Bai Li thought maybe this was what it felt like when someone was slowly forgiving you. It was not loud or dramatic. It was just a little softening here and there.
Yan Cijin leaned closer and stuck the band-aid over the scratch on Bai Li's cheek. It was not a plain one either. It had a tiny cartoon cat printed on it, round and bright and a little silly. Bai Li stared at it for a second.
"Are you serious?" Bai Li asked.
Yan Cijin raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"This cat."
Yan Cijin looked at the band-aid like she had only just remembered what it was. "It was the first one I saw."
Bai Li looked at her. "You kept a children's band-aid in here?"
"I keep supplies for Lili."
Bai Li nodded slowly. "So this is really Lili's band-aid."
Yan Cijin's expression remained calm, but her eyes seemed a little amused. "You can say that."
Bai Li touched the edge of the band-aid very lightly. "Then I guess I should thank her too."
