The afternoon sun filtered through the blinds, casting long, golden stripes across the living room. Hana looked up from her book, surprised by the sudden whirlwind of energy that was her younger brother, Sone.
She didn't look away when your eyes met. Instead, she held your gaze, her eyes bright and unblinking. There was a flush to her cheeks that hadn't been there this morning, a vibrancy that seemed to radiate heat.
"Am I?" She tilted her head, a small, enigmatic smile playing on her lips. It was a look you had never seen on her face before—knowing, mature, and filled with a feverish kind of life. "Or maybe this is who I’ve always been, and I was just waiting for the right moment to show you."
"I got held up," you replied, setting your bag down slowly, confused by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. "Is everything okay?"
“Son! Get down! Mom will kill us!”