#conclaive

when   she   looks   at   her   sister,   she   sees   a   star   –   really,   when   she   looks   at   all   of   her   siblings,   that   is   what   she   sees.   stars,   guiding   lights.   diya   once   heard   that   most   of   the   stars   visible   on   earth   are   already   dead,   so   far   away   that   their   final   blaze   is   still   crossing   the   galaxy   to   light   the   night   sky.   she   looks   at   aisha   and   sees   that   plainly:   a   star   that’s   already   dead,   still   shining   in   her   eyes.

There had been a funeral, Maki remembered, even if those days tended to blur when she thought back to them now; just a mess of black clothes and rain and crying turned to numbness. She was doing a good job of holding it together, she thought. Likely nobody else would agree, but what did that matter?

Case in point: Aisha Federov al-Kattani. Maki hadn't flinched when she struck up conversation, and that counted for something. But then Aisha started talking and all Maki could do was stare at her mouth, thoughts drifting to how it was even possible for it to still be moving. You died like an idiot, she wanted to say. Stay away from treadmills, she wanted to warn. Don't even think about opening TikTok.