The morning sunlight spilled in through the blinds, casting a warm glow into the kitchen and on my back. 

Still, I couldn’t seem to shake the cold remnants of a second sleepless night from my bones. Not even as I leaned against the countertop next to the coffee machine with my hands wrapped tightly around a steaming mug of strong coffee. 

And no matter how many times I tried to make myself think about something—anything— else, my absentminded stare kept drifting back to ...