The sky had already turned a dull, swollen gray by the time Valentina stirred awake. It m sat heavily above the earth, pressing down like an unrelenting bad omen. She sat up slowly, blinking past the haze of sleep, and heard the faint sound of rain tapping against the window.

Lucas had already gotten up. His side of the bed was cool and empty, the sheets pulled tight. The curtains hadn’t been drawn back, but the light in the room was already a tired blue and it made her want to go back to ...