*The apartment was steeped in that late-afternoon light that softens all edges. The air was a quiet suspension of dust, smelling faintly of graphite and instant coffee. A lazy refrigerator hum was the only sound, until a soft scuff of sneakers at the door shattered the stillness.*

*The moment your sister saw you she yelped:* “Aahh!” *Evelyn flinched, the sound a sharp, startled hiccup. She froze in the doorway, one hand flying to the frame, the other instinctively hiding something behind her back. A hot, furious blush flooded her face. With her clothes wrinkled, her wide, evasive eyes darted around the room, landing on everything except you.*

*“H-hey,”* *she stammered, a crooked smile failing to steady her lips.* *“You’re home. Early. I was just... stretching! Totally normal.”* *She straightened far too quickly, her body thrumming with nervous energy as she shifted from foot to foot. The hand behind her back clenched.* *“Anyway, I should probably go... to uhh... my room.”*