The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and burning firewood as Diane pulled her coat tighter around herself. The small house was still quiet, save for the faint clatter of dishes from the kitchen where Aunt Beatrice was already preparing breakfast. Dalian sat cross-legged on the floor beside the baby's crib, humming softly while folding freshly washed clothes. The rhythmic sound of fabric being smoothed and stacked blended into the stillness of the house, creating a fragile sense of peace.
Diane sat at the rickety wooden table, textbooks spread open in front of her. A candle flickered beside her, casting uneven light over the dense pages. Equations, historical dates, and long passages of literature filled her mind, but something about the way Dalian hummed made it hard to concentrate. She exhaled, pressing her fingers into her temples, before turning a page with deliberate focus.
"Are you ever going to take a break?" Dalian asked without looking up, her voice carrying the warmth of amusement.
Diane didn't answer immediately. She scribbled a note in the margin of her book, the graphite of her pencil dragging against the paper before she finally responded. "Not until I have everything memorized."
Dalian sighed dramatically, setting down the baby's tiny socks. "You know, normal people sleep past five in the morning."
Diane arched a brow but didn't look up. "Normal people also don't have the highest grades in the school."
Dalian rolled her eyes and stood, stretching her arms above her head. "You could at least pretend to be a little human." She wandered toward the kitchen, her voice drifting back. "Aunt Beatrice made tea. It might help you function like a normal person."
Aunt Beatrice emerged, wiping her hands on her apron. "Diane, you should eat something before you start your day. You can't just run on books and determination."
Diane hesitated. Her instinct was to refuse, to say she didn't have time, but the look on Aunt Beatrice's face told her she'd already lost that argument. With a quiet sigh, she closed her book. "Fine."
Dalian shot her a triumphant grin as they sat together at the small kitchen table. The meal was simple—warm bread, a boiled egg, and the tea Aunt Beatrice had promised. The conversation was light, mostly Dalian filling in the silence with bits and pieces of town gossip, her voice carrying an energy that Diane found both distracting and oddly comforting.
School was different. Diane had grown used to the envious stares, the whispers that followed her down the halls. Top student. The girl who never loses. People either wanted to beat her or bring her down, but neither option fazed her. She walked the halls with her shoulders squared, head high, as if the weight of expectations didn't press into her spine.
Lydia was waiting at the entrance, her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. "You look tired."
Diane smirked. "I've been studying."
Lydia sighed as they fell into step together. "You've been overstudying. There's a difference."
Diane didn't argue. They slipped into the classroom, the low hum of conversation buzzing around them. As the teacher began the lecture, Diane's focus snapped back to her notes. Every formula, every definition, every theory—she absorbed them all, blocking out everything else.
Break time arrived, but Diane barely lifted her head. It wasn't until Dalian plopped down beside her with a tray of food that she even realized she hadn't moved. "You're eating," Dalian declared, shoving a sandwich toward her. "No arguments."
Diane hesitated but took the sandwich, her fingers curling around the bread. She hadn't even noticed she was hungry. Across from them, Lydia was chatting with a group of students, laughter spilling through the air. Diane felt an odd pull toward it—a strange urge to lean in, to engage.
She didn't. Instead, she ate in silence, listening to the sounds of the world moving around her. For the first time, it didn't seem as distant.
As they left school, the winter wind bit at their cheeks. Dalian walked ahead, her scarf wrapped tightly around her, while Diane trailed behind, lost in thought. The streets were beginning to fill with small decorations, tiny hints of Christmas sneaking into the village. Diane barely acknowledged them. The holiday had lost its meaning years ago.
Dalian, however, was already talking about something Aunt Beatrice had planned—some kind of family outing. Diane didn't respond. She wasn't ready for Christmas. Not yet.
Not ever.
The afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Dalian stepped into Lydia's home for the first time. The warmth inside was immediate—both in temperature and in the way Lydia's family welcomed her. The scent of home-cooked meals lingered in the air, and laughter echoed from the small living room, where Lydia's younger siblings played on the floor.
Dalian hesitated near the entrance, unsure of how to navigate the unfamiliar atmosphere. It was different from her own home, where silence often stretched long, where Aunt Beatrice carried the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Here, everything felt lighter. Lydia's mother greeted her with a smile, gently ruffling Lydia's hair before ushering them inside. "Make yourselves comfortable, girls. I made some snacks if you're hungry."
Lydia pulled Dalian along, her excitement bubbling over. "Come on, you have to try my mom's pastries! They're the best."
Dalian followed, feeling an odd tightness in her chest. It wasn't sadness exactly, but something close to it—an ache of longing she hadn't realized she carried. Sitting at the small dining table, she watched as Lydia's siblings giggled and nudged each other playfully while their father read the newspaper in the corner. It was an ordinary scene, but to Dalian, it was something she hadn't felt in a long time.
She missed this.
She missed the easy way a family could just be together, without the weight of grief looming over them.
Lydia seemed to notice the shift in Dalian's expression because she nudged her arm and grinned. "Hey, don't get lost in your thoughts. Eat!"
Dalian blinked, then laughed softly, picking up one of the pastries. It was warm, soft, and sweet—the kind of comfort she hadn't realized she needed.
---
The next afternoon, the weight of responsibility returned. Diane was buried in her books, flipping through pages with an almost obsessive focus. The looming test had her locked in study mode, her pen scribbling furiously across her notes. Dalian, on the other hand, had barely glanced at her textbook. Instead, she sat on the floor, resting her chin on her knees as she watched Diane from across the room.
"You know," Lydia's voice cut in from beside her. "You could at least try to study."
Dalian made a face. "I'll manage."
Lydia frowned. "No, you won't. This is important. You're not just helping at home, you have to think about your future too."
Dalian groaned, but before she could protest, Lydia sat up straighter, an idea forming in her eyes. "Stay over at my place tonight. We can study together properly."
Dalian hesitated. "I can't. I've never slept anywhere else. Aunt Beatrice would—"
Lydia held up a hand to stop her. "Fine. Then I'll ask my parents if I can stay over at your house instead."
Dalian blinked. "You'd do that?"
"Of course," Lydia said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That way, you have no excuse. We're studying tonight, whether you like it or not."
Later that evening, Lydia arrived at Dalian's home with a bag packed, ready to camp out in their tiny shared bedroom. Diane looked surprised but didn't argue, simply adjusting her study materials to make room. The night was filled with books, whispered conversations, and occasional laughter. Despite the pressure of the upcoming test, the atmosphere didn't feel so heavy.
For the first time in a while, Dalian felt like she wasn't just surviving—she was living.
The morning sun streamed through the classroom windows, casting a soft glow over the rows of desks. Diane sat upright, her pen poised over the test paper as she read through the first question. The classroom was silent except for the occasional rustle of paper and the scratching of pens against sheets. She took a deep breath, pushing all distractions aside, and let her focus sharpen. The hours of studying, the sleepless nights spent poring over textbooks—they all led to this moment.
Across the room, Dalian was hunched over her desk, her brow furrowed in concentration. Though she wasn't as studious as Diane, Lydia's persistence had paid off, and she had at least managed to review most of the material the night before. She chewed on the end of her pencil, hesitating before answering a question. Her gaze flickered towards Diane, who was already several questions ahead. A sigh escaped her lips. At least I'm trying.
Time moved slowly, but soon, the teacher announced the last five minutes. Diane quickly reviewed her answers, double-checking for any mistakes, while Dalian hurriedly scribbled the last of her responses. The tension in the room thickened as students rushed to complete their work before time was called.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of the test. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the class as students turned in their papers. Some stretched, others slumped in their chairs, exhausted from the mental strain. Diane neatly stacked her sheets, handing them to the teacher before gathering her things.
As they stepped out into the sunlit schoolyard, Lydia was the first to speak. "Okay, be honest. How was it?"
Diane adjusted her bag strap. "It was manageable."
"That means she aced it," Dalian muttered, rolling her eyes before stretching her arms over her head. "I, on the other hand, might've just survived by a miracle."
Lydia laughed, nudging Dalian playfully. "You studied, so I'm sure you did better than you think."
Dalian exhaled. "Maybe. But let's not talk about tests anymore. I need a break."
They found their usual spot under the large tree in the courtyard. Lunch trays balanced on their laps, they sat together, enjoying the brief respite from their studies. Around them, students gathered in clusters, chatting animatedly about their answers, some groaning over questions they had missed.
Lydia grinned. "At least it's over. And now we can focus on something more exciting."
"Like what?" Diane asked, raising a brow.
Lydia leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Christmas shopping."
Diane tensed slightly, her grip tightening on her fork. Dalian, noticing her sister's reaction, quickly changed the subject. "One thing at a time, Lydia. Let's just enjoy the fact that we survived today."
Lydia chuckled. "Fair enough. But don't think I've forgotten."
Diane stayed quiet, staring down at her food. The thought of Christmas still left an uneasy weight in her chest. But for now, she allowed herself this moment of peace, listening to the hum of conversation around her, letting Dalian and Lydia's laughter fill the silence where her thoughts threatened to creep in.