–Alyssa–
I feel bad for Lore.
He won't be able to witness our launch. He's been up all night and is completely knocked out in the family room, sprawled on the couch like a fallen soldier. Mom has to wipe his face, neck, and arms with a warm cloth. It doesn't wake him—not even a twitch. We just close the heavy curtains, dimming the room into a soft twilight, and let him sleep while I work on my school tasks.
"Aly," Mom says as she delivers a snack, setting it gently beside my laptop. "Poor guy. He's been asleep for twelve hours."
"Yes, let him," I reply, sighing as I scroll through my notes. "It'll take three days or more to recover all that lost sleep." I look up at her. "Mom, sit down. We're launching our first marketing campaign. It was my idea—and Lore's idea." I giggle.
Mom sits beside me, and we watch together. The screen glows softly in the quiet room. When it ends, she claps—but carefully, not loud enough to wake Lore.
"Beautiful! Why didn't you pursue marketing?"
