Maya smiled, a rare, soft expression that made her look less like a bossy older sister and more like a kid. She pulled the duvet up over their mother’s shoulders, tucking it in just like she used to do for them.
Next to him, the rhythmic, heavy breathing of their mother continued undisturbed. She was sprawled across the queen-sized bed, still wearing her scrubs from the double shift at the hospital. The room smelled of lavender laundry detergent and the faint, antiseptic tang of the clinic. Brother Sister While Mother is sleeping next ro...
"Move," his sister, Maya, hissed. She was ten and possessed the terrifying focus of a diamond thief. "I’m trying!" Leo whispered back, his voice cracking. Maya smiled, a rare, soft expression that made
Leo squeezed his eyes shut, praying to the gods of snacks. Maya gripped the doorframe, her knuckles white. She was sprawled across the queen-sized bed, still
Leo took a bite, the cocoa melting on his tongue. He looked at Maya, then at their mom. He broke off a small square and placed it gently on the nightstand, right next to her glasses.
Back in the bedroom, the air felt different. They crawled back onto the foot of the bed, carefully unwrapping the foil. The crinkle sounded like a firecracker, but their mother didn't wake. She just looked tired—the kind of tired that reached deep into her bones.
The breathing leveled out again. A soft snore escaped their mother’s lips. "Go," Maya mouthed.