When El first met Millie she thought her heart might burst. The girl was small framed but had some muscle to her and she had the same eyes that Neal had. She had met Neal the week before, he was a good looking kid that she wrote in her head to keep him out of trouble.
She was surprised that Peter had offered so quickly until she met Millie. Her black hair was pulled into a top knot on her head and her features were slender and feminine. She was someone she instantly took too and she wished she could say the same for Millie.
She spent most the time in her room, studying, and when El offered anything she politely declined. She was uneasy around the Burkes still, the opposite of Neal who had settled in quite nicely. Peter could start playing catch with kid next week and the neighbors would think he was their long lost son.
"Amelia?" she knocked and heard a 'come in.' She was at her desk, books propped up every which way, she didn't look up until El sat down in the chair next to her. She could tell it was math of some sort but that was where the recognition ended. She set down the hot cocoa she made and studied the books for a moment longer.
"It's calculus. It's actually more math theory. It's what I'm doing to prep right now," Millie explained studying El. Her effort was endearing but Millie had no idea how to open up to someone like her.
"So Neal's an artist and you're?" she trailed off in question and Millie smiled at her.
"Neal picks up on everything fast. He turned to art because it was instantly gratifying. Every stroke is one you can see, every practice painting can improve quickly. And there was no one who questions the traditional artwork. We can all agree that the Mona Lisa is intriguing. We can all agree that Starry Night is mysterious. And we can see that anything Neal paints is beautiful," she still scribbled down some numbers, "I like school because of the competition. I can't predict everything that a person is going to say or do. But I can anticipate how hard they'll work. And then, I can work harder. So, I'm not a mathematician or anything, just driven."
El nodded and then stood up and put a bookmark in one of the books and shut it. Millie raised an eyebrow at her, not about to argue.
"Let's go drink some hot cocoa, watch a documentary, and make dinner," El invited. El already knew Millie's test scores, they were one of the first things the government had sent over. As if that determined whether or not El would take the child. But having them meant she knew how ahead she actually was. She could afford to take a break.
"But," Millie began and El smiled rolling her eyes.
"You're not behind. In fact, you're way ahead. Let's enjoy life a little. I know you're dying to know how much Neal drove Peter crazy before he caught him," Millie's eyes lit up at that.
"I actually am," grabbing the mug of hot cocoa they went downstairs together, seeing the two boys on the back porch El didn't envy their relationship like she had the last week. She could tell that she was going to find some closeness with Millie.
Millie wasn't angry at Neal for loving Peter right off the bat, a little surprised, but never angry. She was happy to see him happy and now happy for herself that El and her had hit it off. Helping navigate around the kitchen El taught her a simple recipe and Millie soaked it all in. It had been a long time since she'd had any sort of mother figure in her life and she thought this one might stick.