The soft chime of the doorbell startled me, cutting through the fragile calm that had settled over the house. Marga stirred in my arms, blinking up at me with sleepy eyes. “Mama?”

I set her down gently on the floor, smoothing her hair back. “I’ll get it, sweetheart,” I said, my voice calm but alert. My heart picked up a rhythm I couldn’t ignore. Visitors were rare; unexpected visitors, rarer still. I glanced toward the entrance, my mind racing through possibilities—and then ...