Extrinsic

I can remember the day things started to change.

I was making my own plate of food in the kitchen when the door to our pod opened. I could hear Mira walk into the dinning room. I stopped what I was doing and stood in the doorway; in between both rooms.

Mira was standing with the biggest grin on her face. She had her hands on her hips, her messenger bag open and still hanging from her shoulder.

Dad opened the folder she had dropped onto the table.

I slowly stepped into the room, Mira’s eyes darted towards me but she ignored me and stepped closer to dad.

“You’ve been telling me that I need to get a job, that I need to pull my weight here. . .” she said, her grin only widening.

Her eyes were sparkling, the same way they did when mom would come home from missions and open up her arms to scoop Mira up.

My dad’s face grew grim.

“No.”

Mira’s face dropped and I took a step back.

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“No means no, Mira” my dad said sternly. He pushed the folder aside.

“What? Dad, come on! This would be great for me!” Mira started to walk towards him.

My dad slammed his fist on the table.

I could feel the wall behind me. I couldn’t move.

“Absolutely not.”

“But it’s what mom did,” Mira pleaded.

“And do you see her around, because I don't!”

Dad stood up and pushed the folder off the table, papers flying everywhere. He walked into his room and closed the door. Mira kicked one of the chairs before storming off, leaving the pod.

I was the one who had to clean up the mess.

I started with the papers but the logo on them caught my attention.

It was the same one on my mother’s uniforms, and dog tags. . . of the soldiers who fought on Earth.