Louise sat in her bathtub, submerged in bubbles that smelled of lavender and indifference.
Her phone, perched on the toilet seat, buzzed for the fifteenth time in ten minutes.
David (5:15 PM): Mom is waiting. Where are you?
David (5:20 PM): Louise, pick up. We need to go over the florist bill.
David (5:30 PM): Are you still at the dentist? .
David (5:45 PM): Seriously? You’re ghosting my mother?
Louise swiped the notification away without unlocking the screen. She took a sip of sparkling water and sank lower into the warmth.
In her previous life, this scenario would have induced a panic attack. If she was five minutes late to a family gathering, she would arrive breathless, apologizing profusely, clutching a peace-offering gift she couldn't afford. She remembered waiting for David
