“Make sure you eat properly!” my mom said, dragging my face in her palms like I was five again, her fingers squishing my cheeks together like dough. I tried to dodge, but she was fast.
“Mum…” I groaned, attempting to wriggle out of her grip, but she wasn’t letting go. “I’ll be fine.”
She gave me one last squeeze before finally pulling back, smoothing down the already smooth lapels of my jacket like I hadn’t been standing still for twenty minutes doing absolutely nothing.
“And make sure not to stay out late,” she added, her voice turning into that familiar, nagging hum that somehow still managed to be comforting. The kind that sticks with you even after the words stop.
I nodded, not really answering—just enough to make her feel like she was being heard, while my brain did its best to bl
