Last Night
The front door clicks quietly open, snapping Alice’s attention up from her now-lukewarm morning coffee.
Lily slips inside and closes the door gently behind her. She hasn’t noticed Alice. Her hair is wild, and her unzipped leather jacket hangs loosely around her thin shoulders. She reaches a hand down to unlace her combat boots, then tugs them off. Freed from the heavy boots, her toes wiggle visibly beneath striped socks. Slowly Lily begins to turn towards the bedroom, but is interrupted by the sight of Alice in her bathrobe at the kitchen table.
Alice’s red-rimmed eyes meet Lily’s bloodshot ones as an icy silence settles over the kitchen. The contact is held only for a moment before Lily’s gaze drops to the floor. She lets the boots fall from her hand, and the sound of them hitting the wood hangs loud in the air.
Not raising her head, Lily takes a step towards the table and opens her mouth to speak. Alice flinches back in her chair, pulling her robe tighter with one hand, and the thin squeak of the chair legs against the kitchen linoleum is enough to silence Lily before she can start. Now that they’re closer, Alice can smell the smoke on Lily.
Lily lets out a frustrated breath, and her shoulders drop, the tension gone from them. The feel of the room shifts subtly. Gone is the chill. No longer does Alice feel that cold tingle at the back of her neck. Now the air is cloying, and her heartbeat is loud in her ears.
With a jerking start, Lily returns to her previous motion, and turns to the bedroom door. Stiff steps carry her to it, and she exits the small room as quiet as she came in.
She leaves behind the spark of anger that fell out of her with the breath, and Alice feels herself breathing that rage in. And just as they did the night before, her lonely eyes now fill with tears.
She lets her attention drift back to her coffee, now the only cold thing in a room too hot.
Lily slips inside and closes the door gently behind her. She hasn’t noticed Alice. Her hair is wild, and her unzipped leather jacket hangs loosely around her thin shoulders. She reaches a hand down to unlace her combat boots, then tugs them off. Freed from the heavy boots, her toes wiggle visibly beneath striped socks. Slowly Lily begins to turn towards the bedroom, but is interrupted by the sight of Alice in her bathrobe at the kitchen table.
Alice’s red-rimmed eyes meet Lily’s bloodshot ones as an icy silence settles over the kitchen. The contact is held only for a moment before Lily’s gaze drops to the floor. She lets the boots fall from her hand, and the sound of them hitting the wood hangs loud in the air.
Not raising her head, Lily takes a step towards the table and opens her mouth to speak. Alice flinches back in her chair, pulling her robe tighter with one hand, and the thin squeak of the chair legs against the kitchen linoleum is enough to silence Lily before she can start. Now that they’re closer, Alice can smell the smoke on Lily.
Lily lets out a frustrated breath, and her shoulders drop, the tension gone from them. The feel of the room shifts subtly. Gone is the chill. No longer does Alice feel that cold tingle at the back of her neck. Now the air is cloying, and her heartbeat is loud in her ears.
With a jerking start, Lily returns to her previous motion, and turns to the bedroom door. Stiff steps carry her to it, and she exits the small room as quiet as she came in.
She leaves behind the spark of anger that fell out of her with the breath, and Alice feels herself breathing that rage in. And just as they did the night before, her lonely eyes now fill with tears.
She lets her attention drift back to her coffee, now the only cold thing in a room too hot.