NICOLE

"Hello? Sebastian? Yes, that's right. It's me. How has my favorite godson been?"

I have a few sips of my cold coffee as I listen to Katie speak to her godson. The smile on her face really breathes life into her features. She has pale blue eyes paired with really pale skin, but they don't make her look dead. On the contrary—everything about her is vivid and bright.

"Yeah, well. That's true," she's saying. I zoned out for a bit, so I didn't catch the rest. "Well, I have good news. I'm ...