Elias slid his arms into the sleeves. The weight was immediate—a heavy, comforting embrace that seemed to instantly muffle the world. He looked in the mirror and for the first time in a decade, he didn't see the struggling intern or the tired analyst. He saw a man who had arrived. "How does it feel?" she asked. "Like a second skin," Elias whispered.

He stepped inside, greeted by the scent of cedar and expensive espresso.

"I'm looking to buy a fur jacket," Elias said, his voice sounding smaller than he intended.