MARION

The jet wheels screeched against the tarmac, a smooth landing slicing through the calm of the L.A. morning. From my window, Los Angeles brightened like a canvas washed in gold. The sky stretched wide and endless, a pale blue brushed with faint wisps of white clouds, while the sun cast a warm glow that shimmered across the skyline.

The air outside looked crisp and clear, the kind of morning where the city felt alive and buzzing, already thrumming with energy even before nine. No haze ...