“David,” I said, steadier than I’d been in weeks. “Is the California position still open?”

He chuckled. “I thought you’d never leave the frozen tundra of Chicago. Yes. It’s yours if you want it.”

“I’ll be on a plane by Friday.”

The next days were a blur of packing and final legal steps. My mother insisted on taking me to a boutique on the Magnificent Mile for a new “armor” wardrobe for the West Coast.

We were near the fitting rooms when a grating voice cut through the mall music.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in. Shopping to fill the empty void, Sarah?”