AURORA
I stood in front of the mirror longer than necessary, staring at my reflection like it might suddenly give me answers. My hands were shaking a little, and I kept rubbing them together, trying to calm myself down. Today mattered. Everything felt like it depended on how today went, and that alone made my chest tight.
In my head, I kept rehearsing what I was going to say to my aunt. Compliments first. Maybe a joke, something light. Then flattery. Aunt Lila liked respect. She liked discipline. She liked control. I had grown up knowing that, living under her roof, watching how she carried herself like the world owed her nothing and she owed it even less.
“She won’t be easy,” I whispered to myself, adjusting my clothes again. “She never is.”
I tried smiling in the mirror. It looked f
