xxxviii. flower/lillie
"I heard Granny Eda passed, so I came home." Lillie smiled almost remorsefully, peering into the mug of tea in her hands. Raeger nodded, his fingers stiff and unsteady despite the heat from his own drink. "It's really good to see everyone again."
"Why didn't you ever call?" Beating around the bush would get them nowhere, yet he still found it exceedingly difficult to be upset with her.
"I didn't know what to say," she blurted. "I care about you a lot, Raeger—"
"I'm not mad." He astounded himself with the sincerity of his words. "It's...nice to have you back."