Leo and Annabeth stand in stunned silence for a few seconds and then Annabeth looks down at the wet hamster in a towel in her hands.

"I'm just gonna go…"

"Yeah."

"And put Hippopotamus back in his cage."

"Yeah."

She doesn't move for a second, and then she quickly leaves the bathroom. Leo looks up at the ceiling and exhales.

Annabeth comes back down the hall with the mittens wrapped up in the towel. "What do you think? Do I have to burn these?" She smiles at Leo.

"Oh yeah. Definitely."

"I'm gonna go downstairs and throw these out or get the matches. Whichever."

"Right. Yeah. I should…it's late. I should head home."

"Sure. Yeah. I mean, early morning meetings?"

"Yeah. We've got a thing with the teamsters."

"Okay."

They walk downstairs together. Leo grabs his jacket off the couch. Annabeth is standing at the front door.

She kisses him. "Let's talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'll call you." His smile is tight.

Next week – Julia and Bella are driving back through DC on their way home to Georgia. They're picking up Hippopotamus the hamster and spending the night at Annabeth's.

"Is she asleep?"

Julia collapses on the couch next to Annabeth. "Yes, mercifully. Next time I decide to a road trip with my five year old daughter to visit my father, remind me that I like neither driving nor my father."

"Good visit?"

Julia laughs. "He hasn't changed, Annabeth. I keep thinking he will, but he's still an asshole."

"How you emerged from Mom and Jeff I will never know."

"Mom's taste in men was atrocious."

"Hey! My dad is a prince among men."

Julia laughs. "Your dad is a man among bar stools."

Annabeth hits her. "Allow me my delusions."

"You don't have any, Annabeth. You didn't even have delusions as a kid. It was one of the hardest parts of being your big sister. I couldn't protect you from anything because you always saw it for what it was."

Annabeth sighs. "Yeah."

Julia looks around Annabeth's living room. "I can't help but notice the absence of man things around here Annabeth. Where's the guy?"

"Leo?"

"Is there another one?"

"No. And I'm not sure there's that one."

"What happened?"

Annabeth leans her head back against the couch and looks up at the ceiling. "I screwed up."

"You chose work over him too many times?"

"No, he gets that. But thank you for reminding me of my past failures."

"Okay. Then what?"

"He told me he loves me."

"Annabeth! What?!"

"I don't know, Julia. We were here and this ridiculous thing happened and we were laughing, like cannot breathe kind of laughing, and I'm not even sure he meant what he said."

"Well what did you say? Do you love him?"

"I didn't say anything. That's the problem. I panicked and he left and we've been playing the work card now for like a week. He tells me he's busy and I tell him the same and we just…"

"But could you say it? Are you in love with him?"

Annabeth stands up and paces around the living room. "I don't know, Julia. We've been together for like two months. How can you possibly know if you love someone that quickly."

"I don't know, because you can. I don't think love happens on some sort of an established time frame. Do you think he meant it? I mean, do you think he loves you?"

"That's part of the problem. I think… look, I make him laugh and I make him hard. And that's great, but is that love?"

Julia laughs. "Yeah, actually."

Annabeth looks at her.

"Annabeth, it's not that complicated. You like talking to him, you like being around him, and you like having sex with him. That's all there is. That's a life together."

"That's…insanely simplistic."

"You're right. Much better to overthink it, and hide in your office. Annabeth! You've been happier in the last few months than you have ever been. And seeing as how I have known you your entire life, I can say this with some confidence."

"Work makes me happy. I have been happy before!"

"Yes, work does make you happy. And you are exceptionally good at what you do, as you are well aware. But, this is different happy."

"Yeah."

"Yeah." Julia looks towards the kitchen. "Is there cereal in there? I'm hungry."

Annabeth nods. "In the tall cabinet."

Julia gets up. "Great. I'm going to go in the kitchen and eat cereal. You are going to stay here and call Leo."