The hallways on her floor were dim and quiet as Elisa padded toward her apartment. Her heels hung from her fingertips, the cool floor soothing against her sore feet. The moonstone necklace still rested against her skin, a quiet weight that somehow made everything feel more real and more impossible at once.
She paused at the second door on her left and gently pushed it open.
Tilly was curled on the couch, a blanket kicked half off, Avatar the last airbender still playing loudly on the television. Elisa smiled faintly, brushing hair from her sister's cheek, carried her to her room and pulling the blanket up to her shoulders, tucking her in bed. The girl barely stirred, sighing into her pillow.
"Goodnight, silly girl," Elisa whispered. "Sweet dreams."
She flicked off the TV, dimmed the lights, and moved into the bathroom. The moment she caught her reflection in the mirror, the walls of her calm cracked.
