Chapter 37: Freely Given

The white chairs had survived floodwater, flying purses, two hauntings, and three weeks of real estate staging without once becoming comfortable. Callum sat in the largest one and shifted for the fourth time. "This chair has injured me." Sau-lin stood at the bay window. "You chose it." "There were three identical options." "Then you chose poorly with unusual thoroughness." Below them, Waverly Place filled with the sounds of preparation. Metal legs snapped into place under folding tables. Someone tested a microphone and produced a howl from the speakers. A woman called for more red cord. Two men disagreed over where a permit required a barrier, while Mrs. Ng corrected both from a doorway. Fog silvered the glass. Sau-lin laid her fingers against it and felt the moisture gather under them. The apartment had dried since Callum's first night in it. The decorative books had returned to their shelves. The bowl…