Fading Footsteps

As Cleo spoke, she broke into a fit of coughing, the harsh, smoky taste still burning in her throat and making it tough to breathe.

She spotted her phone lying nearby, grabbed it, and called Maura again.

Maura answered this time, busy making breakfast. "Cleo, what's going on?" Maura said.

Hearing Maura's voice, Cleo finally let out a sigh of relief. The tension she'd been holding onto snapped, and