Riley’s POV
The moment I entered my apartment and switched on my phone, I could not put it down again. Notifications flooded the screen like a dam had burst open. Emails, texts, missed calls. Everything I had pushed aside before leaving was stacked on top of me now, heavier than my suitcase. I kept scrolling, answering one message, then another, typing out replies that already felt late.
My leave had not been planned, so most people had no idea I was gone. Still, I found a few messages that surprised me. Colleagues checking in, asking if I was alright. I paused over those, reread them once or twice, then moved on quickly before I could think too much about why it mattered.
I was halfway through replying to another email when my phone rang. The name on the screen made my chest ease. Gran
