You stood by the counter, cradling a warm cup of coffee between your hands. The sting in your eyes hadn’t left, the ache in your chest still too sharp from hours ago when you’d walked home in the pouring rain, soaked and abandoned. The sound of the doorbell pulled you from your thoughts, making you frown as you wiped a stray tear from your cheek.

With a slow, wary breath, you pulled the door open — and froze.