When Maya agrees to take in a stranger’s dog on a freezing afternoon, she has no idea how deeply it will change her life. Two months later, a letter arrives, unmarked and unexpected; and what it reveals will reshape everything she thought she knew about loss, love, and the quiet ways we’re watched.AdvertisementMy name is Maya, I’m 38 years old, and three months ago, I buried the man I believed I’d grow old with.

Daniel and I were married for 11 years. He was my partner, my compass, and the calm in every storm. When he was diagnosed with cancer, the entire world stopped.For nearly two years, we tried everything: radiation, chemotherapy, clinical trials, and even whispered prayers in hospital parking lots.Now it’s just me and our daughter, Lucy. She’s six years old: bright, kind, and heartbreakingly perceptive in the way children sometimes are when they’ve seen too much too young.