not sleep

while her mind ran through the possibilities, one after another. She

he almost tw

uld be

ck. 3:47 a.m. The city outside her window had settled i

ork, life or the dinner party. I h

lack of sleep, or

elieve them. But something inside her already knew. There was

noticed, preoccupied with sorting a basket of worn laundry

had to be at work

li

eart pounding, her coat wrapped tightly around her like a shield. The cold morning b

ything from aspirin to overpriced lotions, but all s

ng not to draw attention. Th

t she could find and shoved it deep into

not go b

coul

y and locked herself in the st

to hear her heartbeat, which thudded in her ears like a

ick like it was a weapon. Read the

di

nutes

ngest two minut

oat was dry. She could not sto

she l

es and stare

ng inside he

li

Unmist

n, buried it under tissue, and

ears

num

y again. He paused this time just for a second

she was carryin

did n

ould nev

was

but Aurora ba

no longer about deadlines o

e tiny life gro

dea what kind of wor

ails, printed reports, and avoided Damon at all costs. Every time

e nev

ver c

e in his world,

in the back of a small c

d email, gave a false name. She could not take ch

was kind

he said with a smile

paper tightly in her hand.

imagining

as r

s hap

her mother not

she said. "Your eyes look

wn. "Just working

bring hersel

t

amon's office. He was on a call but nodded at her in ac

d to leave, he h

one, he wrote something on a sti

ta

art sk

silence unt

port," he said, but there was somethi

yesterday,"

ut I did n

m carefully. "Is

t answer

, "Are you o

ught. "Why wo

.. differe

d her spine. "I

t in the way his brow furrowed, the way

let h

urora sat alo

he used to write poetry in when she wa

wr

d I don't know if

I can't hid

rehead to the pape

make a fast

lked into HR and handed