"I'm home!" Azure yelled, stepping back into her parents' apartment. Chances were she was still the only one there. With Mrs. Rodriguez, of course.
She kicked off her shoes and took off her coat, hanging it up on the coat rack by the door before making her way further into the apartment.
"Welcome back, Miss Azure," Mrs. Rodriguez greeted warmly from the kitchen, where she was busy preparing dinner. "Your mother is in the shower, but she's home. Your father is performing an important surgery. He won't be home until tomorrow evening."
Azure smiled warmly at Mrs. Rodriguez's greeting, a sense of comfort washing over her at the familiar sight of the older woman bustling about in the kitchen. "Thanks, Mrs. Rodriguez," she replied gratefully, her voice filled with appreciation.
She sat down at the kitchen bar, watching Mrs. Rodriguez cook like she used to do when she was younger. Despite everything that had happened, it felt good to be back home, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of her childhood.
"How was your day, Miss Azure?" Mrs. Rodriguez asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity as she glanced over at Azure.
Azure sighed softly, her gaze drifting to the window as she contemplated Mrs. Rodriguez's question. "It was... it was okay," she replied softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I went to see Gabriella's mom. It... it was nice, but also... hard."
Mrs. Rodriguez nodded sympathetically at Azure's words, her eyes shimmering with understanding. "I can imagine," she murmured softly, her voice filled with compassion. "It's good that you went to see her mom. Miss Gabriella was a lovely girl."
Azure smiled softly, nodding approvingly at her words. "Yeah, she was."
Mrs. Rodriguez returned Azure's smile, her eyes sparkling with warmth and affection. "Well, dinner will be ready soon," she announced with a cheerful tone, turning her attention back to the stove. "I hope you're hungry."
Azure's stomach rumbled at the mention of dinner, reminding her just how hungry she was after her long journey. "Starving," she admitted with a chuckle, her mouth watering at the thought of Mrs. Rodriguez's delicious cooking. "Do I have time to make a phone call?"
Mrs. Rodriguez smirked softly at the question. "You know your mother when it comes to showering. Never shorter than an hour."
Azure chuckled at Mrs. Rodriguez's remark, nodding in agreement. "True, true," she replied with a grin, reaching for her phone. "I'll just make a quick call then."
With that, Azure retrieved to her bedroom, dialing Katie's number quickly, hoping the girl was still awake, knowing it was around 11 in Dublin.
After a few rings, Katie's voice came through the phone, soft and warm despite the late hour. "Oi," she greeted warmly, her Irish lilt music to Azure's ears. "I was just about to go to bed. What's up?"
Azure couldn't help but smile at Katie's familiar voice, her heart skipping a beat at the sound. "Hey," she replied softly, her voice tinged with excitement. "I just wanted to hear your voice. How was your day?"
Katie's laughter echoed through the phone, light and infectious. "Oh, you know, the usual," she replied cheerfully. "Annoying brothers and sisters everywhere."
Azure smiled softly at her words, sitting on her bed. "How many you got? 9?"
"10." Katie corrected her, a playful smirk evident in her tone. "But who's counting?"
Azure laughed softly at Katie's response, shaking her head in amusement. "Sounds like chaos," she remarked teasingly. "But I bet it's never boring."
"Never a dull moment," Katie agreed with a chuckle. "What about you? How's New York treating you?"
