▪︎ Ellie ▪︎

This morning had been different. They had argued before he left. Not about lunches, not about anything important, really. Just a misunderstanding, words said too sharply, tension lingering in the air long after they both had wanted it to end. He had left the apartment with his shoulders tight, chest heavy, and a small part of him worrying she was still upset.

Now he sat at his work table, lifting the lid of his lunchbox, expecting the usual careful spread. Instead, he froze. A single slice of bread lay neatly on a plate, unadorned and flat. Beside it sat a cucumber, whole, unpeeled, staring up at him like it had a purpose he could not understand. In the corner of the container was a juice box, perfectly upright, a sticky note folded over it that read, “Enjoy.” The handwriting was precise and neat, familiar and mocking at the same time.

Soap stared for a long moment and then let out a low, incredulous laugh. He held the slice of bread in his fingers and examined it as if it were a rare artifact. The cucumber felt cold and stiff, entirely inappropriate for lunch. The juice box seemed absurdly cheerful in the corner. And yet, he could almost picture her in the kitchen, biting back a laugh, eyes sparkling with that familiar mischief, enjoying the moment she knew would make him react like this.

He shook his head, a grin spreading slowly across his face. Even angry she had thought about him. Even upset she had still made lunch. It was ridiculous and infuriating and completely her. He tucked the sticky note into his pocket and leaned back in his chair, trying not to laugh too loudly and draw the attention of the others around him.

Soap imagined how she would react when he got home. He would tease her relentlessly, but he knew it would be met with her rolling her eyes and a smirk, that subtle pride in what she had done. The argument from that morning already seemed lighter, almost trivial, washed away by her humor and the careful thought she always put into the little things she did for him.

He took a small bite of the bread, sipped the juice, and smiled to himself. She had made him laugh even when she was angry. She had reminded him, as she always did, why he loved her so much.