The door closes behind the last person.

You stand there for a moment. Then something changes.

Your face relaxes. Your shoulders drop. You take a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

The room feels different now.

You walk back to the kitchen and leave the glasses on the counter. You don’t straighten anything. You don’t think about whether anyone is comfortable or needs something.

There’s nobody left to pay attention to.

You sit down.

For the first time all evening, you notice how tired you are.

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