The Uber dropped her off just before sunset. The neighborhood was quiet, unusually so. The scent of roasted beans lingered faintly in the air like a memory. A warm breeze stirred the blooming vines crawling up the side of her apartment building, whispering like ghosts of the past.

Katherine stood outside her door for a long moment, her bag on her shoulder, keys clutched loosely in her hand. She stared at the familiar chipped blue paint, the little welcome mat Carolina once bought her that ...