Ѫ:
>…Let it go.

Lorene stands, hands shaking. “…Dad!”

The man looks over. She can’t see his face, since she’s focused on his shoes.

“I… I’m sorry, dad. I just… I think sometimes things work themselves out-
…I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”

It’s silent, for what seems like an eternity. The man walks over.
And pulls her into a tight embrace. “Love you too, Lorene. Be safe out there, okay?”

She hugs him back, then he pulls away.


…The bus ride to the aquarium took a while. It wasn’t necessarily far, maybe ten or fifteen miles, but the public bus system was incredibly inefficient, with tons of stops. Lorene holds the card for Ruth in her hands as she sits on the bench, bumping along the uneven road.

When she finally arrives, Olivia is already waiting for her outside, and starts running for the bus as soon as she sees her through the window.

“Hey! You’re late!”

Lorene smiles at her, putting on a cheerful expression. “I was making the card!”

Olivia scrolls through her phone, scanning through all the things they had planned. “Sure, but we have to line up for the penguin shop before it opens!!! It’s in five minutes! And both of us have to be there, to get one color of each penguin for her surprise gift!!”

“We’d better run, then!”

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Olivia looks up, then pauses. “…wait. Lorene. …Are you alright?”

She guessed she wasn’t as good at these masks as she thought she was.

>What do you do?