The apartment was silent except for the low hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak from the old floorboards. The sun had already dipped behind the buildings, casting her space in a moody, amber glow.

Katherine sat on the edge of her bed, arms folded around her knees. Her café apron was still draped over the back of a chair. She hadn’t had the energy to put it away. It felt like a ghost of something that might no longer exist.

Her phone was on the nightstand, screen lit up, ...