Home. Heart. Hero.

A Quiet Home

        "Nothing can bring a real sense of security in to the home except true love."
-Billy Graham

Sometimes there's nothing stranger than being alone. When you're alone you're forced to pay attention to things you usually ignore. Up until this point , Katie had successfully ignored the empty hole in her heart since her father's death. She successfully ignored the anxiety of being in dark rooms alone. She even tricked herself into believing that she truly wasn't afraid that at some point she would realize that this was all a dream and that she was still in that cold dark cell. When you're alone, there are no distractions from reality and it was moments like this that Katie actually wished for Oliver's return.

Oliver was gone. Not really gone, he'd be back later, but for the first time in a week she didn't know where he was. Once Oliver left, Katie realized how quiet her house really was without her overbearing friend. Since he moved in, they'd practically been attached at the hip. They went grocery shopping together, ate together, watched horrible shows. It was ridiculously weird, but she didn't hate it. When her father died, Katie's greatest fear was that she was just going to be alone. After everything she's been through her only solace came from knowing that one day she would come home, to her family. And even though her father's gone, she can't help but feel that she's still got a chance at that.

At the moment,  she spent an embarrassing amount of time staring at a pile of take out menus trying decide which one was more preferable when the doorbell rang. Katie quirked an eyebrow as she stood to her feet. She rarely had any visitors lately, so someone showing up at her door so late in the evening was very unusual. Of course Oliver would tell her to call him, but this was still her house and she could do something as simple as open a door. She stepped in front of the door, making sure to pause before opening it.

"Who is it?"

"It's your friendly neighborhood serial killer who's kind enough to ring the bell before chopping you into small pieces." a familiar voice sounded from the other side and Katie rolled her eyes before reaching forward and pulling open the door. The moment she did, she was engulfed into hug. "Aw, Twinkie, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"It's fine Tommy." Katie said returning the hug. "You're a busy man and-"

"That wasn't it." Tommy replied pulling from the hug. He met Katie's eyes and she could see that there was something he wanted to say, but he just wasn't. "I just-"

"Hey, it's fine. I'm alright."

"But I'm the reason you were even in the car."

"Hey, it's not your fault some crazy bastard tried to kidnap me." she said before slapping his arm and waving him to come in. "I was just about to order some take out-"

"Take out, no," Tommy interrupted dramatically with a shake of head. "I'm taking you out. It's the least I can do."

"Is this another ploy to unleash drunk Twinkie, because Tommy I-"

Tommy rose his hands to stop her. "I'm offended you think so little of me. Look, Laurel's working late and I'm not really into the club scene tonight so how about a nice meal with a friend." Katie looked at him suspiciously before finally giving in.

"Fine, but no alcohol, just food that you're paying for."

"Dude, you have more money than me, why am I the one paying?"

"Well it was your idea and I take a sick pleasure out of making the guy who was the bane of my existence for so long actually buy my dinner." Katie said with a wink before turning and heading toward the stairs. "Let me change and I'll be right down."