The car door closed with a sound like a coffin lid. Soft, cushioned, final. I watched the cityscape of New Vein blur past through tinted windows, thinking about how I'd just weaponized the word "love" against my own mother.
Across from me, Natalia sat with her spine straight, hands folded in her lap. The NVA uniform transformed her into something else entirely. The black military blazer hugged her frame, gold buttons gleaming against the charcoal fabric. The gray skirt fell to mid-thigh, regulation length, but on her it looked like a weapon. Her purple hair caught the morning light, and those sharp violet eyes stared out the window at nothing, processing everything that had just happened.
