"Aquí tienes."
"Thanks."
The server slid her tray across the counter, ducked beneath it and returned with a small basket of packaged condiments. Once it was within Cecilia's reach, they gave her a polite nod and moved on to the next customer.
Cecilia picked through the packets, tossed a few onto her tray and carried everything back to her spot before dropping into the cushioned seat.
She opened the purse hanging from her shoulder, took out her earbuds and slipped them in. An opaque screen appeared off to the side, playing a video with the sound fed straight into her ears.
She unwrapped her burger and lifted the wheat-colored bun, the soft bread puffing back into shape beneath her fingers.
rip—split!
She spread the condiment across the bun and put the burger back together.
chff—munch…munch.
Minute by minute, the burger lost bite-sized pieces. The fries dipped into sauce before being washed down by her drink.
And then again.
And again.
Before long, Cecilia had faded into just another body in the burger joint, stuffing her face.
Outside the wide glass panes, the city kept moving. Buses stopped at the station. A cyclist slipped past a row of idling cars. People crossed the street in waves—office clothes, uniforms, and everything in between.
Not long after, Cecilia finished her meal. She leaned back into the seat and let the food settle in her stomach for a moment, absently watching the screen.
With a small shake of her head, she yawned and pushed the lingering food coma aside.
She's free today…right?
She lifted her wrist and scrolled through her contacts until one icon caught her eye—a person sitting beneath a tree.
tap. tap.
brrt—brrt—brrt!
「Hellor.」
The screen faded the second Cecilia lowered her hand.
"Uh...you free today, by any chance?"
「Wow. Not even a hello? No 'how are you, my dear, brightest joy?' You really know how to make a girl feel unloved.」
"Bite me."
「I would, but then poor Chiyade would get all jealous~」
"Shut up, only I get to call her that."
「Hehe—okay, okay. We're on break right now. What's wrong? You need something?」
Cecilia watched a pair of students hurry past the windows, one of them nearly losing balance.
"Not really." She paused, resting her cheek against her fist. "I got back from a work trip and had some time, so...I thought, maybe we could hang out later, if you're free."
「Yeah, I'm free later. What brought this on?」
"Nothing. I just didn't feel like going home and being by myself."
「So you were feeling all wonewy without me? Heh. Fine, see you soon~ And bring me food while you're out, okay? I'm starving.」
"What a glutton."
「Excuse yo—」
Call disconnected.
Cecilia stared at the dead screen for a second, then let out a quiet breath through her nose.
She flicked her fingers and opened a search panel. After typing in the restaurant's name, she found its online menu and ordered another burger, fries and a drink to go.
The payment left her account the moment she confirmed it.
Cecilia rested her cheek against one hand and watched through the wide glass panes while the order was prepared.
Several minutes passed before a notification appeared on her bracelet.
She slid out of the booth, lifted her empty tray and carried it toward the trash bin. The wrappers and cup disappeared through the opening, and she placed the tray on top of the stack.
Her takeout order was already waiting at the pickup counter, packed inside a warm paper bag. Cecilia collected it and headed outside.
Heat struck her at once.
Step after step, she crossed the lot toward her car, lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the hard sunlight while the other dug for her keys.
Click!
Cecilia opened the door and slid into the seat, leaning back for half a second before pulling it shut with a solid thump.
She placed the food on the passenger side.
She stared out through the windshield for a moment, sliding the key in and turning on the air conditioning.
She placed a foot on the clutch and the other on the brake, slipped into neutral and gave it a quick shake.
chk—rrr—vrmm!
The engine cranked to life, its vibration running through her body before settling into a steady idle.
Her earbuds cut out, replaced by the car speakers booming back to life.
Cecilia pulled them from her ears, tucked them into their case and dropped it into her purse. She shifted into reverse, eased out of the space and caught the car with the brake before slipping it into first.
She eased out of the lot, took a right onto the street and merged with traffic.
The first red light caught her two blocks later.
Cecilia stopped, rolled down the window and let the breeze brush against her skin.
Three teens darted between the stopped cars. One planted himself in front of hers and squeezed a bottle until soapy liquid splattered across the windshield.
Cecilia closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh.
By the time she opened them again, the boy had already dropped his bucket and was dragging a squeegee across the glass.
She rummaged through the center console, dug into the slot beneath the radio and pulled out a bill.
"Toma. Here."
His face lit up like a festival as he took the bill and bounced away.
"Thank you."
The light changed almost immediately afterward. The trio scattered toward the sidewalk, and Cecilia slipped into first before rolling forward.
Before long, the lane turned into an on-ramp, carrying her onto a highway that stretched toward the rising horizon.
The tires knocked across the seams joining one moving plot of land to the next. Each one sent a small thump through the car. The highway widened ahead, dividing into separate lanes while concrete walls rose near her exit.
A tunnel waited beyond them, one of many.
Traffic slowed near the entrance. Caution lights blinked overhead in steady amber breaths. At the threshold, the tires struck a deeper seam and the car dipped onto the road inside.
A low hum swallowed her.
Fans droned beneath the tunnel's warm lights. Engines murmured in uneven layers, their sounds folding together until everything became a dull, constant vibration.
Five minutes later, Cecilia emerged onto a road leading into a quiet neighborhood far from the heart of the city.
She eased off the throttle.
Neatly trimmed lawns passed beside her, one house after another.
Vrrrm…mmm…
She pulled into the driveway, pressed the clutch and brake, shifted into neutral and pulled the handbrake before shutting off the engine.
After grabbing both bags from the passenger seat, she stepped out and tugged the door once to make sure it was locked.
Then she circled around, headed up the driveway, and gave the place a quick look.
Without wasting any more time, she rang the bell, knocked on the door, then threw a peace sign at the camera beside it.
tchk!
The door cracked open.
A woman peeked through the gap, her tied-up red hair slipping over one shoulder. Her stubby, fluffy ears twitched and her amber eyes immediately dropped to the paper bag in Cecilia's hand.
"You actually remembered."
Her eyes climbed to Cecilia's face.
"Yikes~ you look exhausted. When was the last time you slept? You've got lines under your eyes."
Her eyes curved into crescents.
"Hmph. I'm doing just fine, thank you, Mae."
Cecilia held out the food, which Mae took with both hands before she hugged the bag against her chest.
"I am your brightest joy after all."
"Keep talking and I'm taking it back."
Mae turned away at once, carrying the food safely toward the kitchen. Cecilia followed her inside and pulled the door shut.
Mae opened the bag, stole a single fry and left the rest on the kitchen counter before the two locked eyes.
"Is that right? So—when you said hang out, did you mean hang out, or did you mean free physiotherapy?"
"...Can it not be both?"
"Ah. So this was a scam."
Thmp.
Cecilia bumped Mae with her shoulder on the way past.
"I wouldn't be here if they didn't hurt all the time."
They passed through the overly furnished living room and entered a small studio facing the backyard. Four mats sat in a row across the floor, with foam rollers, straps and other equipment stacked against the nearest wall.
Mae planted her hands on her hips.
"Alright, abuelita. Go change."
Cecilia knelt beside her workout bag and pulled out a set of loose-fitting clothes. Her hand dipped inside once more for her sneakers before she headed into the bathroom.
She returned wearing blue sweatpants and a loose long-sleeved tee. A castle covered its front, one lonely tower piercing through a cloud of flying beasts. Her necklace had disappeared beneath the collar.
Cecilia took the mat farthest from the door.
She rolled out her shoulders and glanced toward Mae.
"Ya?"
Mae crouched beside her and took one of her wrists. She turned it gently in both directions, then pressed her thumb along the joint.
"Sharp pain or just stiff?"
"Stiff."
Mae turned it a little farther.
Cecilia's fingers twitched.
"And that?"
"...Still stiff."
"Mhm."
Mae checked the other wrist before moving down to Cecilia's knees and ankles. Every answer was some variation of fine, and Mae believed each one less than the last.
Once she finished, Cecilia sat with her legs stretched out in front of her. Mae looped a strap around one foot and handed her both ends.
"Lean forward. Slowly."
Cecilia pulled herself closer, stopping once her fingers hovered just short of her toes.
The room quieted around them. Fabric shifted across the mats, broken only by the slow sound of their breathing.
"Anything exciting happen while you were gone?"
Mae asked.
"L...ike what? It was only a week."
"So no."
Mae placed one hand between Cecilia's shoulders and added a little pressure.
"Don't push so damn hard!"
Mae released her at once.
Cecilia let out a long breath and folded forward again under her own weight.
"You're awfully stiff today."
"Heh." A cheeky grin crossed Cecilia's face. "I'm always stiff."
"Not something to brag about."
They continued through the next few stretches, raising their arms overhead, rotating their shoulders and working through the stubborn tightness in Cecilia's legs.
"So—" Mae adjusted Cecilia's stance with one foot. "Did you ever fix that leaky sink, or is it still winning?"
"I've accepted defeat. Ikade called someone to fix it."
"Woww~ Look at little ol' you, putting your pride aside for the greater good~"
Cecilia pushed Mae's face away and knocked a finger against her small nose.
"Keep talking."
They moved into another set. Their conversation wandered with them, passing through the bits of weekly gossip Cecilia had missed.
"Oh. Remember Rachie?"
Cecilia paused halfway over the foam roller and looked to her right.
"Mae...what about her?"
"She got engaged yesterday."
Cecilia blinked.
"Rachie? Why wasn't I invited?"
"No comment."
Cecilia adjusted herself against the roller once the break ended.
"Congrats to her, I guess."
"What about you?" Mae leaned into her view. "You ever see yourself getting married?"
"Mhmm...nah."
Cecilia thought about it for a moment.
"I'd rather keep moving—like when I was younger, y'know?"
A small smile tugged at her lips, bringing a little life back into her eyes.
"Heh, I used to jump five feet easy...didn't worry about anything back then. I'd rather travel. Do stuff."
"And when you're done traveling?"
"I don't think I'll ever be completely done." Cecilia shifted against the foam roller. "But I wanna open a shop."
Mae turned her head.
"You? Running a shop?"
"Why does everyone say it like that?"
"Because you disappear for weeks at a time."
"So?" Cecilia shrugged. "It'll be mine. I can open whenever I please, close whenever I feel like leaving. That's the whole point of being my own boss."
"Then what's stopping you now?"
Cecilia's expression dimmed just a touch.
She lifted her hands together. Her sleeve slipped back enough to expose the white and tan bandages wrapped around her fingers and wrist.
"Uhh...my bones?"
Mae's smile softened.
She kept her hand extended until Cecilia finally accepted it and let herself be pulled up.
They continued until an alarm chimed in the background. Mae guided her through the final stretches, ending with a long forward fold that left Cecilia's legs trembling faintly beneath her.
When Mae stepped back, Cecilia straightened with a low groan and rolled her neck from side to side.
"...Much better."
"Right?" Mae reached for a towel. "Go shower. I'll clean up."
Cecilia collected her clothes and padded down the hall.
She turned the shower to her preferred temperature and stepped beneath it once the steam began gathering. Water slid down her shoulders, drowning out the whirling fan and loosening the heat trapped beneath her skin.
Like a strip of static film, the moment skipped forward and back until fifteen minutes had disappeared.
"Hwah...I feel so light."
She dried her hair, pulled her regular clothes from the bag and changed without hurrying.
When Cecilia returned, Mae was sitting cross-legged on the studio floor. The takeout bag rested between her knees, already half-empty, with the drink beside her.
Mae stole another fry.
Cecilia looked inside the bag.
"You ate all that already?"
"You took forever." Mae pointed the fry at her. "So when are you opening this shop?"
"After we get back."
Mae stopped chewing.
"We?"
"Me and Ikade." Cecilia leaned against the wall. "We're taking a trip."
"Where?"
"My homeland."
Mae lowered the fry.
"Gasp. You have one?"
"Yes, Mae. I have one."
"You never talk about it."
"'Cause I don't remember much."
Mae studied her for a second.
"How long are you two going for?"
"Don't know." Cecilia looked away. "Probably won't see me for a while."
"And you were going to tell me when?"
"I mean, I just did."
Mae threw the fry into her mouth and chewed with considerably more aggression than necessary.
They remained there a while longer, letting the conversation drift back toward safer things. Mae finished her food. Cecilia stole what remained of the drink.
"Anyway. Thanks again."
At the door, they exchanged their goodbyes.
Cecilia snapped her fingers toward Mae. An insignificant amount disappeared from her account and appeared in Mae's.
Mae glanced at the notification and snorted.
"You didn't have to."
"I know."
Cecilia stepped back.
The drive home blurred into repetition, one street folding into the next until the entire trip felt like a single stretch of road.
With her bag in hand, Cecilia unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Her shoes remained near the entrance, replaced by a pair of fluffy slippers.
She passed the short stone wall in the entryway, letting the greenery clinging to it catch her attention for a moment. A right took her through the pantry and past the living room.
By the time she reached her bedroom, the weight of the bag had become annoying.
Cecilia dropped it onto the bed, unzipped it and gathered her worn clothes into her arms. A moment later, she was crossing the house again on her way to the laundry room.
She stuffed everything into the machine, added detergent and started the cycle.
The machine whirred to life.
Satisfied, Cecilia headed into the small lounge and threw herself into the beanbag. It swallowed her almost to the shoulders.
Once comfortable, she skimmed the shelves to her left until she found a book she liked.
A lazy flick of her fingers pulled it free.
The book sailed into her grasp, opening somewhere near the beginning.
She glanced toward the small speaker perched on the desk.
Beep.
A soothing melody filled the lounge, softening the dull atmosphere around her.
She turned back to the first page and started reading, though the words struggled to hold her attention.
Most of the days that followed looked much the same. Cecilia exercised, took her medicine, did her thing, then left the house whenever sitting became unbearable.
Then the day of departure arrived.