The next morning was slower.
No alarms, no rushing.
Just the soft hush of filtered light through the tinted glass and the quiet hum of the house gently waking up before them.
Izan lay sprawled across the edge of the couch, barefoot, hoodie half-zipped, an iPad in hand but doing absolutely nothing with it.
Olivia sat cross-legged on the rug, sorting through kitchen lists and pantry apps like she was prepping for a cooking show they'd never film.
"We have exactly three things in this house," she said, glancing at the fridge display.
"Almond milk. Sparkling water. And regret."
"Not even real water?"
"Nope. The smart fridge keeps pinging me to buy some."
Izan rolled his eyes.
"Even the appliances have opinions."
She stood up, tugging on a loose t-shirt.
"Let's fix it. You drive. I'll pretend we're normal people."
He smirked. "So... acting. Got it."
A while later, the Gemera pulled into the mart lot like a low-slung spaceship landing on the wrong planet.
