The morning began without disruption.
That was the first signal something was about to change.
Because in Shawn’s world, consistency didn’t hold without reason. Silence didn’t remain untouched unless something external was about to intersect with it.
And this—
Was external.
⸻
I was already awake when I heard the door.
Not the internal doors.
Not controlled movement.
The main entrance.
Unscheduled.
Unannounced.
Unusual.
I stepped out of the bedroom just as Shawn turned toward the hallway, his posture shifting—not visibly to anyone else, but enough for me to register it.
Alert.
Not defensive.
But aware.
“You’re expecting someone?” I asked.
“No.”
A beat.
Then—
“I should have been.”
That alone—
Told me everything.
⸻
The voice came before the figure appeared.
Warm.
Fa
