I glare at the ceiling of my bedroom, trying to piece together simple thoughts in the back of my head. Such a thing is easier said than done when you’re operating in little-to-no sleep. I’ve been having a really hard time sleeping ever since Mina took off. I’ve been counting days; Fifteen. We haven’t heard anything from Mina and we still haven’t told a soul in hopes that she’ll return on her own. My optimism has been wavering, but I know that wherever she went, she couldn’t have gone far. I sweep back the sheets and get out of bed. Maybe some milk will help me fall asleep. I quietly leave my room and head downstairs, gripping the handrail as I make my blind descent toward the kitchen. My feet touch the cold wood floor and I guide myself to the kitchen by memory.

I open up the fridge and light pours into the kitchen and parts of the hallway behind me. I pull out a string cheese and then get a cup, opting to fill it with water instead of milk at the very last minute. I unwrap the string cheese and take a bite out of it before shutting the fridge. Just as I close the door, I hear a bump from upstairs. My blood runs cold and my first though is that someone is breaking into my house. I tighten my hold on my string cheese and daringly begin to climb the stairs. I don’t hear my dad or my mom stirring, though I thought that noise would’ve been loud enough to wake them. I guess not.

Heart pounding, I slowly open my bedroom door. Unfortunately, I can’t see anything in the dark and I try to estimate where my desk would be. Once I set down my cup and my string cheese, I switch on the lamp. When I turn around to face my bed, I see somebody sitting there. I open my mouth to scream bloody murder as my heart rate doubles. Before I can even make a sound, I’m grabbed and pulled forward. My lips meet theirs and my body reacts instantly as I melt into her.

Mina.

It takes everything in me to not collapse into a heap of tears. For a moment, I’m absolutely fine. Content, even. My breathing evens out as she gently removes her palm from my cheek and we pull apart. In the dim light, I see her face for the first time in what feels like an eternity. She looks as beautiful as always, despite her reddish eyes and messy hair. I’m overwhelmed with a tidal wave of emotions. Anger, relief, sadness, and conclusion all compete for a reaction out of me. I must look like a blank slate as I stand before her.

“Momo,” Mina begins softly.

The sound of my name rolling off of her tongue is enough to send me into hysterics. I turn to dead weight in her arms and she holds me up, sitting us both down on my bed and pulling me onto her lap. She gently brushes my hair away from my face and apologizes quietly as I cry it out. My knuckles are white as I grip her clothing with every ounce of strength in my body, as if she’ll disappear if I don’t. I cry for an entire five minutes before I can finally speak.

“I want answers,” I demand as I rub at my eyes.

She wipes at one of my stray tears, “I know…. I know.”

“Now.” I urge,

“After Jackson hit me, I needed time away from