The night stretched endlessly, shadows crawling over the walls as the minutes ticked by. She lay on her back, then on her side, then curled tightly into a ball, her blanket twisting around her legs like a trap. Sleep wouldn’t come, no matter how many times she squeezed her eyes shut and willed her mind to go quiet.

It wasn’t just the silence of the house that pressed down on her; it was the loneliness. She hated sleeping alone, had always hated it. As far back as she could remember, she needed someone close…someone’s warmth, someone’s heartbeat to lull her into rest. When she was younger, she’d sneak into her...