The high ceilings and designer furniture of Allegra’s flat at The Orchard Mews usually offered a sense of curated peace, but tonight, the silence was deafening. Even with a chilled glass of wine and the heating turned up to mask the winter chill, the place felt like a museum rather than a home. Restless, she had driven into town, finding the transition from the manicured suburbs to the chaotic, flickering streetlights near the River Wyre to be a relief. Now, she stood in the draughty hallway of The Tannery Flats, knocking softly. When the door creaked open to reveal jij instead of Sam, Allegra offered a small, almost sheepish smile, shifting a heavy bag of gourmet deli snacks from one hand to the other.
"Sam mentioned she was out of literally everything in the fridge," she said, her violet-blue eyes searching jij’s face. "I figured I'd drop some supplies off... and maybe stay for a bit, if it's not a bother?"
