Happier

5 - Mira

Ren did it, without Mira having to pull any leverage against him either. He teleported her to Harumi's because he didn't know where Mira lived, which was fine because they were only a few neighbourhoods apart. She considered going inside her family's restaurant but didn't know if Harumi was at home. She knew she probably looked as if she was doing the walk of shame and she wasn't in the mood to explain herself to anyone that wasn't her family because she knew that they were going to question her to death already.

She jogged home. As she reached the flat block, she heaved up the stairs and opened the flat to find her family going about their normal routine.

She saw her Ma on the couch, busy with her needle and a wealth of materials. Mira bit her lip, knowing that she wasn't sneaking in she hadn't gone out without permission after all, but she had a sneaking suspicion that maybe she was in trouble. On any normal day, there was always a fifty-fifty chance.

"Mira," her Ma called out as Mira pulled off her shoes. There was a dangerous note to her voice that made all the hairs on Mira's body stand up.

"Yes Mama?" She said, sweetening her voice.

"You didn't call," Ma accused softly, not looking up from her needlework. Mira gulped; she had forgotten about that little request.

Mira tread on the wooden flooring, ignoring her pounding headache and leaned on the back of the couch so she could hug her Ma from behind.

"Sorry Mama," she said, she closed her eyes as she rested her chest against her hair. "Please don't tell me you stayed up to 3 am waiting for my call?"

Mama didn't respond, she continued to work, not hindered by Mira's arms around her.

"Mama you shouldn't worry about me, you should just sleep! You know I go out cold turkey every time, I didn't even mean to this time. I was just so out of it," Mira continued to ramble, her tummy churning from guilt.

After a moment, Ma spoke. "Harumi called me instead, at around midnight, she said that you had fallen asleep with Amor, which is rather surprising. She said that she wanted details later if you wanted her help." Mama lowered her hands and turned her head. "I'm surprised though sweetie, weren't you crying over hitting him yesterday?"

Mira let go of her Ma and stumbled backwards. Didn't Ren say Harumi was worried sick about her?! She couldn't let word of this get to her sisters!

"What Mama, no! We just bumped into each other. Nothing happened, of course, nothing happened! Why would something happen anyway? Amor said nothing happened and it's starting to come back to me... I was literally just pissing him off until I passed out because you know, I like to be annoying," Mira exclaimed, her voice rising with volume.

Ma sighed and turned around to her daughter entirely. The expression on her face was... disappointed?

"There's me thinking you finally got back with him," Ma stated simply. "He was a good boy you know."

"No, Mama you can't say –" Mira paused and repeated what her Ma had said to her. "Wait, what do you mean finally?"

"I mean," Ma started with a shrug. "He's the only boy you've ever talked about. I was hoping that since you saw him yesterday, something would happen."

"I haven't spoken to him in like three –"

"Two years and a ten mon –"

"Two years and ten months," Mira finished, surprised that her Ma had remembered so accurately. "Besides, just because you sleep with your ex, doesn't mean you're back together –"

Mira heard a gasp and she turned her head and saw Jazna having just taken her shower. "You slept with Amor," she said in awe. "No way!"

"Wait no, I mean yes but Jazna I didn't – wait, you're still a child I don't need to explain myself to you."