he leaves, and Ash puts an arm around my waist to lead me back up to the house. Once inside, he sits me down at the kitchen table and gets me a glass of water.
He picks up the plastic tray of food on the table. “Indian?” he says. “Looks good, but it’s cold now. How about I order something?”
“I’m not really hungry,” I say.
“You have to eat,” he says. “I can order real Indian food?”
I sigh and shrug. “Sure.”
I agree only because Ash will stay longer if there’s food, and I don’twant him to leave yet.
Ash orders the Indian and throws out my microwave dinner while I sit in a daze. Normally I’d protest – I don’t like to waste food – but the thought of eating doesn’t appeal to me in the least right now.
Ash takes a seat across from me. “Are you okay?”
“I just feel so stupid,” I say. “I nearly gave myself a heart attack and had the police here because my mother brought me a bottle of wine and forgot to tell me.”
“Hey, don’t do that to yourself,” he says. “Like the officer said, better safe than sorry. You still don’t know why your shade was up.”
I shake my head. “I must’ve put it up at some point.”
“Maybe, but I still want you to be careful for the next few days. Keep an eye on your surroundings and take note of anything that seems off.”
I eye him, trying to decide if there’s a tone to his voice.
“It freaked me out when you were scared tonight,” he says. “I nearly caused three accidents trying to get to you. I just want to be sure everything is safe. I don’t want you to have to go through that again.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
He shakes his head. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Like I said, just be careful the next few days.”
