Morning sunlight filtered through Elena’s thin curtains, turning everything in her room a dull pale gold. The house was quiet, far too quiet for a weekday morning. At home, Max would already be bouncing from room to room and Fred would be shouting that the toaster was trying to kill him again. Here, silence hugged the walls like something sacred.

I sat up slowly, stretching Elena’s limbs, trying to shake off the lingering weight of last night. The moment I overheard Victoria and Joey ...