familiar sound,she walked into the little sha

g and buzzed faintly as she walked, the smell of lavender and her Grandma's

, as a result of the stressful double shift she had. Her ha

ly street under the light of a flickering street lamp. The thoughts of Ethan s

h close to the door and gently removed her bo

voice Called fr

o be happy by forcing a light into her voic

ure of a frail grayed Hair woman was Visible, sh

you eat

a from the diner. "A second l

for me and taking care of me," her grandma muttered. " Pl

not for a girl like me, that'

es know eyes,without a word. As she

pasta inside. Second Hand was all the appliances in the apartment, even the fridge that makes a loud noi

her respo

rs ago. Since her father left. Since her mother's illness swallowed what littl

ream. Vacati

change, and rationed heating oil in the winter. No

ght had bee

abloid. He'd sat in her section, drank her bad coffee, and someho

was

like she was someone beneath him. If anything, he'd

of Her, her hair was a bit rough at the edges, her eyes were dull and tired from the long day of work. Ethan lo

about the way he said lonely. Like

est,she understood that

..

ly of stale tobacco.the last time he stayed in a place like this

snoring through the

hone

ushing for a Monday decision. They're skittish ab

m and stared at the

hi

word

mpetitors. But now that the world was watching,now that their new AI division had g

his company sho

one of it felt as urgen

e in her eyes. The way she saw righ

hour. Maybe two. Now he was ser

xhaled

as dan

poor. Not because

before the money. Before the pressure. Before he'd b

red the hell