After parting ways with Gale, Alexia exhaled, letting his words fade into the city noise. She didn’t want to go home — not yet. The thought of being alone in that quiet house, surrounded by Nate’s lingering warmth, was… complicated. She glanced down at Christopher, who padded beside her like a silent shadow, tail swaying lazily.
“Change of plans,” she murmured, rubbing his ear. “We’re going to see Margaret.”
Christopher’s ears perked, as if approving the detour, and the two set off toward the neighborhood. The sun had climbed higher, soft and golden over the tree-lined street, the kind that made everything feel deceptively peaceful.
By the time Alexia reached Margaret's home, Christopher’s tongue was hanging out from the long walk. The garden still looked perfectly tended, the faint sce
