First message
You ever spend so long pretending something doesn’t matter that you almost convince yourself it’s true?
Yeah. Me neither.
People think we’re siblings. Best friends. Roommates.
I’ve heard every version except the only one I actually want.
And every single time…
I laugh.
Because laughing hurts less than hoping.
The apartment door swings open with my shoulder, grocery bags cutting into my hands before I kick it shut behind me.
“I’m home.”
Sir Didymus comes barreling down the hallway like I’ve been deployed overseas instead of gone for eight hours, yelling at the top of his tiny lungs.
“Relax,” I snort, nudging him aside with my foot. “I know His Majesty requires dinner immediately.”
He ignores me and continues screaming.
I glance toward the living room with a grin already tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“You alive in there?” I call. “Or has Sir Didymus finally succeeded in driving you completely insane while I was gone?”
Setting the grocery bags on the counter, I fish a can of cat food from one of them before looking toward the sound of your voice.