Alexandra's room

Phil checked all the doors on the way down the hall, but all the rooms were empty until he reached the door of his younger daughter, Alex. What is she doing home, Phil wondered, his hand on the doorknob. She was supposed to be college shopping, and had insisted that she do the looking herself. Being a smart girl, both he and Claire had quickly agreed, but now he wondered if they had done the right thing.

The noises he heard through the door were muted, but in his imagination, he could see Alex busily working on homework, or more likely the applications for several colleges, while the house was empty. The image Phil saw in his mind was so complete that any thought that she might be doing something else was nowhere in his mind.

Twisting the doorknob, Phil opened the door. "Alex..." he began, and stopped, his jaw dropping open.