Ember was quiet at eleven.
The lunch crowd wouldn't arrive for another hour and the breakfast service had just wound down. The staff were resetting tables, refilling condiments, moving through the space with the unhurried efficiency of people who knew exactly what they were doing. Sadie had given Kya the corner booth — the good one, by the window, where the morning light came in at an angle that made everything look warmer than it was.
Kya was already seated when Sadie slid in across from her.
"You look tired," Sadie said.
"Good morning to you too," Kya said.
"I'm serious. You have that look."
"What look?"
"The one where you're completely fine and everything is completely under control and absolutely nothing is wrong." Sadie picked up the menu even though she knew it by heart. "That
