I began to settle in for the night. Undressing and showering. Brushing my teeth and flossing.

But after all of that, it was still too early for sleep.

I texted Sarah, asking if she'd like me to check in with her and the kids, but after five minutes with no response, I moved on.

With nothing better to do, I opened Selena's book.

My heart wasn't in it at first, but the more I read, the more invested I became. Selena was right. The prose was adequate, nothing extraordinary, yet the story drew me in anyway. I lived it, alongside the characters, exploring their new world with awe, worrying over...