29 Familial Feuds

"Hey, how's Lia holding up these days?" Damon asked, rubbing his temples with a hint of annoyance. "Is she still walking around like a zombie or what?" Louis let out a long sigh. "Cut her some slack, man. Her old man kicked the bucket right in front of her. She's not exactly having the time of her life." Damon stayed silent, brooding. The door swung open, letting in a burst of blinding light that made Lia squint. "Get off your lazy butt," Damon commanded, his face a mask of indifference. Lia, however, remained sprawled on the bed, unmoved. "Seriously, Lia, you gotta face the day," Louis chimed in, attempting to inject a bit of levity into the somber atmosphere. "Life's not gonna wait around for you to catch up." Lia turned her head away, avoiding eye contact. "I don't feel like facing anything right now." Damon sighed, a flicker of something resembling concern crossing his face. "You can't stay cooped up in here forever, Lia." "I can do whatever I want," Lia muttered defiantly.