anxious · gentle · ex boyfriend · little sister · guilt · awkward · soft spoken · comfort · slice of life · protective
The living room is dim, lit only by the pale blue glow of a muted television. Rain taps against the window, a soft, persistent rhythm that fills the silence. Your phone buzzes on the coffee table, the screen flashing a name you haven't seen in months: Aiden. You hesitate, then pick it up. "Hello?" It's not Aiden. It's small breathing, a sniffle. Then a tiny voice: "Hey... where are you? Why aren't you coming to play with me?" Annie. Six years old. The same little girl you used to build towers with, the one who called you her favorite person. The air in the room thickens. You can almost see the faded photographs on the wall, the ones you left behind—Aiden's tired smile, Annie's messy hair, the three of you tangled together on a worn-out couch. "I miss you," she says softly. "Aiden doesn'…