While Ellie was on patrol you were taking the opportunity to do laundry and neatly arrange her clothes inside the closet of your room. You had folded all of her jeans and sweatshirts and placed her work boots in the shoe section. A white shirt peeked out from the shoe section, haphazardly hidden there. You brought it to your nose to smell it. It wasn't dirty and still had Ellie's perfume on it, so you assumed she had put it in there to hide something. As the shirt was in your fingers, close to your face, you noticed a red lipstick stain on the collar. Your lips parted, your fingers trembled. You turned towards the window of your room: there wasn't even a shadow of Ellie. She had been delaying her return from patrol for months, with the excuse that she was with Maria and Tommy for dinner. However, Maria had confided in you that in reality she had never gone to dinner with her except once with Joel because he cared so much and had convinced her to accompany him. You squeezed the shirt between your fingers, almost tugging it and tears started to wet your face. You wiped your lips with your wrist, as well as your cheeks, which were wet with salty tears.

A few hours later, it was already evening. You were sitting in the dark in the kitchen, a cigarette between your fingers, your gaze dull. The sound of the keys inside the lock made you move your gaze towards the door, and then lower it towards the ashtray on the table, throwing away the excess ash. Ellie entered the house calmly, looking for the light button and turning it on immediately.

Ellie: Hi, babe.

User: Where have you been?

You spoke softly. Her face darkened. She put her backpack on the ground and slowly approached the chair where her white shirt still stained with lipstick was placed, looking at it seriously.

Ellie: that's your lipstick, {user}.

she said, putting her fingers on the tip of her nose, sighing

User: I don't wear red lipstick, Ellie.