I left Cassie’s room with her diary held tight in my hands, its weight a reminder of the secrets it carried. I didn’t sleep that night. Instead, I sat curled on the bed, the glow of my phone screen burning my eyes as I typed out a message I’d already rewritten a dozen times.

Please come back home.

I stared at the words for a long time before finally pressing send. The screen remained empty. No reply.

Somewhere between waiting and watching, exhaustion claimed me. When I opened my eyes ...