The sky outside was a sheet of muted grey, that promised more rain than it delivered. The drizzle had been falling steadily for over an hour now, tapping lightly against the tall windows like it didn’t know how to stop.

The bedroom lights were dim. A single desk lamp glowed warm in the corner of the room where Lucas sat, sleeves rolled up, jaw tight in concentration. He was leaning forward slightly, one elbow on the table, his hand rubbing slowly across the side of his face as he listened ...