Ava's Pov
The house felt different lately.
Not tense.
Not heavy.
Just… awake again.
My mum had started moving around more without needing help every five seconds, and somehow that changed the entire atmosphere of the place. The curtains stayed open longer now. The television actually played instead of sitting muted for background noise. Amanda stopped whispering every time she entered a room like we were living inside a hospital ward.
Even my mum looked more like herself again.
Which was probably why she was currently standing in the kitchen arguing with Amanda over pepper.
"You people don't season food properly," my mum complained.
Amanda stared at her dramatically.
"You almost died."
"And somehow your biggest concern is still seasoning."
"Because health matters."
"Taste matters too."
I sat at the counter with my laptop open, trying not to laugh while typing.
"You're both exhausting," I muttered.
My mum pointed at Amanda immediately.
"She started it."
