Alessia finished her wrap slowly, leaning against the counter as the last of the warmth settled into something steadier in her chest. For a few minutes, she allowed herself to exist without chasing anything. No systems. No logs. No unanswered questions sitting quietly at the back of her mind.
Just food.
Just silence.
But it didn't last.
Her eyes drifted back to the pet store bag sitting on the counter. The small reminder of something unexpectedly simple in a day that had been anything but simple. The cat was still at the clinic, and tomorrow she would have to go back for him. She hadn't planned on bringing an animal into her life, yet somehow she had already bought him food, a bed, bowls, and toys.
Alessia shook her head faintly.
Then, inevitably, her thoughts shifted again.
Nova De
