By the time I stepped off the curb, the air had cooled. Not enough to sting, just enough to make me pull my coat tighter. The city felt quieter than usual, like even it was tired of keeping up appearances. I walked without checking my phone. I did not hail a car. I simply let the quiet stretch around me as I moved through the city, one block at a time, not rushing to explain where I had been.

There was no trace of Roman’s voice left in my ears. Not his rehearsed regrets, not his warnings ...