Lila

I stepped out of the shower feeling a little more human. The hot water had washed away some of the salt from my tears, but it couldn’t touch the ache in my chest. I dried off slowly, slipped into my soft pajamas — the ones with the tiny stars pattern that always made me feel small and safe — and climbed into bed. The sheets were cool against my skin. I pulled the covers up to my chin and reached for my phone on the nightstand.

It was finally charged. The screen lit up with notifications. Missed calls from Mom. A few texts. I opened the call log first...