The air outside was cooler now, touched by evening's hush.
A fading glow bled across the walls as the sky slid into dusk, painting the Udeh residence in quiet amber.
Miriam, leaning silently against a railing.
Her arms folded, eyes lowered.
The tired droop of her cheeks, the hollow beneath her eyes… they said what words couldn't.
"You don't look so good," Timothy said softly, stepping beside her.
Miriam glanced up at him, and her lips curled into a smile, small, tight at the corners, and far from convincing.
"You seem better than usual."
"Don't spread false rumors," he replied, a faint chuckle leaving his throat.
They shared the moment, dry and quiet, a brief relief from the storm that had passed inside.
"I hope you're not still upset... about earlier," Miriam said, hesitating before she continued.
"My father... he can be overwhelming."
Timothy shrugged, though his eyes remained fixed on a distant place beyond the fence.
