"Shhhh." he replied, curtly.
He slowly put his feet on the ground as he uncovered. His first step was the hardest, but he was in the hallway, lightly floating toward the origin of the noise. At the end of the hall was an invisible wall of hot, steamy air. He peered around the corner to the kitchen and saw that the kettle was coming to a boil. He looked into the living room and saw a dusty boot jutting from the back of the rocking chair, planted on the footstool. The knot in his stomach ebbed once he saw the banjo sitting on the coffee table.
"What are you doing?"
"OH, hey, I thought you were out of town."
