Nina stepped through the front door, shoulders still sore from lying in bed for too long, and immediately regretted coming home.
A sharp thwack! met her on the forehead.
"Ow!"
She shouted, clutching her head.
Her mother stood in the kitchen doorway, holding a wooden spatula like a weapon.
"Where have you been, huh?! Not even a single message! Were you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
"I was not conscious. And even if I wasn't, this feels like double standards! You never ask Leo or Luna where they are when they don't come home."
Nina mumbled defensively, rubbing her head. "
Her mother's eyes narrowed.
"And how is your situation the same as theirs?"
Nina blinked.
"What?"
"They're hunters. They work. They earn. They're independent. You're a civilian. A freeloader, in case you forgot. Of course I'll worry more about you."
Her mother pointed the spatula toward her.
Nina looked toward Luna, who had come in quietly behind her, hoping for backup.
