A little after 10 PM, the door to our apartment slid open. Mom and I shuffled sleepily across the threshold. We were glad to be home. I covered a wide yawn with my forearm as I let my bag drop off my shoulder. It had been a long day and I knew I'd sleep like a rock.

Mom didn't work the very late shift for Vincent unless some big expense popped up, since she had me to take care of. I told her I'd be fine home alone. She always said I was "mature for my age," so I knew I could handle it. Mom still refused to let me spend the nights alone. Besides, she said the men got "too rowdy," and she was "too old" to deal with that. Ms. Reba was old, my mom wasn't. I didn't know exactly what she meant but I accepted her explanation and moved on. Ten was already past my bedtime.

The walk home hadn't been too bad. A handful of small streetlights were enough to light our way. The morning's windstorm had moved along and my wrappings and goggles had gone into my backpack partially through the day. After arriving home, my first stop was the chest by the door where we stored them. I dragged my bag over and knelt to empty the contents.

Mom set her large tote bag next to me. "Will you put mine away too?" She asked. Her voice had more than a hint of exhaustion. It had been a busy night at The Roach, even by Ormson standards.

"Sure." I agreed. I started digging through her bag for the canvas strips.

She rubbed her shoulder as she wandered towards the kitchen. Mom moved slowly through the well-practiced motions of placing a kettle on the stove to boil. She pulled one mug from our top cabinet before glancing over her shoulder and asking, "Do you want tea before bed, sweetheart?"

I thought about it for a second before deciding that I did, in fact, want tea before bed. "Yes, please," I replied. A second mug appeared on the counter beside the first.

Mom had neatly rolled her rough weather straps and stacked them against the wall of her tote. I transferred them to the storage chest and set my sights on the messy pile of canvas that made up my matching set. I gently pulled them apart, careful not to tug too hard and tighten any tangles. Once I had them separated, I carefully rolled each strap before nesting them in the box.

When I was done, I made my way to our living room, still dragging my backpack behind me. I put my terminal on the charging plate that rested along one edge of our small table. The screen lit up briefly with a battery symbol confirming contact with the charging circuit. I set my earpiece down next to it and the face of it pulsed with a slow red light. The important things were done.

I tossed my backpack at the wall. Mostly empty, it nested down into the space by the couch. I plopped down beside it and snuggled against the throw pillow. I yawned loudly.

From the kitchen, Mom echoed my yawn. "I'd say not to start that, but it's late." Mom joked. "Do you want to shower before bed or in the morning?"

There was a decent chance there was warm - maybe even hot - water in the building's tank right now. I knew I should take the opportunity. My limbs felt heavy though, and getting completely undressed felt like a lot of work. I didn't want to go through the process of washing my hair, then brushing it out, then drying it and brushing it again. That was all a problem for future me.

"In the morning." I mumbled, my mouth hidden behind the throw pillow.

"Go do a quick wipedown with a washcloth, then." Mom instructed. "Get changed for bed and the tea will be ready by the time you're done."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I wanted to protest, but I knew I wouldn't win. Mom was particular about keeping the beds as clean as possible. I slowly extracted myself from my couch corner and did as she instructed. My boots went under the edge of my bed. My socks found their way to the dirty clothes hamper. I grabbed my nightgown off my bed and a clean pair of socks from my drawer.

Once in the bathroom, I pulled off the outer layers of clothes I'd worn that day. The pants were dusty, but most of the sand had come off naturally throughout the day. I set them in a pile to the side and wet my washcloth in the sink. The washcloth I was using today was a light pink instead of the usual white. It was newer than the others and had been snagged at a bargain by my mom after someone else's laundry mishap.

Using a bar of soap and my pink washcloth, I wiped down my skin methodically. I paid careful attention to the parts exposed to the air and sun throughout the course of the day. My skin had been completely protected from the sandstorm, but there were other dangers outside and it never hurt to be thorough. I rinsed the washcloth in the sink before wiping the soap off my skin. I'd been right. There was warm water in the tanks at this hour. I shrugged into my gown. I hoped there would be some left in the morning.

I deposited the day's clothes in the hamper on top of my socks and returned to my cozy couch corner. True to her word, Mom had my tea ready and waiting on the small coffee table. She'd even stirred a few dribbles of milk in for me, just how I liked it.

I slurped loudly and saw my mom smile over the rim of my mug. The heat felt nice on my throat. It had cooled down just enough that I didn't burn myself. I felt the warm liquid settle in my belly and took another sip.

Mom stood next to our kitchen table, leaning against the wall with her chipped mug in one hand. The other held the packet of papers that had been delivered by the Guildsman that morning. Mom's eyes moved back and forth across the pages quickly, taking in the contents. She shuffled them into her mug hand and back when she needed to turn the pages.

Her face appeared neutral as she read. I knew better. This stony face was the one she made when she was upset about something and didn't want anyone to know she was mad. She might even be fuming.

It took several more minutes before she finished the whole packet. With a long sigh and a stretch, Mom set the papers back on the kitchen table. She didn't fold them, or stuff them back into the envelope. She just... dropped them.

"I'm going to go take a long bath." She announced.

I tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but she had already turned away from me to refill her mug. "Okay," I replied.

"Do you want me to tuck you in before I go?" She asked as she opened the fridge. She retrieved a carton and poured a large amount of milk into her steaming mug before replacing it.

"That's okay," I said. "I want to finish my tea." About half my mug was still filled with the liquid in question.

"Bed in ten?" It was technically a question, but I knew it was an instruction.

I nodded as she passed me. "Yes ma'am."

My mom set the mug on the top of the dresser as she opened the drawer with her nightclothes. She selected a dark-colored gown before continuing to her bath. She paused in the doorway to the bathroom.

"Love you." She said.

"Love you, too." I replied automatically.

The door closed behind her. I couldn't place it, but there'd been something different about the way she'd said "love you" this time around. There was also something bothering her. I didn't like that. Not one bit.

I waited until I heard the bathwater stop before I got up from the couch. Mom would be soaking for a while. I'd finished my tea and my curiosity was at an all-time high. Mom had told me not to worry about the letter, but it had to be something big to affect her this much. I set my mug by the sink before tiptoeing towards the kitchen table. I paused to listen, and all was quiet.

I grabbed the packet of papers and glanced over the dark blue envelope they'd arrived in. It had a silver stamp across the back that read "Official Business of the Alluring Sky Guild. To be opened by addressee only." Mine and my mother's names were emblazoned on the other side, along with a waxing crescent moon and a pair of stars. I put it back how I'd found it.

There was nothing new there. I knew my father had belonged to the Alluring Sky. I also knew he'd died in their service, something my mother cursed daily. We got a pension payment from them every month because of that. It wasn't a lot, but it helped us get by. I think the Guildsman had mentioned something about that when he delivered these papers. I guess there was only one way to find out. I straightened the papers in my hand and began to read. It was addressed to me too, after all.