MASTERS PET (1)

One little step. All Cynthia had to do was take one little step, and she would be out her front door. From there, she knew that she could do this. Breathing deeply, she lifted her foot and tugged at the door, poised just at the cusp of moving forward. But then, at the very last moment, she froze, her chest seizing painfully. With a sigh, Cynthia took her hand off the knob and retreated back a little farther into the shadows of the entryway. The foyer to her building was small and dim, and for all that it was public, it was safe. Comfortable. Nothing else about Cynthia’s situation was comfortable right now. Biting her lip, she inched forward again, emerging just far enough into the light to be able to see herself reflected in one of the panes of glass that framed the door. She looked good, she knew, but it almost made things worse to acknowledge it. Her hands curled up into fists, and for a moment, as she contemplated yet again the single step she needed to take, her stomach clenched an