Max was gone from the apartment for one of his evening classes and had been gone already when Lily returned home from work. Their weekdays were much like this; never seeming to be at home at the same time. Well, aside from the night hours when Lily slept like a rock and Max was up the entire time, but that wasn't the same.
Lily was sprawled out on the couch, flipping through the cookbook Max had given her for her birthday and marking potential recipes to try over the weekend. The apartment was already filled with the rich scent of slowly roasting cherry tomatoes that were cooking in the oven. It was a favorite meal of the siblings and one they had often during the summer months when Lily's cherry tomato plant went into hyperdrive and produced ripe tomatoes quicker than they could eat.
So focused was Lily on her cookbook that at first she didn't realize there was knocking on her door. Once the rapping broke her concentration Lily slipped off the couch. She mused her curls and tugged on the oversized sweater she was wearing over leggings before opening the door a crack. The surprise that her neighbor had actually stopped by was evident on Lily's face and she quickly opened the door more.
"Oh, hello," Lily's voice was soft and light from the time spent silent that evening. "Uh... How are you? "