“Morning session starts in thirty minutes,” Patricia already dressed and pinning her grey hair, said brightly. “But breakfast is out on the terrace if you want something first.”

Elise nodded, stretching slowly as she had only just gotten up from bed.

For the first time in weeks, she’d slept through the night without waking in a panic. Not just that, compared to every other day that she had used vitamins to gather some strength for the day, she felt much lighter and energetic.

Quickly taking her bath, Elise changed into a soft cream blouse and loose pants, then packed her hair into a low ponytail.

When she stepped outside, the...