Chapter 86

The scent of home hit Daryl as he walked through the door. He could smell the freshly baked bread his wife had prepared for dinner and the familiar aroma of his home that he had missed for the past couple of days.

As he walked into the kitchen, he saw his wife, Hilary, standing by the stove, her eyes glued to the door, waiting for him. Her face brightened up as she saw him, and she rushed to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Where were you last night?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry. "I waited for you, but you never came home. I was so worried; I thought something had happened to you."

Daryl looked into her eyes; he could see the fear and worry in her eyes, and it tore at his heart. He knew he owed her an explanation, but he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet.

"I'm sorry, Hilary," he said softly. "I had to work late last night; I didn't want to wake you up, so I crashed at the office."

Hilary's face softened with relief as she heard his explanation. She