Erick
The first thing I noticed was the cold. If she was close, she kept me warm. So, I knew immediately that she wasn’t there, but just to be sure, I patted her side of the bed.
The side of the bed where Sophia usually curled up next to me was empty, the sheets already cool to the touch.
That alone was enough to make me frown.
I was always the first one to wake.
Years of training and discipline had made that routine as natural as breathing. But today… she had slipped out before me.
I blinked and sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
The sun was already pouring through the tall windowpanes, casting golden light across the room. A quiet calm had settled in the house, but something about it made my senses stir.
I glanced around the room again. No sign of her. Not in the
