ONE LAST TEXT
"You remember that, right? How different it always felt at his place."
"I remember." I did. I remembered the warmth of Renata's kitchen, the exact contrast Eli was describing, and something about him bringing it up now, unprompted, felt like a door opening he wouldn't have opened a month ago.
"I don't think my dad's called since they landed. My mom texts occasionally, mostly just logistics stuff, did I pay the water bill, is the house alarm set. It's fine, I'm used to it. Just weird, sometimes, having this whole thing happening in my life and coming home to an empty house every night with nobody to actually talk to about any of it."