Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
When I entered Sophie's house, my eyes immediately caught up to the change. In the middle of the divider that separated the living room from the dining, sat a rectangular fish tank that glowed blue. In it, tiny orange fishes swam about the constraint of the rectangle. Those had not been there two days ago.
"Oh." Sophie stopped beside me, placing her hands on her hips as she watched over the tank. "I got them yesterday. I thought having another living thing would make my house more...life-y? Whatever. They're cute, aren't they?"
Focusing on the tiny creatures with bulging eyes and suction mouth, I remember when I was eight, mom mentioned to Charles that she was craving fish but that we were out of it. And so I scooped the fish out of the tank, with lots of struggle, and poorly attempted to fry it for dinner. Charles cried for Ray (he named the fish) while I was not allowed to have dinner that night. "They're ugly."
"Will you eat if I cook for you?" I asked when we gravitated towards the kitchen. The inside of her fridge was filled with food, obviously untouched despite nearing the expiration dates. Sophie explained that she had been losing appetite lately, feeling like she's about to throw up every time she eats more than four spoonful of anything and thus, ended up just staying away from food unless her stomach starts to growl.
"Well, I mean...It'll be rude if I didn't."
"Do you want me to?"
Sophie rolled her eyes, hopping on the counter. "Fine, yes."
I decided on chinese soup noodles with chunks of chicken and vegetables, not too heavy for Sophie's appetite hopefully. One more day of barely eating she'll end up looking like a skeleton.
"You don't wear the ring anymore?"
Placing down the knife, I glanced at my finger where the ring should be, only that it wasn't. "It--it was just--I was wearing it when I left the house." I have taken it out when I showered but slipped it back on right after I dried, like I always do.
"It must've been lost then."
"That can't be right. I'll look for it. Perhaps it slid off somewhere here. I was sure I had it on me when I left." I felt for my ring finger, only now noticing the feeling of it not having any accessory on.
"Hey, hey. Sabine, look at me." Palms held my cheeks, forcing me to look up at those green eyes. I let out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. "It's okay. How about later instead? I'm sure it's just here somewhere. We'll find it, and if not, I'll buy you a new one." She shrugged with a smile like it wasn't a big thing. The ring was an expensive one, I did not want to appear ungrateful by losing it. Hopefully it just fell in the living room.
After having lunch, Sophie and I looked for the ring but did not find it anywhere, I insisted on going to out to trace my steps but Sophie asked if we could just lay down outside the garden instead. I did not want to, but when she looked at me in a way that I can't understand, I find myself not being able to say no. How can a single look hold that much power?
