A palpable solitude roams the halls of my once busy home. I find myself wondering if "home" is still the right word to use for a house that is missing a family, my family. But they compel me to keep calling it that.

The children's laughter fills the house. Their small, noisy feet run through the halls. Carlos throws a ball across the room and Sara runs after it while Nicole watches from the comfort of her armchair. Her brown eyes beam with the joy that can only come from admiring children at play.

The phone begins to ring, they begin to fade. I reach out to them, but it's no use. Propriety demands that I answer the call. I wish the phone hadn't rung. If it hadn't, they would still be here. I reach for the device before the silence sets in.

"Hi, Vance," I say.

"Long time no see."

"Yeah, I've been busy lately."

"Understandable-got anything planned for tonight?"

"Not really."

"Sweet. Can you be ready by seven?"

"That's in half-an-hour."

"I'll take that as a yes. I'll swing by the house to pick you up."

"But I-" He hangs up before I can object.

Not that it really matters because I doubt Vance understands the meaning of the word "no." In the six years that we've been friends, I've seen nothing to indicate that he does. He always does this, seldom telling me where we're going when he decides that I need a night out. He would argue that it's because I'd say no before hearing him out, adding "but you had fun though." And I would reluctantly have to agree. For all his impulsiveness, he did have a knack for planning fun activities.

After jumping in and out of the shower, I start looking for something to wear. The lack of time means that a t-shirt and jeans would be my attire for the evening. I catch a glimpse of a family photo on the dresser as I attempt to make my hair look presentable.

A smile crosses my lips, that was the first time we went to the beach. The kids had never seen the ocean before. The waves crash against the shore as I chase them up and down the beach.

They start building a sandcastle which quickly falls victim to the recurring waves. Both children are sad that their hard work had been washed away by what they thought to be a rogue wave. But I provide a solution to their predicament: a moat. Carlos and Sara smile because the waves can no longer destroy their castle. As a reward for my efforts, they bury me in the sand.

Nicole jumps out of her chair, camera in hand.

"Say cheese," she urges.

"Cheeeeeese!" we say in unison.

She waves down a passerby who takes one of all of us. After making sure he got a good one, they pull me out of my sandy grave.

"Would you like to come back here again?" Nicole asks the children.

"Only if we get to bury you next time, mom," Carlos replies.

"It's only fair," Sara nods.

"Then I don't think I want to come back now-"

My phone's ringing again. The sand slowly dissolves into hardwood beneath my feet. Soon, I'm staring at the picture on the dresser.

"Hey, I'm out front. I know I'm a little early, so no rush." Vance says after I pick up the phone.

"Alright, I'll be down in a few minutes."

"K."

I leave the dresser feeling satisfied with my appearance and make my way downstairs. I don my coat and reach for the knob on the front door. Suddenly, I'm struck by a familiar, unsettling thought; no one will be here when I come back.

* * *

In the car, I am greeted by the sound of 90's Hip-hop coming out of the speakers. Vance is whiter than most, blond and blue-eyed, but you wouldn't know that from his musical tastes.

"You can change the music if you want. I finally bought that aux cord," Vance gestures to the green wire plugged into the audio jack.

"I'm good. Where are we off to?"

"Well, first we need to swing by 6th Ave to grab Jeremy. After that, we're heading over to this new place that just opened up on Cemetery Road, The Blue Cask. It's a microbrewery, but they have pool tables, and I hear the BBQ is on point. I figured tonight would be a good night to check it out."

"Sounds like it has potential."

"Yeah, the guys at the office have been talking about it all week. Speaking of work, how are things at your 9 to 5?"

I recount some of the details of my mundane work-life as we head over to Jeremy's. Eventually, we pull up outside Jeremy's apartment. Vance gives him a call, letting him know that we were outside.

"I can't believe he still lives here," I say after Vance hangs up. "I'm surprised this place hasn't been condemned yet—like I know the rent's cheap, but damn, it ain't that cheap."

"No kidding," Vance says.

I lived here when I first moved to the city. It was a necessity kind of thing. I needed a place to live, and they had a vacancy. What they neglected to mention was that I'd have roommates. And by roommates, I mean mice. The crumbling red bricks make the building seem just as likely to tip over as the day I moved out. That was right after I started seeing Nicole. She wasn't a fan of my roommates, and I couldn't blame her...

"You managed to convince Tomás to come out again," Jeremy says, getting into the seat behind me.

"Nice to see you too—the mice still treating you well?"

"You'll have to ask Alexa."

"Alexa, how are the mice treating Jeremy?"

"You still have jokes I see. But Alexa's my cat."

"Right, I forgot you were a cat guy."

"Alright, kids," Vance interrupts, "I'm gonna need one of you, and by that I mean Tom—"

"Hey now," Jeremy objects.

"No offence, but I don't think your phone is up to the task."

"What? It's just a small crack, it still works."

"I guess small is a relative term for you," Vance winks, looking at Jeremy in the rearview.

Jeremy flips him off.

"Cute," Vance smiles. "Alright, Tom, I need you to book us a table the place—"

"Oh, so what you mean is that you forgot to do that," Jeremy says.

"I don't appreciate the judgement in your tone. It's a little on the cold out tonight, but I don't mind making you walk home later."

"Was that a threat?"

"Was Ryan Reynolds born to play Deadpool?"

"Table's booked," I cut in.

"Thanks, Tom. It's nice to have friends with working phones. Ain't that right, Jeremy?"

"Okay, I guess it's Pick on Jeremy Night. But that's okay, I can take it."

"How's Jessica by the way?" I ask.

"You'll have to ask her when you see her," Vance responds in a sombre tone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know—"

He shrugs, "It's alright. I think it was time—"

"Turn up the radio!" Jeremy shouts.

"We're trying to talk here!"

"Yeah, I know, and it's depressing as hell—"

"Fine then!" Vance cranks up the radio.

The music plays while we sit in silence. But as No Diggity is ending, Jeremy speaks up.

"Sorry, fellas. That was uncalled for. But can the girl trouble talk wait until after I've had a few beers?"

"Alright, but the first round's on you," Vance says.

"I can deal with that."

"Speaking of girls," I begin, "when was the last time you dated one?"

"Really, Tom? We were having a moment there, and you killed it."

"Answer the question," Vance says.

"You know what? I'm not gonna say anything else until we get there."

"That long, huh?" I tease.

"Two years isn't a long time. Plus—"

"Wait," Vance cuts in, "let me turn the music down. I couldn't quite hear how many years you've been single."

"I'm done with you two."

* * *

After arriving, Vance drives around the area a few times before parking next to the cemetery. It was a ways from The Blue Cask, but that's as close as we could get. The walk from the car has my face feeling numb. But we march on with snow crunching beneath our feet.

Vance opens the door and says, "After you." We try to brush the snow off our feet on the rug, but it's an exercise in futility. The rug is soaked from the other patrons who had arrived before us. The air inside is warm and welcoming. The place is buzzing with conversation. I walk up to the girl behind the front counter and mention our reservation. She hands me a metal object that held a piece of paper with the number 10 printed on it. Our task is to find the table with the matching number. Simple enough, I figure.

While taking our seats, a girl wearing a blue, pinstriped t-shirt, walks over and presents us with menus.

"All the beers are on the back," she adds.

We order three Starter Packs, as per the menu. This way we could try all the beers and decide which ones we liked best. Jeremy also made good on his agreement to buy the first round and ordered a pitcher of the Winter Ale.

And for supper, we order the Barn Special; which consists of barbecued ribs, chicken and smoked brisket with a side of baked beans and potato salad. Since it's a platter, we each just grab what we want. The decor catches my eye as we eat. The dark, blue walls were made of wood. And on them hung Old road signs, license plates and a bull skull, every now and then.

The tables, chairs, and stools also follow a similar rustic motif. The tables that can only seat two are simply wooden barrels with a square slab of wood on the top.

At our table, the conversation consists of the usual banter involving sports (mostly hockey) and politics. Unsurprisingly, Vance is the first to notice that a couple of girls at one of the barrel-based tables had seemingly taken an interest in us.

"Now's your chance, Jer," Vance says, "go ask them if they want to play a round of pool." Jeremy is usually a shy guy, but beer has a way of making him bolder than he would be in a more sober state.

Jeremy takes a swig from his mug. "Okay," and goes over to try his luck.

Five minutes later, and much to my surprise, the blonde girl takes him by the hand, leading him towards the pool tables.

Her brunette friend glides over and says, "Looks like I'll be needing a teammate. Which of you is the better player?"

"Tom's the better player, but I'm more fun," Vance winks.

"Does Mr Fun have a name?"

"Vance. And your name, mademoiselle?"

"Erin. It's nice to meet you."

They smile and shake hands.

"Shall we?" She asks.

"Of course." Vance grabs his mug before leaving the table.

I join them after finishing my beer. Once there, Erin introduces me to Abby, Jeremy's teammate. We decide to swap partners after each game, giving each of us a chance to play. A few rounds soon follow. But it quickly became apparent that the girls are more interested in Vance and Jeremy than playing pool. I'd say Vance and Jeremy feel the same way.

Eventually, the couples made their way over to one of the booths just off the pool table area. But I decide to keep playing while they get better acquainted. Later, I find myself on a team with a girl named Taylor.

"You don't talk much do you," she says.

"Not usually, no."

"That's fair. I don't care much for small talk either."

I smile, and she takes her next shot. Taylor banks 8 Ball into the top corner pocket.

"Nice shot," I say.

"Thanks. Have we lost a game yet?"

I shake my head, "I don't think so."

"Might be a good time to quit, given that we're ahead. Can I buy you a drink?"

I smile, "Sure."

Following my suggestion, we soon find ourselves drinking two stouts over a conversion at the bar. I learn that Taylor also works in Accounting and is also an avid reader. After mentioning some of our favourite books, we proceed to talk about them, discussing various points of interest.

"Wait," Taylor says, "so you think Darcy was actually selfish for making things right with Elizabeth and her sisters?"

"Yes, I do. "It was entirely self-serving. Darcy basically said so himself."

"I'm going to have to disagree. He did what he did without knowing how things would turn out between him and Elizabeth."

"I guess. But, if you look at it from the perspective of—"

"Excuse me," Vance says, "Sorry to interrupt, but can I borrow Tom for a second?"

"Sure," Taylor says.

"Leaving with Erin?" I ask.

He nods.

I check my watch. "It's nearly 11:30. I should probably get going too."

"Need me to call you a cab?"

"No, I'll call one in a minute. I'll just finish up at the bar first. Where's Jeremy?"

"He left with Abby about twenty minutes ago."

"I'm surprised."

"That makes two of us."

"Well, I'll talk to you later."

"Yup. Have a good night, man."

"You too. Make good choices."

He shakes his head, "Thanks, dad."

I walk back to the bar and resume my seat.

"Was that your ride?" Taylor asks.

I nod before attempting to finish my drink.

"If you're interested, I'm heading to a party soon. I can drive you home afterwards."

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't stay out past midnight."

"Let me guess, your carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin once the clock strikes twelve."

"How did you know?"

"The glass slippers kinda gave you away."

"Of course," I smile.

"Can I drive you home at least?"

"I'm fine getting a cab, but thank you. Besides, I wouldn't want to make you late for your party."

"Nothing wrong with being fashionably late," she smiles. "But, I can take a hint. Here's my—"

"It was really nice meeting you," I say before she can finish, "and thanks again for the drink. I hope you have fun at your party."

"It was nice meeting you too. And I'll do my best, but I'm sure your company would have improved things."

I smile, "Goodnight, Taylor."

"Goodnight, Tomás."

* * *

I pay the driver and start walking towards the house. The sight of the darkened windows makes pause. The frigid, night breeze blows across the snow-covered pathway. The wind seems to whisper: "no one will be here when you come back."

I press on, my hands trembling as I turn the knob. After I step inside, the door slams behind me. Darkness envelopes me. My hand fumbles along the wall, searching for the light as the haunting whispers grow louder.

My finger finds the switch, and the menacing shadows recede to the fringes of the room. But the moment of relief soon dies as the deafening silence returns. It follows me as I climb the stairs.

Emptiness resounds as I wander down the hall. I pass Carlos' bedroom, then Sara's before coming to our room. I walk in, throw myself in bed and reach for my wedding ring on the bedside table. I twirl it around between my fingers, lamenting the fact that I forgot to put it on before leaving earlier. I finally put the ring down, turn off the light and hope for sleep's embrace.

The golden beams pry my eyes open. My head is pounding when I sit up. I get out of bed and head to the bathroom in search of something for my aching head.

As I step into the hallway, I hear the sound of the lock on the front door turning. Instantly, I rush through the hall and down the stairs. I'm halfway down when they burst through the door.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Sara shouts.

I bend down and throw my arms around them.

"We missed you, papá," Carlos says.

I kiss them on their heads. "I missed you both so much. Did you have fun at grandma's?"

"A little too much fun, if you ask me," Nicole's sweet voice says. She looks as radiant as the morning light shining behind her. I walk over and kiss her deeply.

"It's nice to see you too," she smiles, "would you mind getting the stuff out of the car? I'll go get these two something to eat."

"Of course," I reply.

As I walk back inside with the bags, I remember that I hadn't replaced the expired milk.

"Amor," I call out, "I forgot to get milk the other day. The stuff in the fridge is expired." I wait, but there's no response. "Nicole, did you hear what I said about the milk?"

I suddenly realise that all is quiet.

"Carlos? Sara?" I call, but alas, no answer. I walk around the corner to the kitchen and see no one. I turn around to look for the bags I brought in, but they are gone.

I wake up in a cold sweat. Sitting up, I put my hand on my forehead. The sun is shining through the curtains. Slowly I lay back down, feeling my heart rate decrease. I pick up my wedding ring, slide it onto my finger and step off the bed. I wipe the sleep out of my eyes as I walk down the hallway. The silent echoes are the only sounds I can hear.