The Recently Played Says Lullabies

the family plan shows what everyone's listening to if you tap on their name, which is not a feature anyone asked for, it's just there, like a receipt you didn't want. i check my sister's four or five times a night now. we haven't had a real conversation since she moved, just logistics, forwarded family stuff, the group chat with our parents where we're both performing normal.

three nights this week her recently played is the lullaby playlist. the one our mom made us for car trips, the one we used to fight over who got to skip a song. she hasn't touched it in maybe two years. now it's there every night, right at 2am.

i've drafted a text four times. hey random but are you okay. hey do you still think about mom's old car. i delete all of them, because if i ask, i have to admit i've been watching, and if she says something small and normal back, i'll know for certain we're just people who used to be close.

i checked the timestamp again tonight. 2:04am. the exact minute my phone always says i've been scrolling too long before i put it down.

i don't think she's playing it for herself.