Fragile Burn

ning was war

stead of her usual cooperate wear, she took a

nt a quick email to her superviso

most immediately

om your co-workers about you fi

ce crackled thr

ition that his tone softened, leaving a gruff kind of concern - Mr.

r's favorite chicken and vegetable soup to take wit

e BLACKPINK song, "How You Like That," blasting it throu

nd tangle through her hair like freedom in moti

inside, she was trying to drown out the

The cancer isn't responding to treatment like we ha

onti

adjust his therapy plan, but there are no guarantees. His body

n's voice as vivid as if h

she had to inform relat

harder than th

oken to her moth

houting - a bitter clash that left sca

er back on her father's illness, hadn

pected a shred of human

her own story.

abandoned her when she was at

part of Aliyah's life if s

Her only access to Aliyah had been through occas

Not for a mother

ud

ushed Aliyah for

had blurred her senses. But no-this wasn'

tereo, hastily turning down t

ed, then quickly check

feel it; she knew her rear bumper w

hair from her face as she walked to the back of her

shed, and obviously expensiv

car that made peo

the driver angrily, sig

out of the car with the kind of confidence tha

looked like it had been sewn directly onto his body, eve

metal of his watch, and lig

ot in the messy-on-purpose way, but like he had ru

tive, like he knew something she didn

st looking at her, but through her and into som

ed in expensive cologne, and tim

. He didn't smi

p her, that

ainst the dryness in her throat, aware

e small talk, are you?" Her voice c

silence with something meaningless." Alexander'

voice from

of recognition passing thr

pectable distance. "I assumed you'd move when the

e. If you're looking for a party, the road's t

lightly, her pride itc

petty kind. His was the practiced arrogance of so

throat, refusi

and dry, brushing away the loose strands of hair the breeze had blow

the first time, a smile appeared on his face

aded just as qu

ugh and shook her head. "Has f

e, hiding the fact that i