The message still stood like a brand mark on the display.
Today.
No place, no time. And yet Lina knew where to go. Sometimes words aren't guides, but triggers. You move because you've already decided beforehand – and only realize it when your feet start moving.
She put the phone in her pocket and went up the stairs. In the kitchen, dishes clattered; the TV murmured from the living room. In the hallway, Tom was dribbling his ball, a soft thump-thump that sounded like a heartbeat.
"What's for dinner today?" Lina asked, much too normally.
"Soup," said Sabine without looking up. "And bread. Sit down soon, okay?"
"Need to prepare something for tomorrow," Lina muttered.
"After dinner," Markus called from the living room. "We don't cook so you can eat cold food later."
Tom stopped the ball on the top of his foot, smiled broadly. "Will you play with me later? Just five minutes?"
