You’re not alone.
She didn’t cry. That’s what got me. She said it the way you’d read a weather report: clear skies, chance of rain later, but not yet. oniisan… ohitori desu ka?
“My father,” she said. “He left three years ago. Not dramatic. No fight. Just… one day he was at breakfast, and the next day his side of the closet was empty. My mom doesn’t talk about it. She just works more. And I sit here and count the cars going down the mountain.” You’re not alone