She stared at the ceiling where neon-painted stars glowed faintly in her dim room. 'Maybe we only find light inside us when everything else is dark', she thought, surprising herself with the burst of philosophy.

On impulse, she texted Peter. It was 11 p.m. late for him, since he always slept early. She didn’t expect a reply, but to her surprise, her phone buzzed...

Peter dove straight into talking about his work, as he always did. Aria supported him, of course, but what stung was the fact that he’d never stay awake for her.... Even now, she was the one stretching herself to keep him cheerful, and though his mood lightened, hers dimmed. By the end of the conversation, she felt drained. With a small, practiced smile, she wished him good night and set the phone aside.

Sleep didn’t last. A nightmare startled her awake at 3 a.m. The moon hung low and pale outside her window. Reflecting in its glow, she whispered into the silence, Peter… why are we even together if it never feels like we are?.... A single tear slipped down her cheek before she wiped it away quickly, as if denying her own weakness... 

She turned to distractions. Flipping through her phone’s gallery, she stumbled upon pictures from two years ago.....her new haircut....... She still remembered Peter’s fuss over that haircut, how he had made it such a big deal. but then her gaze froze...

In the corner of one photo, there he was.

Shawn.

Not posed, not intentional.....just there, looking at the camera from the background. someone she’d never really paid attention to before... Aria let out a soft chuckle. Funny… I never really noticed her brothers back then. They were too young, or maybe I was just too wrapped up in my own world.

Feeling oddly uneasy, she shifted apps, scrolling through the reels Victoria had sent. Some made her laugh out loud, others were so silly she rolled her eyes. But then one reel flashed across her screen, playful yet unsettling:

"If you don't have a sister... then make your bestie your sister-in-law.... So you'd have one"

Her eyes widened. She smacked her forehead.

What the hell. No. Stop.....

She shoved the phone aside, buried her face in the pillow, and forced herself back to sleep.