45

Hours later, Cherry was in her room, getting ready for bed when the door creaked open, and Ixora entered.

"I'm not really up for whatever brought you here tonight, Ixora," she said with weariness in her voice.

Ixora wasn't in her nightwear, as Cherry had assumed, given the late hour. Instead, she was clad in a towel, but her hair wasn't wet, indicating she hadn't showered yet. Cherry herself was in the midst of preparing for her own shower.

"I want to help you wash your hair tonight, Cher," Ixora said softly, her emotional exhaustion obvious.

Their mother had always been the one to wash their hair until this day.

In a different mood or time, Cherry might have chuckled or made a sarcastic comment. But not today. After her argument with Jerald, she felt emotionally raw.

She turned and headed towards the bathroom, expecting Ixora to follow. There was no bathtub in her bathroom; it hadn't been there for the past eleven years.

Cherry turned and raised an eyebrow at Ixora, silently asking h