She could not recall how many times she had read the letter which now sat, wrinkled and tattered, on the polished wood of her coffee table.
It felt like a million, she decided, curling up on the couch. The more the words danced through her mind, the more she shifted around, until she was eventually reclining with a hand behind her head and a thoughtful expression on her pretty visage. Her olive-green eyes stared at the ceiling, and her brow was furrowed. She was deep in thought, wondering what, after all of these years, had finally convinced her parents to make this decision, and why they had unwisely chosen to inform her through writing rather than in person. It made Lila feel oddly detached and excluded from the situation. It was clear that they’d only told her about their divorce out of obligation, and not because they truly cared about how it would affect her.
A sigh rose in the air, its tone containing a sprinkle of wistfulness and a dash of annoyance. Damn parents. Damn letter.
It had chosen an awful day to arrive; she had a guest to entertain, and though she knew he cared little for the state of her dwelling, Lila believed that a home needed to always have a warm and welcoming atmosphere. But how could she achieve this when her belongings were scattered about, covering the majority of her rooms and creating a mess she hadn’t even thought about cleaning, even with her wand?
Lila tucked a rebellious lock of hair behind her ear and rested her chin on her knees. She couldn’t even think straight, let alone tidy up. Though her demeanor did little to portray it, there was a flurry of emotions swirling inside of her. This particular piece of news was undoubtedly inevitable and, honestly, she’d expected it a long time ago. But what she hadn’t anticipated was her own fiery feelings. She did not think it was going to affect her so strongly – that it was going to bother her so much. She felt like a child again, weighing the pros and cons of a separation between her parents, and searching for any positive she could find despite knowing it wasn’t meant to be.
But they’d been together for such a long time. Lila buried her face in a pillow.
Perhaps she could muster up the ability to work on the house. She needed a distraction, craved one, desperately. And she needed it as soon as possible. Pushing herself upwards, she rose off of the couch and made her way into the kitchen where the work began. There were only a few dishes in the sink, and a quick spell had them all clean in no time. In the living room, she accioed a good amount of books onto the shelf. Her bed was made right away with a wave of her wand. Before she knew it, the house was spotless, and lunch was the only thing left. She still did not feel any better, and though the cleaning had distracted her, now that it was done, her mind was no longer at ease.
The food was only half ready when the chime of a doorbell interrupted her scattered thoughts. Crap. She checked the pot, as if that would make the food cook at a faster pace, then made her way to the door and opened it, revealing a familiar face she was always happy to see.
“Roman.” Lila greeted her friend with a shadow of a smile. There was no point in trying to pretend that she wasn’t uneasy. Roman would have been able to see past any act she tried to put on with his eyes closed; he knew her well enough to know when something was off.
Despite his dislike for affection, she shoved herself into his arms without hesitation, and settled into the embrace for a moment, not speaking, eyes closed, breathing slowly. She felt quite small, but just as safe. Exhaling deeply, Lila finally pulled away and took a step back, keeping her hands on his forearms and surveying him now that they were at arms’ length.
“Let me get a good look at you,” she said, eyeing him from head to toe. “You’re getting to skinny,” she remarked jokingly, then finished with a smile, “but that’ll be fixed as soon as the food’s done.”
Lila led him to the couch then took a seat beside him. “How’ve you been?” she asked. “Tell me everything.”
