Twilight of Shadows | LingOrm (GxG)

FOURTY EIGHT

Earn sat at the kitchen counter, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone while picking at the bland salad in front of her. The leafy greens had lost their appeal about halfway through lunch. She pushed the plate away with a sigh just as Lada entered the room, her presence immediately commanding attention.

Lada glanced at the barely-touched plate and frowned. "You didn't finish."

Earn rolled her eyes but kept her tone light. "I'm not that hungry."

Lada's brow furrowed, clearly unimpressed. "Dr. June said you need to get enough nutrients, Earn. You know how important it is."

Earn picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of lettuce, waving it sarcastically in the air. "Right. Lettuce. Can't survive pregnancy without it."

Lada ignored the sarcasm, walking over to the fridge. "I'll make a smoothie. You can finish the salad after that."

Earn's fingers tightened around her phone, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "I'm not a child, Lada. I can handle what I eat."

"You're pregnant," Lada said, her voice clipped, as she began pulling out ingredients. "You don't get to be careless."

There it is again—careless. That word had become Lada's favorite lately. Earn felt her chest tighten. "I know I'm pregnant. Trust me, I'm aware."

"Then act like it," Lada retorted, her back still to Earn. "You need to follow the routine. Doctor's orders."

Earn exhaled sharply, placing her phone down. "Lada, I've been following your routine every single day. I eat what you tell me to. I sleep when you tell me to. I've stopped doing anything remotely fun or spontaneous because, God forbid, I tire myself out."

Lada turned around, her expression firm. "I'm trying to protect you and the baby. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

Earn's patience snapped. She stood up, pushing the chair back with a loud scrape. "Because I'm suffocating, Lada! You watch everything I do like I'm some ticking time bomb!"

Lada blinked, clearly taken aback by the sudden outburst. "I'm just being cautious. I don't want anything to happen—"

"You're controlling everything," Earn interrupted, her voice rising. "I can't breathe without you monitoring me. I'm not fragile, Lada. I'm not some porcelain doll that's going to shatter if I eat something that isn't on your list."

Lada's face tightened, her own frustration showing. "I'm not controlling you, Earn. I'm trying to keep you safe."

Earn's eyes flashed with disbelief. "Safe? You're treating me like I'm incapable of making decisions for myself. I get that you're worried, but this... this is too much."

Lada crossed her arms, her posture stiff. "You don't know what could go wrong. You're acting like this is all just a game."

"A game?!" Earn's voice cracked as she stepped closer, her hands gesturing wildly. "You think I'm taking this lightly? I want this baby as much as you do, but I also want to live, Lada. I can't be trapped in this bubble you've put me in."

For a brief moment, Lada's face softened, the tension in her shoulders loosening. But then she hardened again, her voice low and firm. "I'm not going to apologize for caring."

Earn's frustration flared once more. "There's a difference between caring and controlling. And right now, you're not just crossing the line—you've bulldozed right over it."

Lada opened her mouth to respond but stopped. The silence between them stretched, heavy and thick. 

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