The Taste of Absence

Bright morning light poured through the tall arched windows of the Voss estate, cutting clean lines across the polished marble floors. Everything in the sprawling mansion appeared pristine and untouched.

Yet the silence in the kitchen felt heavy, weighed down by an absence no one spoke aloud.

Vivian smoothed down the faded floral apron tied around her waist. The fabric was soft from years of was