Small & Insignificant

"What are you reading?" asked Xiang Wai.

"How to be a human," answered Raelle.

"But the book you're holding is on astronomy," said Xiang Wai with a frown.

"Oh, so you can see," was Raelle's response.

Before Xiang Wai could respond, Xiang Weimin held her back, "She doesn't like people asking redundant questions. The answer is clear but you're still asking her for one."

Xiang Wai sipped on an iced latte that her brother brought for her and nodded aggrievedly. Was it her fault that she couldn't really find a topic to start a conversation with her own sister? She was trying here, okay? But clearly, her interests didn't match with Raelle's. How was she supposed to find common ground?

"Is it fun?" she asked Raelle. "The study of stars, I mean."

Raelle looked up from the book as she said, "How many nights have you spent under the night sky, Major?"