I never meant to build a life among the dead—but it was the one thing that made sense. The work was quiet, methodical. It gave me space to breathe. To keep things simple. Then Patrick Dalton walked through the door. Warm, charming, gentle, devastatingly perfect. He made my chest ache, even when I tried to keep him at arm’s length. And he made me want more. And for a while, I let myself believe I could have that. But life has a way of shifting itself. And the things we think we’ve buried don’t always stay gone.