Mornings had always been her favorite time, back when her husband was alive. They’d sit together, sipping coffee in the soft light of dawn, talking about everything from work to the dreams they still hoped to chase. But since his passing last year, those mornings have been unbearably quiet. No one sits across from her now, and the ticking clock feels like a reminder of how empty the house has become.

As a school teacher, Emma tries to bury herself in her work. The classroom, once a place of joy and creativity, now feels more like a distraction than a passion. She’s good at putting on a brave face for her students, pretending to be the enthusiastic, caring teacher they need. But every time she closes the classroom door behind her, the weight of loneliness returns.

Her children call occasionally, but living abroad means they are worlds apart, physically and emotionally. They have their own lives, busy and full, while hers feels increasingly small. She finds herself wandering through the empty rooms of her home, looking for traces of the life she used to have. Some nights, she stares at old photographs, wondering if the smile on her face will ever return.