Breakfast ends the way it always does lately.
Bael finishes first, already standing and checking his watch before Grandmother and I are even halfway through our food.
"We should leave in ten minutes," he says, not really looking at me.
Right.
The hospital appointment.
I nod and finish the last of my meal, trying not to rush even though he's clearly waiting.
Grandmother sets down her tea with that precise little click she always makes. "Make sure Dr. Xi knows if anything feels off."
"I will."
Bael is already walking toward the door, phone in hand, probably checking emails or messages or whatever crisis is happening at the company today.
I follow.
***
The car ride is silent except for the sound of Bael's fingers tapping against his screen.
He sits beside me in the back, completely absorbed, and I watch the city pass by outside the window.
Buildings getting taller, traffic getting heavier, people rushing to work or wherever they need to be.
Normal people with normal lives.
