#It’s not like your favorite smartest idiot will not be seeing his son and wife for another ten years after the war right? ;-;

[hutchhitched]

Walk Back

Written by: @hutchhitched​

Prompt 143: The girl of my dreams asked me if I needed a ride home from campus so I obviously let her drive me home then walked back to campus a couple of hours later to get my car. [submitted by anonymous]

Ratings/Warnings: G

A/N: I’m continuing to post the nine @everlarkficexchange prompts I took and then sat on throughout the early months of the pandemic. This is the sixth of the nine. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy. Huge thanks to @javistg for understanding the delays. Only three more to go!

 Peeta Mellark knows he’s got it good compared to a lot of people. He really does, but that doesn’t stop him from wallowing in pity every once in a while. He’s in college, the first in his family, on a hefty scholarship; his grades are good; he has a lot of friends and a good work study job that actually does give him some time to study. Those are all good things. They really are, and he doesn’t dispute it, but…

 He’s also had a rough home life with a mom who’s never satisfied with anything he does and a father who loves him but can’t stand up to his wife long enough to protect his three sons from her emotional abuse. He’s a first-generation college student who’s excelling in courses for his major but isn’t doing so great in all his other general education courses. He has to work a lot more than he should for someone with his course load. Worst of all, though, he’s madly in love with a woman who likely doesn’t know his name. Well, that’s probably not true, but still. She’s certainly not crazy about him the way he is mad for her.

 There’s just no way Katniss Everdeen, fellow Panem University student and the smartest girl in his biology lab, would ever give him the time of day. Not when she already has a boyfriend, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Rugged, who’s about to graduate with a promising career. That’s unlike Peeta, an art major. He’ll never amount to anything, or so his mother likes to remind him every time he’s stupid enough to visit his family.

 Besides, Katniss is beautiful and sassy and shy and so many other wonderful things. She has no idea the effect she has on him or any other male within a mile radius, including their biology professor who’s proclaimed her the most brilliant student he’s had in his twenty-two years of teaching. Peeta spends the better part of their class together watching her from across the room, which is probably why his lab partner hates him and his grade in that class absolutely sucks.

 So, while Peeta knows he’s got some things going for him, it’s not surprising that he finds himself a little down in the dumps occasionally—especially on days when his crush shows up at his workplace. It’s even worse when his co-worker knows about his hopeless infatuation and has no shame. Johanna Mason may be his least favorite person on days like that. Today happens to be one of those days. He’s cursing his life when Jo comes up behind him and leans down to whisper in his ear.

 “Oooooooooh ooooooh. Katniss is pretty, isn’t she? Look at her over there. So serious. What do you think she’s getting ready to check out, and is there any way to make it sexual when gets over here?”

 “Shut up, Jo,” Peeta hisses as his cheeks flush, and he curls into himself, trying to hide behind the circulation desk so Katniss won’t see him.

 The last thing he wants is for the girl he’s been crushing on for months to hear his co-worker tease him about his hopeless attraction. The problem is that he told Johanna in a fit of self-loathing, and she coached him through it, built him up so his ego was a little higher than the floor and prepared him some for what to say to a girl when he likes her. While it was very kind of Jo to offer, Peeta isn’t that hopeless. He’d had a number of girlfriends in high school, but none of them compare to Katniss Everdeen. She is a goddess.

“What time’s your shift done today, hot buns?”

 “Don’t call me that! What is wrong with you?” he hisses. “Why are you so terrible?”

 “Terrible? I’m trying to get you laid, buddy. It’s certainly never going to happen if I leave you to your own devices, although I’m sure you’re taking care of yourself plenty. You’re a guy, after all.”

 Peeta’s face floods with heat, and he wants to slide onto the floor and hide behind the counter. She’s not wrong—he is a healthy, twenty-one-year-old man who hasn’t dated in a while—but Peeta doesn’t want his co-worker to know that. She’ll probably tell the whole world if he confirms what she suspects. Or say something to Katniss, which would be horrifying.

 “Why do you want to know?” he asks, suspicious.

 “Knowledge is power, my friend. Knowledge is power.”

 Still not convinced, he welcomes a patron and scans the student ID he’s handed. “Exactly ten minutes,” he mutters as he types in the bar codes of the pile of library books in front of him before sliding them across the counter. It’s almost midterm, so everyone’s trying to finish projects and bibliographies for research papers before they leave for spring break. The library’s been slammed for days.

 “She’s on her way over here,” Johanna nudges him.

 He whips his head up, and his eyes widen as he realizes Jo’s right. Katniss pages through a book as she strides toward the circulation desk. Johanna turns to busy herself with a pile of returned books, and he squeezes his legs together under the desk. If he can just stop his hands from shaking, things will be great.

 “Hi, Peeta,” she says with a guarded smile as she hands him her student ID. “How’s it going?”

 “K-katniss! Hi!” His voice squeaks, and he cringes internally. He sounds like an idiot. “It’s good. I’m good. How are you?”

 “Fine. I’m fine.” She hands him her student ID, and he glances down at the book she set on the counter.

 “History of Sculpture? That’s…”

 She laughs wryly and nods. “Yeah, I know. I’m not sure how I managed to get myself into it, but I signed up for an art appreciation class. I have zero artistic ability, so it’s painful.”

 “Oh,” he says. “That’s…yeah.”

 Johanna snorts behind him, and he tosses her a warning look. He should have known better. The woman doesn’t have a tactful bone in her body. Instead, she comes to stand behind Peeta and surveys Katniss.

 “You know, Peeta here is an art major,” Jo announces with her hand on his shoulder. “I bet he could help you with your art appreciation class. He’s great at that kind of stuff.”

 “Are you really?” Katniss asks, her eyes widening in pleased surprise. “I didn’t know that.”

 “I am,” he confirms. “I’m more of a painter than anything else, but I know quite a bit about all the different media. It’s kind of in the curriculum for my major.”

 She looks impressed, but she shakes her head as she picks up her book and tucks her ID into her pocket. “I couldn’t ask you to help, but that’s cool. I thought you were a biology major like me.”

 Johanna smacks him on the back, and he glares at her before wiping his expression clean and flashing a closed mouth grin at Katniss. When nobody says anything, Katniss turns to go.

 “Nonsense!” Jo cries. “Peeta’d be happy to help. I’m sure there’s something you could do for him to repay his generosity.”

 He swears under his breath and elbows Jo in the gut.

 “Oh, I don’t think there’s anything I have that Peeta wants—”

 “A ride home?” Jo interrupts. “Peeta’s car’s in the shop. He asked me for a ride, but his shift is over now, and I’ve got another two hours before I can leave. Poor guy. He’d really appreciate the lift.”

 Relief colors her face, and she nods. “I’d be happy to do that. My car’s on the street. I snagged one of those metered ones that are always full. Must be my lucky day.”

 “Oh, I’d say it certainly is,” Jo says, a wide self-satisfied smile plastered on her face. She practically shoves him out of his chair and adds, “Peeta, why don’t you go clock out. I’ll finish this up for you.”

 “I can—”

 “No, you can’t. You’re too close to hours. Besides, you wouldn’t want to keep Katniss waiting, now would you?”

 “You really are the devil, aren’t you?” he hisses as he grabs his stuff. “My car’s in the parking garage, not the shop. What the hell are you doing?”

 “Getting you some time alone with the girl of your dreams,” she explains with a withering look. “Now, let her give you a ride home so you can schmooze her.”

 Still disgruntled, he shuffles to the door and meets Katniss on the steps. She shifts uncomfortably, tugging on her braid and hunching her shoulders. He wonders if she’s trying to hide or if she’s cold in the chill of the early spring day.

 “I really appreciate this,” he says.

 She nods and leads him to her car. “No problem. It’s the least I can do.”

 “You don’t have to do anything at all.”

 She’s silent as she starts her car. Hesitating, she glances over at him and asks, “Does that mean you don’t want to tutor me? I understand if you don’t. It’s asking a lot for someone you barely know, especially since I can’t really afford to pay you.”

 “Except in rides.”

 “Well, yeah. I can do that.” She smiles at him tremulously and shifts the car into gear. Glancing over her shoulder, she signals and pulls out of the parking spot and onto the street.

 “You could help me in bio,” he blurts and his cheeks heat.

 “Really?”

 He cringes and shrugs. “Yeah. I can’t seem to get the hang of it. I think I’m one of those people that understands it in theory but not in practicality. I’m doing fine in the lecture, but lab is really confusing.” He doesn’t add that most of that is her fault, but not really, because he can’t stop mooning over her.

 “I can do that.”

 He glances at the pleased curve of her lips and wonders how he can make it happen again. The joy of seeing her happy sinks into his bones and gives him life. It’s ridiculous, but it’s true. He has no reason to think he should except common human decency matched with his overwhelming crush. He feels like a middle school boy who’s just figured out that girls and boys have different parts.

 Katniss stops at the intersection and glances over at him. Bashful, she admits, “I don’t know where I’m going.”

 Peeta’s eyebrows furrow and he motions out the windshield. “South?”

 “No,” she answers with a nervous laugh. “I mean, I don’t know where you live.”

 He’s an idiot. Of course she doesn’t know where he lives. “Sorry! Sorry. Turn left here. I wasn’t thinking.”

 “If you want…”

 “If I want?” he prods.

 “Well, maybe, if you don’t mind, that is.” She clears her throat and then words burst from her in a torrent. “I know a coffee shop that no one else really goes to. It’s quiet and the coffee’s good. They know me there, and I have a table they kind of save just for me. If you wanted to go over some of this sculpture stuff today, that’d be a good place.”

 “Oh. Okay,” he answers, fighting to keep his face clear of the glee he feels. Katniss Everdeen just asked him to go out with her. Well, she asked him to go somewhere with her, but that was more than he’d dreamed would happen any time he imagined actually speaking to her. Not only is he going to sit at the same table with her in a public place, but he’s at her mercy with transportation. She’s got him captive, and he approves.

 “Maybe I can take a look over your lab notes with you, too. You know, if you want.”

 Oh, he wants. That’s never been in question. He absolutely wants when it comes to Katniss Everdeen.

 “That’d be great. Really great.”

 The place itself is an independent coffee shop in an older area of town called The Seam. The properties tend to be more run-down than those closer to campus, but the café is cozy and humble and has great choices in both coffee and tea. He chooses a black peppermint he’s loved since his father made it for him when he was sick. His father had also snuck cookies to Peeta despite the disapproval of his mom. He adds sugar before taking a sip that transports him back to childhood. He breathes in as he swallows and blows out a heavy sigh.

 Amused, Katniss asks, “That good?”

 Nodding, he inhales the aroma and smiles softly. “Yeah. It’s that good. Thanks for bringing me here.”

 Pleased, Katniss drops her head and shuffles in her bag for the book on sculpture and her class  notes. They work together for over an hour before reviewing information from their biology lab. He finds she’s a good tutor, knowledgeable and skilled at breaking down the concepts into sizable chunks that seemed overwhelming previously. When he compliments her on it, she waves him off but returns the sentiment.

 “I already feel like I appreciate art more.”

 “Glad I could help.”

 “That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook, though,” she teases. “I’ll still need you after break’s over, but I think I can pass the final now, anyway.”

 He shivers at her claiming she’ll need him. It’s closer to genuine interest than anything he’s ever gotten from her, and it gives him a small thrill of hope.

 Reluctantly, she packs up her bag and sighs. “I really need to get home, but this was fun.”

 “Yeah, I should be getting back, too. Got a lot to do before bed.”

 They’re quiet as they slide into the car. Contemplative, Peeta almost forgets to provide instructions so Katniss knows where to take him. As he guides her through unfamiliar streets that turn into those he sees every day, he sends silent thanks to Johanna for her brashness and refusal to let things go. He only hopes he doesn’t have a ticket on his car when he retrieves it—hopefully before it’s towed.

 “This is it,” he says with a wave at his front door. None of his roommates are home, which means he’s stuck until they return. He doesn’t want to say goodbye, but she’s antsy, unsure what to do with her hands or where to look. “Thanks again for the ride. Come find me at the library after break, and we’ll do a repeat of tonight.”

 “Sounds great,” she says warmly. “Hope you get your car back soon.”

 “Yeah, me too,” he grumbles.

 He watches her leave, lifting his hand in farewell until her car turns the corner and heads back the way she came. Fishing his cell out of his pocket, he sends his roommates a group text asking when they’ll be home and if one of them can give him a ride back to campus. As each of them gives a reason for their absence, he realizes he’s on his own. He does stow his bag inside and grab a drink before heading back outside. Squaring his shoulders, he shoves his hands in his jacket pockets and begins the walk back.

 It takes an hour, and he does have a parking ticket. Still, Peeta has no regrets. The afternoon with Katniss was the best of the year with the promise of more to come. She’s worth the inconvenience. 

[phantom-does-a-thing]

WIP introduction

Here we go, WIP introduction again.  I’ve talked about this WIP way too much without actually giving an introduction.

Title: A matter of time and roses

Genre: Kind of adventure, kind of fantasy I don’t really know

Featuring: The impending question of “what on earth is your gender” throughout most of it, time travel, shapeshifting, celestial beings

Warnings: None that I know of

POV: First Person

Setting: Somewhere in America I don’t know I don’t usually think about that stuff

Status: First draft

Summary: Jay is trying his hardest to cause the apocalypse and somehow Ry is involved in this.  Jay—who is a shapeshifter—is from a different timeline.  Something that Ry didn’t even think existed until now.  She doesn’t really want the apocalypse so she has to try to stop him, only to figure out that there’s a much bigger threat that looms.  She comes across some interesting people in this time and hopefully they can work together and stop Jay, and whoever else is pulling all the strings from behind.

(Characters and other stuff under the cut)

Ry: 

Her full name is Rylan but no one needs to know that.  No one needs to know if she’s a boy or a girl either.  She’s got short cut black hair, brown eyes and a face covered in freckles.  She’s snarky and really not cut out to stop the apocalypse from happening, but she’s going to anyway.  Though she doesn’t do very well under pressure and can be very impulsive.  She’s trying her hardest and even though she’s not the strongest, or the smartest, don’t underestimate her.

Maribel:

She’s Ry’s best friend and has been there for Ry since elementary school.  Maribel is short tempered, you don’t want to get on her bad side.  She cares about her friends deeply.  She’s pretty good with first aid (which comes in handy when your best friend is a total idiot) but she’s not the best.  She’s got long brown hair and green eyes.  Maribel is really a sweet girl, as long as you don’t make her angry.

Tyler:

He’s obnoxious and annoying but he means well (I think).  He’s from a timeline ahead of Ry’s.  The same one that Jay comes from.  Tyler always carries a baseball bat with him and wont hesitate to smack someone with it.  He’s a pretty good fighter but not really the smartest.  He likes to piss people off and get a rise out of them (specifically Maribel and Veo).  He’s blunt and doesn’t really have a filter but you can’t get rid of him.  He’s got dark skin, short black hair and brown eyes, plus a scar running down his left eye.

Veo: (if you can’t tell he’s my favorite)

He’s the son of Mother Nature, but don’t ask about that, it’s kind of a touchy subject.  Don’t get me wrong, he loves his mother dearly but he’s not happy with her.  He knows a lot about a lot of things, since his mother tells him tons of things.  He doesn’t have a timeline, but he can make timelines and has been trapped in one of his own making for centuries by his mother.  Veo is mostly blind, but he can somewhat see in one of his eyes (He is very particular about that).  He’s good at first aid and anything to do with plants.  He’s the curator of memories and light, the job given to him after he was born.  He’s got blond hair, tan skin and pale blue eyes.  Veo is kind, but when you leave his timeline it’s hard to remember him exactly.  A curse but on him by his mother.

Jay:

His full name is Jackson but don’t call him that. He’s a shapeshifter but he hasn’t always had that ability.  Father time gave it to him.  Jay pretends to be confident but he’s only following Father time’s instructions, with maybe a bit of guidance from him.  He’s from a future timeline and him and Tyler used to be friends.  Jay’s appearance is hard to tell because it’s constantly changing, but one thing that will never change is his bright red eyes.  He never stays in his original form, he doesn’t like how he looks.  But when he’s not changed, he has long black hair, pale skin and he’s skinny.

Mother Nature:

She’s a kind woman that obviously controls all nature on earth.  She created humans and other living creatures.  She and Father time have been married for centuries, forever in a harmony.  She’s sweet and loves all her creations dearly, including her husband.  But their relationship becomes a bit strained.  Her real name is Alva.  She’s got long curly red hair and green eyes.  She has freckles all over her face that may or may not be in the shape of stars.  She wears large round wire glasses.

Father time:

He’s rough and brutish but does his duty.  Making sure that time goes round, taking care of his wife’s creations.  He can shift time and create timelines (the only other person with that ability being Veo).  He loves his wife but doesn’t like that she always stays on earth.  Eventually he’s tired of going through the cycles over and over again, he thinks that maybe starting an apocalypse would solve that.  He just wants his wife back to himself.  He does truly love Mother nature though.  His real name is Elton.  He has tan skin and short black hair and brown eyes.  he has the start of a beard but it’s not very long and is always wearing square sunglasses.

Trinh:

She’s the daughter of Father time.  She represents Darkness and dreams though she doesn’t use that for good.  Often she’s the one giving people nightmares and scaring them.  She’s not the nicest but she has a soft spot for her half sister Luna.  She hates Veo (Her step brother) and he hates her.  She can see inside your dreams and what you fear.  She’s got long straight black hair and yellow eyes, she’s got a septum ring.  Don’t get on her bad side or she’ll really mess you up.

Luna: 

The half sister of both Trinh and Veo, she’s the daughter of both Mother nature and Father time.  She represents the moon, night time and the sky as her name portrays.  She’s a sweet innocent girl that just wants to make friends with everyone.  She loves Trinh and Veo but for some reason Veo hates her.  She wants to try and protect Veo and doesn’t really see him as capable because of his blindness.  She has long curly silver hair, silver eyes and freckles that may or may not be star shaped (like her mother).  She wears star earrings.

that’s about it for the characters I have, and I want to clear something up about like Luna, Trinh and Veo.  Even though they are like the children of both Mother nature and Father time, it doesn’t work like in Greek Mythology where the gods have affairs with other things or whatever.  No, they didn’t cheat on each other or like do any of that.  All three of their children (so far I might make more) have been made through like thoughts.  Like Mother nature, she knew that there needed to be a concept of like Memories and light and all of that and then Veo came.  So on and so forth.  They aren’t the biological children of both of them except for Luna, she was thought up together with Mother nature and Father time.  Kinda confusing.

Sooooo that’s about it, I was gonna include some snipits but this is already REALLY long even with the cut.  I’ve talked about this WIP for a very long time about the characters and all that but I kept forgetting to give an introduction to the wip (mainly because I didn’t want to introduce an unnamed wip, I just thought of the concept name today and I was like hell yes).  As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask.

[olicity-fanwork-exchange]

After the Return

For the amazing @smoaking-greenarrow

This work is a short sequel/slight continuation your fic Come Back When You Can (https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949939/chapters/34641729). It’s my favorite of all of your stories. I loved the initial premise and what you did with it. The ending was amazing and I kinda wanted to explore what happens next. Hope you enjoy!

-Sincerely @laxit21

Rating- G. Tags- mild angst

Oliver helped Nyssa and the Thanatos Guild defeat Ra’s and returned back to his family. The first 24 hours he’d back don’t quite go the way he hoped.

The same night that Oliver returned from his mission to stop Ra’s, and he discovered Felicity was pregnant again based on her cravings, he got to do something he never thought he’d ever have the chance to. He got to put his son to bed.

Eli was excited that his daddy was home, and understandably reluctant to go to sleep. Daddy was home, now he could see all of the things Eli used to tell him about and they could play with his toys. He didn’t want to go to bed.

“It’s time to go to bed, sweetie.” Felicity told him.

“But Momma! I’m not tired!” He said with a pout. His seriousness was undercut when the five year old let out a yawn.

“Oh, you aren’t tired, huh?” She asked him.

“Nope. ‘Sides Daddy said he’d play trucks with me.”

“You can play tomorrow. Isn’t that right, Daddy?” She said, looking over to Oliver.

Oliver wanted to give in to his son’s adorable expression, but he knew Felicity was probably right. Despite how awake Eli claimed to be, he looked sleepy and yawned again. “I think it’s time for bed, bud, but you know what? We can play all day tomorrow. Whatever you want.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” Oliver said sincerely. “But it’s bedtime now and you need to go to sleep.”

At the little boy’s insistence, Oliver helped him get ready for bed and tucked him in. Eli asked for a story, so Oliver told him the story of the first time he saw Felicity in his father’s office so many years ago. He finished the story and told Eli goodnight.

“Night Daddy. I’m glad I don’t have to talk to the picture no more.”

“Me too.”  Oliver said as he closed the door.

Felicity was standing in the hallway and was openly crying. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I didn’t know he did that.” She said sniffling. “He asked me for a picture with you so he could keep it close but- he talked to you every night. He told you about his day and he wished you goodnight and-“

Oliver didn’t say anything but put his arms around his wife. “It’s been an exhausting day, in a good way. I think its time for us to go to bed too.”

“You’re probably right. Eli’s gonna wake you up at the crack of dawn to play.” She admitted. They went to bed and they both fell asleep fairly easily.

Felicity was woken up in the middle of the night by movement. When she was fully awake, she could feel that Oliver was thrashing in the bed next to her, in the midst of a nightmare. He was muttering something in a language she didn’t understand. It sounded like he was pleading with someone.

“Oliver?” She whispered, hoping to wake him up. “Oliver!”

His muttering switched to English. “No, not her. Leave her alone! Felicity!”

“Oliver, you’re having-“ Later, she’d realize how idiotic it was to try and shake him awake. In the moment, all she could see was her husband clearly distressed and wanted to help him. As soon as her hand touched his shoulder, he grabbed her and flipped her over, pinning her beneath him. He was holding her in place, but not causing her any harm beyond that. His eyes were open, but she didn’t think he was fully awake. “Oliver, it’s me.”

He seemed to wake up and scurried to get off of her. “I- I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I probably shouldn’t have tried to wake you up when you were having a nightmare.” She said. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? I could’ve hurt you. I could’ve hurt the baby. I- I should-“ Oliver had messed things up. He could’ve hurt, or worse killed, Felicity or their baby. He shouldn’t have come back here, at least not yet.

“I swear to Google, if you say you should leave or anything like that, I’m gonna shoot you with one of your own arrows.” She said. “it was an accident. Everything’s okay. Stop feeling guilty over it. You spent five years fighting to survive. I wasn’t expecting you to come back and everything be perfect.”

“Still, I shouldn’t- I’m dangerous. What if Will-? Oh god, what if Eli-?” He said.

“Hey, look at me.” Felicity said in a bossy tone. “Nothing’s gonna happen to Will or Eli. You were taken off guard, and we can have a conversation with Eli tomorrow about not surprising Daddy. You were startled, that’s it.” She told him. She was so happy that Oliver was back and she didn’t want him to start pulling away from her or their family because he thought he was a danger to them. “Do you wanna talk about it? Your nightmare?”

“I- he had you. Ra’s al Ghul. He took you because he couldn’t make me forget you. He- all I could do is watch as he slowly killed you.” Oliver admitted.

“It was just a dream. I’m right here. I’m safe, see?” She poked him in the cheek, which earned her a small smile. “And we’re gonna be okay.”

Felicity went back to sleep and Oliver was able to get a few hours before he heard thundering footsteps racing towards them. They were too light to be an adult, but they woke him up nonetheless.

“Hope you’re ready.” Felicity whispered.

“Ready for what?” He asked, right as the door to their room opened.

He felt something jump onto the bed and crawl towards him. “Daddy! Wake up!” Eli said. He could tell that the boy was trying to whisper so that he wouldn’t wake Felicity up, but he didn’t exactly succeed. “It’s time to play.”

“Shh. Momma’s asleep. Let’s not try to wake her up.” Oliver said, sitting up to see his son’s face a few inches from his. “It’s time for breakfast, then we’ll play, okay?”

The boy agreed before bouncing up and down, trying to get Oliver to get out of bed faster. Eli led Oliver to the kitchen, talking a mile a minute about how excited he was to spend the whole day with his father. He tried to talk Oliver into making pancakes, but they didn’t have the right ingredients, so he settled on cereal.

“Which kind?” Oliver asked. “This one?” He held up a box.

“Momma said I can’t have those.”

He looked at the box of Reese’s Puffs. Nothing about the cereal seemed weird or concerning to him. “Why not?”

“Will likes them, but Momma said I was ‘lergic to peanuts and it would make me sick.” Eli said before pointing to another box. “Can I have Coco Pebbles?”

Oliver nodded and brought down the right box. He felt bad that he didn’t know his son was allergic to peanuts. He didn’t even know basic things about his son like what he couldn’t eat. What if he’d given him the cereal without thinking?

“I’m sorry I almost gave you the wrong breakfast.” Oliver said.

“That’s okay. Momma said your head hurts and you don’t ‘member stuff sometimes.”

“Your momma is right.”

“Duh, she’s always right. Momma’s the smartest lady ever.” Eli told him.

“Yes, she is.”

The two Queen boys ate their cereal and Eli pulled Oliver over to where his toy trucks were so they could play. Felicity and Will woke up within the next hour and joined them. As he watched his family go along with Eli’s made-up stories about the cars, Oliver realized something. The Queen family had a long way to go before they were whole again, but they were going to get there just fine.