I sighed in relief. Maybe I should just shut the doors next time. I always left the doors ajar so that Little Hayden could return whenever he wanted. Now I wasn’t sure what was the better option.
Perhaps after I get over my little panic from just now, I could still leave the door open.
This place is safe. This place is safe. This place is safe.
I repeated those words to myself in a small whisper as I made my way back into the studio. Once I immersed myself into my artist mode, I didn’t find it hard to refocus back on the painting that was right in front of me.
…
**Around a week later**
Despite the deal that we made that day in the bath, Hayden didn’t seem very open to discuss more about the situation outside. From the fact that I was still stuck inside the mansion, I could surmise that things had not improved. After fretting over it for a few days, I was determined to ask Hayden about it today when he came back home.
