By the time the last table was cleared, it was past midnight. The restaurant had emptied, leaving only the staff's tired chatter and the rhythmic clink of cutlery. Abbie wiped down the final table, her body aching, her mind still buzzing from the rush.
Francis's absence had been a hollow echo all night, making every task feel heavier. She'd been left to close alone, and by the time she hung her apron, the village outside had gone silent, snow falling slow and thick, blanketing the world.
The restaurant was housed within a high-end hotel, marble floors, glittering chandeliers, all pretending not to be exhausted. Abbie lingered in the lobby, her crisp uniform a thin defense against the cold. A fire flickered in the grand hearth, and the concierge gave her a polite, detached nod, the kind t
