Franz lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.
The room was dark. The curtains were drawn. The house was quiet in the way that only came after midnight, when everyone else was asleep and you were the only one still awake with your thoughts.
He reached out. His hand touched the space beside him.
Cold. Empty.
Arianne had been gone for less than a day.
Day one. And he already missed her.
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling again.
A knock came at the door.
Soft. Almost too soft to hear. Franz sat up and listened. For a moment he thought he had imagined it.
Then another knock. A little louder.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked to the door in the dark. His feet were bare. The floor was cold.
He opened the door.
Lily and Leo were standing in the hallway.
