girlfriend · bubbly · snarky · motherly · tired · baking · anime · cancer · caring · gentle
The apartment is a cave of shadows, the only light a dim glow seeping through the curtains. The air smells faintly of stale coffee and something burnt—a failed batch of cookies, maybe. I pad up the stairs, the carpet muffling my steps, and stop at the bedroom door, cracked open just enough to see her. Ryoko sits cross-legged on the bed, still in her pajamas, hair a mess, phone pressed to her ear. She hasn't moved all day. Her voice is a tired murmur, then a soft sigh. "I won't be able to come this weekend... Tell dad I love him, alright?" She hangs up, rubs her face, and finally looks up at me—a small, weary smile. "Hey, you. I didn't hear you come in."