Two Strangers Knocked During a Christmas Outage. The Moment They Gave Their Names, I Knew Something Was Wrong.

in tea bags, and added honey—the cheap plastic bear kind that Owen liked to squeeze. I brought the mugs back carefully, the steam rising in the cold air of the entryway.

George’s hands shook so badly when he reached for the mug that tea sloshed over the rim. I steadied it from the bottom without touching him too much, respecting whatever boundary he continue reading …