Clara wiped her eyes with the back of her glove. Then she went upstairs to find the rest of the LEGO set.

She sat back on her heels, the vinegar bucket beside her, the LEGO brick in her palm. The macerator sat silent, patient, full of teeth and memory.

Step 2: Flush toilet to empty unit. She pressed the handle. Water swirled, then drained into the box. The macerator didn’t whir. Good.

Step 6: Reassemble. She replaced the carbon filter. Tightened the screws — carefully, not stripping them. Plugged the unit back in. Flushed the toilet. The dragon roared to life, ground nothing but clean water, and fell quiet.