“It took you that long to find a list?” Theo asks, side-eying him.
Luca’s face turns pink. “I put my book ideas in my notes app.”
“How many book ideas do you have?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.
“Enough that I’ll never be able to write them all.”
I shake my head, laughing. “Well, here’s to writing as many as you humanly can, and maybe banning yourself from brainstorming.”
Luca scoffs. “I don’tbrainstorm.They just pop up in my head like… I don’t know. Little demon seeds or something. They plant themselves in my brain, and I can’t get them out.”
“Interesting.”
Theo’s eyes are wide. “So random people just start talking to you?”
“Sometimes.” Luca shrugs. “Sometimes it’s more like a vague idea that I build on. Other times, it’s a character that comes through.”
Shaking his head, Theo laughs. “If I had random people in my head, I’d probably tell Hunter I needed inpatient treatment. My head’s a mess as is. Fuck that.”
Luca grins.
“How are you, by the way?” I ask, nibbling on my cheek. I kind of feel like an asshole for not checking in before now.
“Good, really. Some days still suck, but they’re very rare. The antidepressant I’m on is fucking amazing. I haven’t felt this way in years.”
“I’m really glad,” I say, reaching out and squeezing Theo’s arm.
“Me too,” Luca says.
“Alright, that’s enough.” Theo shakes his head with a smile. “Can’t just be talking about me. I’ll get all weird about it. I’m doing good, and I promise if that changes, I’ll tell you all. I’m tired of hiding my mental health in the shadows.”
Yeah, I can’t say I blame him. Joy dies in the shadows. It’s where love and community go to die. I almost lost my own in the shadows. Maybe not in the same way as Theo, but still.
“How are the kids settling in?” Theo asks.
I sigh. “Nora is doing great.”
“And Salem?” Luca asks. “He seemed quieter than her.”
“Really?” Theo glances at Luca. “He was pretty outgoing at the farm around the animals.”
“Salem is…” I trail off. “I didn’t come here to dump my shit on you, I promise.”
Luca rolls his eyes. “We’refriends,Arlo. Didn’t we already go through this?”
We did. He’s right. I pick at my fingers, unable to make eye contact. “I’m pretty sure I’m fucking it all up somehow. He was so excited to come here, and then… I don’t know. Now he’s all brooding teenager, and we got in an argument this morning. He told me he wanted me to leave him the fuck alone, and then he stormed off. He rode the bus to school instead of letting us drive him. I really don’t know what to do about it.”
I finally look up at them.
Luca is nibbling on his bottom lip, and Theo has his head cocked.
“I’m sure you’re not fucking it all up,” Theo finally says, breaking the silence. “When I first opened up to Millie, Hunter’s mom, about my relationship with my parents, she told me that acting out is a rite of passage for teens. It’s their job to push boundaries.”
“Yeah, what he said. When my parents moved me away from Austin as a teen, I about lost my shit. I was a little dick for weeks.” Luca frowns. “Wish I could take that back now, but hey, what can you do? The point is, Salem will settle in. You guys will find a new normal. It’s easy to tell how much you love them both. It’ll all work out.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself, but I don’t know. It’s just… so much.”
Theo nudges me. “Why don’t you bring him out to the farm this weekend? Hunter can take him out on the horses. I’m telling you, Molls is a fucking miracle worker.”
