CHAPTER 1. New sprouts
I live alone in a quiet house tucked behind a curtain of vines and blooming things. Most days, I tend to the garden or read in silence, undisturbed by the outside world. But for the past two weeks, one envelope has been resting on the kitchen table, opened, re-read, and still impossible to ignore. My sister’s letter: "Nico will be spending the weekend with you. Just passing through, but he’s excited to see you." Nico, my nephew. I haven’t seen him in years. He was just a kid last time. Now he’s... a stranger.
I’m nervous, more than I’d like to admit. I keep thinking of the drawer in my bedroom and the small key inside.