The house felt bigger when Mom wasn't home. The ceilings seemed taller, the rooms wider, and everything felt quieter in a way that made Nora's small heart uneasy. At four years old, she wasn't afraid of being alone—not really. But when her mother left for work or to meet people who might help free her father, it felt like something was missing, like a warm blanket had been pulled away on a cold night.
Grandma was supposed to be there for them, but she wasn't around much these days. She had gone back home to take care of her other grandchildren—her son's children. Nora had heard her mother talk about it before, the slight frustration in her voice. "She always chooses them," Mom had once muttered under her breath, thinking Nora wasn't listening. But she was.
Still, Nora didn't really understand what that meant, only that Grandma was always talking about her cousins—how clever they were, how much they needed her, how hard it was to take care of them. But she never talked about Nora and Alex that way. And lately, she didn't seem to be around much at all.
That was okay, though. Because as long as Alex was there, everything was fine.
Wherever Alex went, Nora followed. If he played outside, she wanted to play outside too. If he sat down to read a book, she would sit next to him with one of her own, even though she couldn't really read yet. If he was building something with his toy blocks, she would help, even if all she did was stack pieces randomly.
Alex never told her to go away. Even when his friends came over and someone would groan, "Why is your little sister always here?" he just shrugged and said, "She just wants to play." That was it. No teasing, no pushing her aside.
And to Nora, that meant everything.
One afternoon, when Mom was gone again and the house felt too quiet, Nora curled up on the couch, hugging her stuffed bear close. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when Alex found her.
"What are you doing?" he asked, nudging her foot with his own.
"Waiting for Mom," she mumbled.
"She won't be back for a while." Alex hesitated for a second before holding out his hand. "Wanna come build something?"
Nora peeked up at him. "Okay."
She took his hand, her small fingers curling around his. The house still felt too big, and Mom was still gone. But with Alex, it didn't feel so empty.
And for now, that was enough.