(Reese)
I woke before my alarm and stayed still for a moment, staring at the ceiling while my mind tried to settle into something useful. That usually happened quickly, but today it took longer than it should have. The night before stayed in the back of my head in a way I didn’t like, and I recognized it right away as something I needed to fix before the day started. I didn’t believe in carrying unnecessary thoughts into a new morning.
I got out of bed and followed the same routine I always did. Shower, hair, makeup, clothes chosen with enough care to look right without wasting time. Control came from repetition, and repetition came from discipline. If I moved through it properly, everything else usually followed.
By the time I stepped back into the bedroom, I looked exactly the way I w
