I got home with Lila, the walk from school feeling longer than it should. The house sat quiet when we stepped inside. Ryan wasn’t back yet from work. Lila dropped her bag by the door and stretched.
“Want something to eat?” she asked.
“Maybe later,” I said. “I’m wiped.”
We decided to rest. I went up to my room and crashed on the bed. The ceiling fan spun slowly above me. School had been a lot. New faces, new rules. I closed my eyes for a bit, letting the day settle. Down the hall, Lila’s music played soft through her door.
Ryan came home a couple hours later. The front door clicked open, and his keys hit the table. I headed downstairs with Lila. He looked tired but smiled when he saw us.
“How was the first day?” he asked, kicking off his boots.
“Met a couple people. Biology class wasn
