That evening, I left the lab earlier than usual.
The house was quiet when I entered, warm with familiar scents. Myra was already seated at the table, swinging her legs slightly as she waited. She looked up the moment she sensed me and smiled, the tension of the past days softened but not entirely gone.
I poured myself tea and sat across from her. For a moment, we ate in silence. The simple routine steadied me more than any meditation ever had.
She broke the quiet first.
“Auntie,” she said, carefully casual. “Can we go out this weekend?”
I glanced at her. “Where?”
She hesitated, then said, “With him.”
I knew who she meant.
My hand paused over the cup. Work schedules flashed through my mind. Unfinished formulas and repairs waiting in the lab. External threats still unresolved.
“I ha
