A week had passed since Vanessa’s last visit.
Sophie had tried to act normal. She went to her college classes, finished her assignments, and helped her mother around the house. But nothing felt the same. Every quiet moment, her mind returned to Vanessa, the way she smiled, the warmth in her voice, and how her eyes seemed to see straight through her.
She kept checking her phone more than usual, hoping for a message. But there was nothing.
On Saturday afternoon, her mother came into the living room holding her phone.
“Sophie, can you do me a favor?” Clara asked. “Vanessa borrowed my favorite novel last month and I need it back for my book club meeting on Monday. She said it’s at her place. Would you mind going over to pick it up? I have a Zoom call in twenty minutes and can’t leave.”
So
