It was a shelter, not my home. After she died, I stayed out of necessity, not belonging. But I couldn’t bear the thought of spending all day inside on my own, so every morning, I headed out for a walk. My route was always the same: across the recreation ground, then along the main road to the little arcade. I drifted past the shops and cafés, letting my movement fill the silence. Once upon a time, I’d have stepped into th...

._. Day One ._. The door lock clicked as my key card skimmed the sensor, and I pushed into a room that could have belonged to any hotel in any city. Generic art, neutral carpet, and the faint smell of air freshener. After twenty-four hours of travel across eight time zones, three airports, and a rental car driven on the wrong side of the road, I was bone-tired. Local time said 4 pm; my body insisted it was eight hours ear...

I picked up my phone, pressed my thumb on the sensor, and waited for the screen to unlock. My glance showed one text, six WhatsApp messages, and ten emails. I tapped open the text. "Hey, love," I called out, "I have a message from Harry." She turned from the kitchen sink, drying her hands on a tea towel. "Harry, Laurence?" "Yeah. I haven't heard from him since Christmas, perhaps longer. He's inviting me to a class reunion...