Kolton Long didn’t return until nearly dawn. I could hear his attempts to tiptoe quietly from the other room, but I pretended not to notice.

The next morning, I thought Kolton had already left for work. Just as I was about to head out to buy a bus ticket, I heard him coughing in his room. My hand, poised with the spoon, hesitated briefly, but I acted as though I hadn’t heard a thing.

After breakfast, I aimed to secure that bus ticket. Tickets were scarce this time of year, and the lines could stretch forever. Still, getting this ticket would bring me peace of mind.

As I was ready to leave, a knock on the door surprised me. Opening it, I found Bailee Diaz standing there, looking much younger than I remembered. Her complexion was pale, her hair thin, and her skin had a sickly yellow tint, likely due to malnutrition. She was so frail she seemed she could be carried away by the slightest breeze.

In the past, I'd only seen her as a much older version of herself. I remember lying in a hospital bed while she sat across from me, sharply contrasting with her perfectly styled dark hair and designer outfits. The spoiled Bailee, wrapped in luxury, sat elegantly next to the bed of a weary, gray-haired woman exhausted by years of hard work—me.

Bailee couldn’t meet my eyes. She quickly glanced at me before looking down, nervously muttering, “I'm here to see Kolton.”

Her behavior could lead anyone to suspect there was something questionable between her and Kolton. But I didn't have the patience to entertain her pretense any longer.

I left the door open and walked past her, heading down the stairs.

Gripping the cash tightly, I jumped on my bike and took off. I relied on my memory, stopping now and then to ask people for directions, and finally reached the train station just before ten o'clock. With Thanksgiving season in full swing, the station was bustling with people coming and going, and the line for tickets stretched long.

I joined the line that looked a bit shorter and waited patiently. It was close to noon, and the staff were about to take their lunch break when it was finally my turn. Unfortunately, by the time I reached the ticket booth, all the seated tickets to my destination were sold out.

Without hesitating, I handed over my money and bought an earlier standing ticket instead. After securing the ticket, I carefully put it away and headed back, pedaling quickly through the streets.

Upon returning home, I half-expected to find Kolton and Bailee in the middle of a heated argument, emotions running high between them. To my surprise, Kolton was alone in the living room, and his bedroom door was wide open, almost as though he had left it that way intentionally.

As soon as Kolton saw me, he opened his mouth, maybe intending to say something, but I brushed past him and headed to the kitchen. A gnawing hunger had crept up on me, and it seemed like the perfect time to fix myself some lunch.