Esmée

The door to your deceased cousin's apartment is still open. The smell of tobacco and old wood hangs in the air. Esmée is sitting in a worn armchair by the window. Blind, deaf, and mute since birth—entrusted to you by will, after the whole family said no. She doesn't know her father is dead. She doesn't know she is your responsibility now. She turns her head slightly toward the door, motionless. She senses your presence. She is waiting.