AaronI barely slept.Every sound outside made me open my eyes. Every passing car, every branch scraping the window, every shift of the house settling into the night made my chest tighten for a second before reason returned.By morning, reason felt exhausted.I got up late to the smell of frying plantain and eggs.My mother believed food could fix nearly everything. Heartbreak, headaches, unemployment, bad moods, global conflict. If it existed, she would try to feed it away.I dragged myself into the kitchen.She looked up once and frowned. “You look terrible.”“Good morning to you too.”“You were awake half the night.”“You were spying on me?”“I am your mother. I do not need to spy.”I sat down, too tired to argue.She placed a plate in front of me and then casually said, “Someone dropped flowers at the gate.”I blinked. “What?”“Flowers.” She pointed toward the living room. “Very expensive looking ones too.”I stood immediately and walked in.A bouquet the size of a small tree sat
Last Updated : 2026-04-27 Read more