Chapter 1

(Elena is 18 years old in this time line and Lily is 14 years old.)

Elena burst through the front door, tossing her bag on the couch. "Lily, I'm home!"

Lily looked up from her book, smirking. "Welcome back, big sis. How was the wonderful world of college?"

Elena flopped beside her with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, the usual lecture, break, more lecture, and endless assignments. I swear, if I could just fast-forward and land a job already, I would. No more classes, no more stress."

Lily laughed, closing her book. "Please, don't even start. I've got years of school ahead of me. If you're tired now, imagine how I feel!"

Elena gave her a sideways look. "You're thirteen. You still get stickers for doing your homework."

"Exactly!" Lily pointed at her. "I’ve got a long way to go. So the faster you graduate and start earning, the sooner I start getting better birthday presents and pocket money!"

Elena narrowed her eyes playfully. "Is money all you ever think about?"

Lily grinned. "Not just money. I'm also thinking about a phone upgrade. And maybe a trip to Seoul."

"Wow. You’ve got plans." Elena chuckled. "Remind me again who’s the older sister here?"

"You are," Lily said sweetly, "which means you get to pay for everything."

Elena groaned. "I should’ve stayed in class."

Later that evening, the smell of something sweet wafted from the kitchen.

Lily peeked her head around the corner. "Are you... baking?"

Elena, covered in flour like a ghost turned around with a guilty smile. "Attempting to, thought I’d surprise you with cookies."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And surprise me with smoke too? Because the oven is literally smoking, sis."

They both turned to the oven. A soft puff of smoke slipped out like it was trying to escape.

"Okay, okay panic later, cookies first!" Elena grabbed oven mitts, opened the door, and pulled out a tray of what looked like... burnt UFOs.

There was a pause.

Lily tried not to laugh. "Wow. Did the cookies commit a crime? Because you roasted them like the law was after them."

Elena groaned. "I followed the recipe! Well... kinda. I might’ve misread tablespoon for teaspoon, or... you know, forgot the sugar."

Lily smirked. "So, these are diet cookies. Zero taste, extra crunch."

They burst out laughing. Elena shook her head. "Fine. We’re ordering pizza."

"Wait," Lily said, already dialing, "you’re paying, right?"

Elena blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You did burn the cookies. That’s emotional damage."

Elena tossed a dish towel at her, grinning. "You’re impossible."

"And you’re a terrible baker. We make a good team."

As Lily scrolled through her phone, still giggling over pizza memes, Elena’s screen lit up with a message.

Dad: "Hey Girls, I’ll be late again tonight. Got held up at work. Eat dinner without me.

Elena stared at the screen for a second longer than usual.

Lily noticed the change in her sister’s expression. "Everything okay?"

Elena forced a small smile and turned the screen to Lily.

Lily’s grin faded. "Oh. Again?"

Elena nodded, setting her phone down on the table. "Yeah… third time this week."

They sat in silence for a moment. The kitchen felt a little quieter. The burnt cookie tray was still cooling on the counter, now forgotten.

Lily broke the silence first, her voice soft. "Do you think he’s okay?"

Elena looked over. "I think he's just... tired. Ever since Mom left, he's been working like crazy."

Lily picked at the edge of the table. "I miss when we used to eat together. Even if his cooking was basically rice with some mystery sauce,...I just miss it. "

Elena laughed softly. "Yeah, I miss it too."

Elena stood up and opened the fridge. "Well, Chef Elena’s got leftovers. Rice and… maybe not-mystery sauce?"

Lily smiled. "Sounds better than the cookies."

They sat down with plates in front of them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was warm. And in that quiet moment, they didn’t feel so alone.

.

.

.

.

Thank you! ^_^

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***