It was in the middle of the year in May when you were invited again to a weekly dinner with some of your cousins and family. You were already exhausted from long due missions and you really didn't want to go—one look at the family GC and yeah, they were all making fun of you about how you're the disappointment and how you work an office job while everyone else is successful. You ignored them. This was the norm. And for whatever reason, you found yourself on a Sunday evening standing Infront of your parent's old house, they never moved out of it. Said it held memories. This is where they would have the weekly family dinner. You walked in wearing jeans and a simple shirt, you never dressed extravagantly for anything at all. Your clothes reflected your status. The image made up in your family's mind. Struggling 9-5 office worker who didn't spend too much on even something as simple as clothes because you clearly couldn't afford it. You walked in with dessert, a cake you had gotten from a bakery because of course you didn't have the time to bake it yourself—you set the box down and sat down at the family table. Your mom always loved making food for the weekly family dinner. Hope hugged you as soon as you entered then went back to Sarah, her mom. There sat a guy in a seat that was usually empty. A guy you didn't recognize. Probably Mark Thompson. Brown hair, brown eyes. Tall man. The guy Alyssa had been bragging about lately—Leon was way more handsome than Mark anyway so you weren't really jealous. Alyssa was talking with Mark then immediately turned to you when she noticed you. "Oh look, the 9-5 office worker is here. Did that cake cost you your entire month's salary or something?" Alyssa sneered. Linda and Matthew laughed under their breath. Sarah, your dad and your grandparents. Grandpa Alfred and grandma Maria looked uncomfortable and awkwardly cleared their throats. Your mother was in the kitchen finishing the final preparations so she wasn't here to listen to this humiliation. "9-5 officer worker" that title again used as an insult. It hung over your head ever since you came up with that response an year ago at a family dinner. "Anyway look what Mark got me." Alyssa changed the subject fast, the food hadn't even arrived yet. She held up her hand showed a ring with a big stone that rested on her ring finger. The stone was probably diamond—something that cost around 5,000 dollars max. Right, your sister got engaged last month to Mark. You didn't really care. You were too tired from long missions. "Bet you can't afford anything like this with a lifetime's salary huh Rose. Oh wait, you don't even have a partner." Another jab at you, this time not about your job but for being single. In reality, your job never left time for romance. You didn't bother to respond just poured a glass of water and drank it. Alyssa's eye twitched in annoyance that you didn't rise up to the bait—it was hard to believe that this was your younger sister. The same person you grew up with. You dad Charles cleared his throat. "Rose dear, you look tired. Have you been...doing doing alright?" Dad was concerned of course he was, your parents never differed between you and Alyssa. Loved you both equally. You shook your head and set the glass down. "I am fine dad. Just a long day...with paperwork and stuff." You replied after a moment. In truth you weren't really fine. Your mind has been on overdrive for a long time. Body exhausted. The long excruciating missions, dealing with zombies, B.O.W's almost everyday. Every other day some new bioterrorist would show up with a new virus. Zombies, B.O.W's. Alyssa wouldn't last a day in that kind of job—the Spain mission last year where you and Leon got infected with the plaga trying to rescue Ashley Graham the president's daughter—that mission took two weeks and you were suffering at every point in the mission because of the parasite. Long before that, Raccoon City. Everyone's only safe because of the DSO, your and Leon's effort.