“Fine,” Ayn grumbled, secretly happy that her friend was insisting on this. It’s what she would do, and it’s what she would ask her dad to do. If he were here. Right now, it felt like Mearzt was the only one who cared about her at all. And Zoe, of course, Ayn thought, resting her head on the beastie’s back as they walked through the apartment. She ended back in the sitting room. “All clear,” she said. “Just like I knew it would be.” She smiled sleepily.

“Whatever,” Mearzt said. “I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”

“Later today you mean,” Ayn said. “It’s after midnight.”

Mearzt groaned. “ ‘Night.”

“Good night. And thanks again,” she said, but her friend had already disconnected. Ayn took one of the photo frames from the shelf and sat on the sofa, holding the frame on her lap. She watched the images fade one into the other until she slipped into the oblivion of sleep.