Tula folded the newspaper in half, steam curling from her untouched coffee. Morning sunlight pooled on the floor as the apartment hummed with silence. Ashley, her daughter, was asleep after another night shift. Tula had packed granddaughter’s lunch, braided her hair, and waved her off like she did every school day.
She liked this hour—when everything was done and the world paused for her. Toast crumbs on the plate, crossword half-finished. She leaned back in the kitchen chair, lifting the coffee to her lips when a sudden, searing pain stabbed low in her abdomen. Her fingers trembled. The mug clinked hard against the saucer.