Chapter 4 — Rachel’s Advice

Claire

Claire sat at the kitchen table, her fingers curled tightly around the ceramic mug of chamomile tea. The warmth seeped into her palms, a faint echo of the comfort she couldn’t quite grasp. The house was quiet, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall and the occasional creak of the floorboards above as Isabel and Ethan prepared for bed. Their soft voices blended with muffled footsteps, but instead of reassuring her, the sounds only deepened her sense of isolation.