I sit on the couch, the silence of the house settling around me like something soft and heavy. My thumb moves slowly across the phone screen, scrolling without really reading, waiting. The minutes stretch, unhurried, as the evening light slips through the glass wall in long golden streaks.
Tonight, we're having dinner at Alara's. She'd called earlier, her voice bright and insistent—a reunion before we leave for X Country. She wants to see us together.
You have to come. Both of you. No excuses. It's been too long.
I turn off the phone screen and glance at my watch.
How much longer is he going to take?
The thought drifts through my mind without weight. Not impatient. Not angry.
Just... waiting.
My phone buzzes sharply, cutting through the stillness like a stone dropped into still water. I glance down. Sum's name flashes across the screen, the letters bright and insistent.
Ellis, where are you? We're waiting.
I type back slowly, my fingers moving with practiced calm.
