An evening with alpha

ess thoughts. I had chosen a window seat, hoping to find solace in the clouds, but their soft, rolling shapes only reminded me of how far away I was from

topped here, waiting for me to return. As I stepped into the arrivals area, the first wave of familiarity hit me. The faint scent of coffee from the n

aiting by the driver's side, her posture rigid and commanding as always. Her eyes locked onto mine the moment I stepped out of

her voice sharp enough to

d," I replied, trying

the passenger seat, and she drove off without another word. The silence between us was suffocating

ed my perspective. The houses were as I remembered - neat, suburban, unremarkable. But there was an unease in

s pristine, as always, its white paint and perfectly trimmed hedges a reflection of my mother's obsession with app

e to the guest room without ceremony, as though I were a mere visitor. The roo

," she said before

weight of the journey and the emotions I'd been suppressing finally catching up to me. The walls of the room,

t peaceful, if not for the memories lurking behind every corner. I passed houses I recognized, each one stirring something in me. There was th

broad frame unmistakable even in the fading light. For a moment, I di

ce was deep, ting

my own voice bare

Ethan, Adrian's older brother. We had known each other in passing, exchanged polite greetings at family

," he said, a hint of a smile tu

ect to be her

or the

ing lik

unreadable. "It's good to

was true. Ethan had always seemed so grounded, s

ter," he said, stepping aside to

stirred something in me, something I couldn't quite place. It wasn't attraction, not exactly, b

mother was waiting in the dining room, the table set with her usual precision. Lyara wasn't there yet, a

lk?" she asked,

that followed was heavy, punctuated only by t

the room, her smile bright enough to mask the tension. She greeted our mot

perfunctory hug. Her perfume was overpowering, floral an

said, forc

ng wedding plans in excruciating detail. I nodded and murmured polite responses when necessary, but my mind was

ly. The night had been exhausting, and the days ahead promised to be even more so. Yet, for the first time in a long while, I felt something st