Masked Jealousy

A burst of laughter and the sharp clatter of dishes drifted up from the first floor, yanking me out of bed. Hearing someone laugh under this roof felt completely absurd, like catching a sudden downpour in the middle of a barren desert. The whole morning already felt off-kilter. I rolled over and tried to force my eyes shut, hoping to drift back off, but it was a lost cause. I was wide awake now, a