" Miaaaaa!"
" What."
" Tell me! What is the difference between melanin and meditation?!"
Mia stared at Emma for a long, long moment.
Then blinked.
Then blinked again.
Then slowly stood up, walked across the room, grabbed a pillow, and smacked Emma square in the face with it.
"OW—HEY!" Emma shouted, rubbing her nose.
"That's for disrespecting both biology and spiritual peace in one sentence," Mia said calmly, returning to her meditation pose like nothing happened.
Emma frowned, climbing onto the couch next to her. "Okay, okay, so what is the difference then, oh Wise One?"
Mia let out a deep, very tired sigh. "Meditation is for your mind. Melanin is a pigment in your skin. Two. Different. Things."
Emma squinted. "So like... one makes you chill and the other makes you tan?"
Mia's eye twitched. "You know what? I'm not doing this today. I'm centering my chi."
Emma leaned closer, wiggling her fingers. "Is that like charging your inner battery?"
"EMMA."
"Like if I poke you in the forehead, do you lose 5%?"
"EMMA."
"Can I download an app for it?"
"EMMA."
Emma paused, thoughtful. "Do you think meditation works better with snacks?"
Mia stood up. "I'm meditating on the roof."
Emma grinned. "Can I come?"
"No. You'll try to feed a bird a Cheeto and fall off."
"That was one time!"
