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“It’s so rude,” he says, stepping into an office and handing me some darts. “There’s a board on the other side of the door. Is it okay if I close it?”

Nodding as I realize what’s happening, I smile wryly at the well used dart board.

“We get some really annoying calls at home,” he explains. “This is how we deal with it. Hold on, let me make this even better.”

Walking to the computer, he prints off a few photos before returning to tape them up. It’s Huey, Dewie, and Louie. Smug faces and all.

Ugh, I really hate those boys.

“See how many darts you can sink into their faces,” Elijah smirks.

My aim is better with an incentive, and I’m grinning by the time I’m out of darts. Even better, I’m finally hungry. My stomach even grumbles a little, making Elijah grin as he opens the door.

“What do you want to eat?” he asks.

“Is it bad if I want a milkshake?” I ask.

“Nope. Calvin showed me how to make them,” he says. “There’s lots of different flavors you can do once you’re ready to move on to another.”

“I hyperfixate,” I admit, walking beside him toward the kitchen. “I might not be tired of it for a while.”

“That’s cool too,” he shrugs.

I’m sitting at the counter as Theo walks into the house, and he looks a little scared as he gazes at me.

“She’s feeling much better now,” Elijah calls to him.

There’s some relief in his gaze as he walks further into the room with a nod.

“I found out exactly how terrible I am in an emergency today,” he says.

Elijah snorts in amusement, and Theo shakes himself like a dog as he tries to figure out how to explain himself.

“I’m going to back up,” he says, sitting beside me. “I can handle a temperature, a kid puking, things like that because I know how to treat it. You were in a helpless ball, and that scared the fuck out of me.”

“They’re scary,” I agree. “I can’t focus, talk, or move when they’re that bad. This one had an extra vertigo and nausea kick, which are the worst ones. The nasal spray is absolutely amazing.”

“Yeah?” Theo asks, relaxing a little before he frowns. “It’s so tiny. How could something so small offer so much relief?!”

I can’t help the annoyed sound that I make, because I completely fucking agree.

“And why did it take so long to get it prescribed,” I commiserate.

“Fuckers,” Theo mutters, making me giggle.

“And that’s why she’s been throwing darts at the little shits who are stressing her out at school in the office,” Elijah says, starting the blender.

He’s been gathering ingredients while I talked to Theo, and I realize that everything has already been cut up for him. I have this odd feeling Calvin is responsible for that. He’s an angel.

Once the blender turns off, Theo picks up the conversation without a thought.

“What do you feel like doing today?” he asks. “Movies and bad tv shows or something else?”

Elijah slides a glass with a straw in it full of my milkshake and I take a cautionary sip. My stomach gurgles for more, and I can actually feel a hunger pain. Fuck yes, that’s a win.

Sighing happily as I have what’s my first meal of the day, I contemplate my options.

“I’m going to have the equivalent of the zoomies,” I warn them. “I feel really good, and I want to do something⁠—”