After years of surviving under the roof and shadow of her adoptive mother, Audra is finally claiming her freedom with nothing but a beat-up Honda Civic and the weight of her past.
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11:47am.
It was the morning of Thanksgiving, and they were getting ready to head over to Bria's house for the day. To Audra's surprise, Asan had woken her up earlier than she expected, gently nudging her out of sleep just as the sun started to warm the blinds. He told her to pack a few things so she could get dressed and ready at his place before they made their way to Bria's. She hadn't even brushed the sleep from her eyes before he was already grabbing her bag for her.
Now, a few hours later, Audra swayed side to side, as Fire & Desire played low from the speaker tucked away on Asan's nightstand. She stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom, her flat iron gliding through her hair as the heat smoothed out each strand. Her eyes looked tired, but she was determined to pull herself together. Once her hair was done, she planned to throw on some makeup, just enough to mask the emotional storm that had washed over her the day before.
Thanksgiving might not erase everything, but at least it gave her something else to focus on. She was nervous about meeting people from Asan's side of the family, sure, but there was also something comforting about the idea of being surrounded by warmth, noise, and good food. For once, she was looking forward to experiencing a real Thanksgiving, one that didn't end in disappointment.
She let out a slow, steady breath and set the flat iron down, the metal clicking softly against the counter. Her eyes met her reflection, and for a moment, she just stared, examining herself in silence. Asan had mentioned his mom's side of the family would be there, along with a couple of his friends. She didn't know what to expect, but she wanted to make a good impression.
She reached for her phone and opened TikTok, scrolling through her favorites until she found the makeup tutorial she saved for whenever she would need it. Before all the chaos yesterday at the mall, she and Asan had stopped by Sephora. He had insisted she pick out the makeup she'd been talking about for weeks, practically throwing things into the basket before she even finished saying she liked them.
By now, Audra had figured out the pattern, if she said she wanted something, Asan always found a way to make sure she had it. And while she loved that about him, she also kept a few wishes to herself. A new car, for instance. She knew he'd get it without blinking, and while the thought made her smile, she didn't want to take advantage. He was just that selfless.
