LAKE COMO

It was late in the evening, and the house was quiet except for the annoying ticking of the clock in the living room. Avery was already asleep upstairs, after a long day of being a menace. Jessica sat curled on the couch with a mug of tea that had long gone cold, her laptop open but forgotten. The glow from the table lamp cast gentle shadows across the room, brushing over family photos on the shelf.

She scrolled absently through old pictures of her and Avery in Italy, bundled in coats, laughing by the canals. Her chest tightened at the memory. The house felt too still, too heavy with what-ifs.

Then came a knock at the door.

Jessica frowned, glancing at the clock. 9:47 p.m.

Her stomach sank knowing that hardly anyone visited at this hour. She reached for her phone, opened the security camera app, and froze.

Ethan.

He stood on the porch in his work clothes, tie loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was slightly tousled, his expression unreadable. For a brief moment, she