Morning began with a soft kind of brightness, the sort that didn’t intrude or demand anything. It simply arrived, like a guest who knew exactly how to step into a room without disrupting the air.

Violet woke gradually, wrapped in the comfortable weight of the blanket, feeling the faint warmth of sunlight press against her cheeks. She stretched, slow and deliberate, letting her muscles loosen one by one. Somewhere in the apartment, she heard the gentle clink of dishes and the low hum of someone moving with purpose.

Bryan.

She breathed in, letting the peaceful awareness settle over her.

The chaos of the past few days hadn’t disappeared. It lingered...