It was getting close to sunset when Moffitt looked out the window to see Millington and Anah coming up the driveway. He could see Conwyn waving to them in his car before backing out, then went to the door to let Millington and Anah in. "Good to see you both," Moffitt said. He took Anah, then noticed a strong, sterile smell. "Ugh, you were put through decontamination, weren't you?"

"I had to, because she insisted on interacting with Waimarie up close," Millington said.

"It was quite fun, though," Anah said. "She is quite sweet once she felt a bit safer. Shy, but once I got her talking about her home island, she could go on for hours."

"We're still trying to narrow down where exactly this island could be. It being uninhabited will make this difficult."

"Does it seem like she's responding well to treatment?" Moffitt asked.

"It's still too soon to tell." Millington looked past Moffitt. "Ah, are you Mr. Lysander Wilkins?"

"Nope," Zeph said before taking a drink from his soda bottle. "I'm not him."

"You could, you know, tell him where I am, like a normal person," Lysander said from the living room. He stood and went out to the kitchen, holding out his hand to Millington. "Sir."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Moffitt had nothing but good things to say about you," Millington replied.

"Thanks. You ride horses, too?"

"No, I've never been particularly interested, but I know it's something that makes a lot of people happy."

"Have you ever tried?"

"I haven't."

"You might change your mind if you give it a go, but I won't push you."

"I've been giving it some thought for a few years, with how often Moffitt talks about it." Millington turned to Moffitt, his expression sobering. "That reminds me, there's something we need to discuss in private."

The only place in the house with privacy was the hall leading to Lysander's bedroom. Moffitt gave Millington a concerned look while letting Anah slither up to his shoulders. "What is it?"

"How are we going to tell Waimarie about her eggs?" Millington asked.

"I'm not sure that's something I can give a straight answer for. I know snakes have a rough idea of how many eggs they can feel inside. She's going to know there were more than five."

"On one hand, I'm willing to take the chance and lie to her that there were only five and we saved all of them, for the sake of her emotional recovery, but I despise lying as much as you do."

"The good news with the eggs is that all five of them are indeed developing little kraits," Anah said.

"If we can focus on that, it may lessen the pain of the other five," Moffitt added.

"Technically, two were never fertilized at all," Millington said. "The other three… simply didn't make it. The five I did save are certainly miracles."

"Overall, this will make Waimarie very protective of the surviving eggs. I doubt she'd let us take one back to Britain, no matter how much she trusts us. I know that was part of the reason we came here, but it looks like that isn't happening."

"Which is alright. I'm admittedly disappointed, but our primary goal was to save this krait's life, which we accomplished. Still, we'll see happens in a week."

Moffitt nodded in agreement. "We can talk to her tomorrow, depending on how she's feeling." He looked at Anah. "Perhaps, if she's getting along best with you, you should be present when we bring this up."

"I was also thinking that it might be best to wait until she asks to see her eggs," Anah said. "Just dropping the news on her unexpectedly might be worse."

"I agree with you," Millington replied. "In that case, I will leave you two to enjoy your time with Jules."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for a bit?" Moffitt asked.

"Perhaps another day. I told Conwyn I would meet him in Auckland to catch up. I will call if something comes up, though."

"Alright." Moffitt walked with Millington out to the driveway, watching him get into the rental car and head out to Auckland.

Anah sighed as they remained in the driveway. "Poor Waimarie has been through so much in the last few months. Regardless of how or when… to tell her half her clutch will never see the light of day is horrible."

"That's the nice thing about the snakes we take care of back home," Moffitt said. "They don't have to worry about parasites or illness or injury. Those who came from the wild have expressed gratitude at being in a better place, where they don't have to worry about when their next meal will come. They don't have to feel scared all the time, either. I remember Mahlah was terrified when he came out of anesthesia, because he hadn't been completely conscious when he was found in Namibia, and suddenly he woke up several thousand miles away."

"It was thanks to you that he calmed down, otherwise he would have been difficult to work with."

"True, but I don't like taking credit for that."

"Frankly, dear, you do not like taking credit for anything."

"No, I don't."

"You should feel some pride in your accomplishments. It is only natural, and healthy. It is when you become absorbed in hubris that it becomes unhealthy, and the opposite extreme is just as bad."

Moffitt decided not to go back inside right away, and walked off the pavement and onto the grass, heading to the fence of the large field where he met Astor. He could see the Thoroughbred gelding grazing not too far from the fence, and leaned against the posts, feeling Anah rest her head against his left cheek.

"Do you still sometimes feel you do not deserve what you have, dear?" Anah asked.

"Occasionally," Moffitt replied. "It does feel… unreal, how I went from being completely lost to where I am now. I had been telling Lysander and Zeph about when I was first assigned to the Rat Patrol, and it's strange thinking about just how different I was back then. I was a bit of a disaster, to be honest." He became quiet. "I was terrified of what would happen if my new teammates found out certain things. Even after you came along, I was worried. Just constantly consumed by worry."

"Oh, I remember."

"Now, it's the most normal thing in the world to them, and not just them, but their families. I doubt Carolyn ever would have been fascinated by snakes if it weren't for me."

"Probably not." Anah gave Moffitt another nuzzle. "I will always be grateful that I was destined to be with you."

"And I'll always be grateful for you." Moffitt looked over his shoulder back toward the house. "I know it's taken you a very long time to get over the fear that I would seal you away in a temple for two thousand years."

"I do still worry sometimes, as I have moments where I cannot control my fear."

"I doubt you'll have to worry about that with Jules."

Anah was quiet for a minute. "I am still not ready to think about that. I love Jules, but I am just not ready to face the reality of not being with you every single day." She rested her head on Moffitt's shoulder. "He and Antheia talk often about what they want to do when they are ready, and I keep hearing them talk about the idea of Jules moving to Wyoming. That would mean I would be going with him, and it would also mean that I would not be able to see you very often."

"Their plans could change," Moffitt said. "I'm not quite ready for Jules to leave, either, and, admittedly, I'm not ready for you to leave, either."

"That… honestly makes me feel better."

"I do also wonder what effect this trip will have on Jules. When I suggested he come along, I wasn't expecting this to happen."

"Really?"

"Yes. Not because I don't have faith in Jules, but because he never showed an interest in trying to make friends. I assumed he wouldn't bother."

"And then he crashed into Zeph while trying to surf."

Moffitt nodded. "He's extremely lucky Lysander was there to keep things civil. I like Zeph now that I know him better, but he definitely has the pent-up anger to seriously hurt someone if he's allowed to get into a fight. The last thing I want is for Jules to learn certain things in life the hard way."

"He is a lot like you, dear."

"Yes, and I was painfully shy when I was his age." A heavy feeling suddenly sat in Moffitt's chest. "Except I had a younger brother for company."

Anah nodded. "I have noticed he and Hitch's son, Zachariah, do not have enough in common to be friends. The same can be said for Dietrich's nephew, Ludwin."

"To be fair, Jules and Ludwin really haven't had much of a chance to interact with each other."

"Good point, and it is not like Dietrich's brother has visited us very many times, especially with his family."

"No. We should invite them over more often." Moffitt glanced back toward the house again. "In such a short amount of time, Jules has found two people who have made him feel like they've known each other their whole lives. I never thought I would see the day he would find friends like that."

"Neither did I, and I doubt Vanora did."

"No. She accepted that he might never make friends like this." A different heavy feeling settled in Moffitt's chest. "It was hard, watching him get ridiculed when we had him in school."

"Like you, he considers it to be his own fault that happened."

Moffitt nodded in agreement. "I've tried telling him that we all do idiotic things as children, but he told me a few days before we came to New Zealand that it feels like more than just an average child's mistake if it's still bothering him years later."

"On one hand, he may be right, but that may also simply be his relation to you talking."

"Possibly. What happened when he was little is debatable, but I know what happened a few summers ago when he worked for a few weeks at the horse farm I got Snowstripe and the rest of his bloodline from wasn't his fault."

"Oh, indeed. The other boys were being horrid, trying to tell him that Antheia wasn't pretty enough and that he could 'do better.'"

"Meanwhile," Moffitt gestured behind him, "Lysander has very similar attitudes to us when it comes to dating. He made some mistakes in the past, but he's capable of learning."

"I really would hate to pull Jules away from these two," Anah said.

"Same, although I imagine flying to New Zealand from Wyoming will be far easier than flying from Britain."

"I hope so, as that would mean Jules could see Lysander and Zeph more often."

"That would be good for him."

They both turned when Zeph called out from the house. "Oi, Anah! Lysander wants to know your take on fish and chips!"

"I will be right in, then, dear!" Anah called back.

"Well, if everyone's hungry, it's best not to keep them waiting," Moffitt said, leaving the fence and walking back toward the driveway.

"Are you hungry?"

"You should be happy to know that I had both breakfast and lunch today."

"I am happy. Now you will have dinner, and then dessert later."

"You're making dessert?"

"I will try. I noticed the cupboards are a bit… sparse." Anah lowered her voice. "I think, as a thank-you, perhaps we should make a grocery run."

"As much as I agree with the sentiment, I think we should at least ask Lysander and Zeph their preferences first."

"There is a way we can do that without ruining a surprise."

"I'll leave that to you, then."

The two went inside, where Anah joined Lysander in the kitchen and Moffitt went into the living room to find Jules and Zeph with open bags of candy on the coffee table. "Anah's making dinner, you know," Moffitt said.

"I know," Jules said.

"I'm letting him try stuff you can't get back in Britain," Zeph said.

"Alright, but don't overeat," Moffitt ordered. "That goes for both of you."

"Dear, you already know Jules will eat my fish and chips," Anah said from the kitchen.

"Yes, but that on top of all this? It's a bit much." Moffitt looked down at the collection of candy on the table. "What even is—who puts chocolate and pineapple together?"

"Hey, don't knock pineapple lumps until you've tried them," Lysander said.

"I'll try them later."

"Goodness," Anah said. "You all are going to be very well fed later if you are having sweets now, dinner in a few minutes, and then dessert."

"Maybe don't make dessert, then," Moffitt suggested.

"No."

Moffitt sighed, then looked back at Jules. "Use your common sense, please."

"Don't worry, Dad, it'll be fine," Jules replied. "I'm only tasting one thing at a time anyway."

"Alright. I'll trust you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Moffitt went into the kitchen, watching Anah teach Lysander her art of making fish and chips. Soot was lying on the floor by Lysander's feet. Moffitt stayed out of the way, choosing to wait to make his tea. He was about to sit at the counter when he heard Zeph say the words "chocolate fish," and immediately turned his head to look in the living room. "What the bloody hell are you—"

"It's marshmallow, Dad," Jules said. "Not actual fish."

Moffitt breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we've been dealing with Troy for too long."

"Is there a story behind this?" Zeph asked.

"It's a great mystery how and why this started, but during the war, I observed quite possibly the most questionable eating habits known to man. Troy insisted that food is food and that presentation doesn't matter as long as something is edible, and he tended to take 'edible' to its extreme."

"Tended?" Jules snorted. "Not sure we can use past-tense, Dad."

"You're right, Jules. We can't. You see, I could understand Troy's habit of eating raw prickly pear cactus—it is a delicacy in some cultures, although it's typically cooked first. I was even willing to put up with Troy's immense dislike of tea. I began to seriously question Troy's mental faculties when Hitch made us an omelet with powdered eggs and Spam. I found this dish to be an utter travesty. Hitch himself said it was embarrassing because he does know how to cook. Tully said no one would be caught dead with it in Kentucky. Troy, in the meantime, was eating it without hesitation. Not one gag or expression of disgust."

"I mean, it doesn't sound too bad," Zeph said.

"You've never had powdered eggs, have you?"

"No."

"They're awful," Lysander said. "The texture alone is really unpleasant."

"Everything about them, and that omelet, was unpleasant," Moffitt said. "I suppose the only fortunate thing was that Troy willingly ate mine when I said I didn't want it, so it wasn't a complete waste. That's not all, though. Oh, no, it's not."

"It's funny you mention this right after you told us that despite his chaotic tendencies, Troy was a good commander."

"I still stand by that. Troy followed a very strict rule of 'leave no one behind.' He was very mission-driven, but determined to both get things done and keep all of us safe. I had a lot of respect for him, but he's quite quirky, to say the least."

"Troy says the same thing about you, dear," Anah said.

"I'm not quirky." Moffitt looked at Jules. "Am I? Be honest."

Jules glanced at Zeph, then back at his father. "Well… um… yes? A little? Especially when it comes to tea."

"Only tea?" Anah snorted. "There are plenty of things your father has his little quirks and nitpicks over, dear."

"Yeah, but tea is the big one."

"Quite true." Anah looked up at Moffitt. "And I imagine you are waiting for us to get out of the way so you can have your tea."

"Yes, but I can wait. Take your time."

"A Spam and powdered egg omelet can't be the worst thing Troy has willingly eaten," Zeph said. "Especially since you got worried over me saying 'chocolate fish.'"

"Would you like me to provide a list?" Moffitt asked. "We'd be here all night."

"Nah, give me the worst."

Moffitt took a moment to dig through his memory in an attempt to find the absolute worst. "Well, there was the dry pasta he found when we were serving in Italy. He couldn't be bothered to cook it."

"Oh, that is nothing! It has to be the feta cheese frosting I put on his birthday cake a few years ago as a prank," Anah said. "That backfired hard because he enjoyed it."

"No way! That can't be worse than the glass of pancake batter he drank like a milkshake," Jules said. "There's also the peanut cereal."

"Peanut cereal?" Lysander raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. To be fair, he had just woken up. Instead of getting a box of cereal, he grabbed some dry-roasted peanuts, put them in a bowl, added milk, and ate it for breakfast. Apparently, he did the same thing with rice."

"He also doesn't put maple syrup on his pancakes, waffles, or French toast," Moffitt said.

"That's just…" Lysander struggled for the right word. "That's just wrong."

"Of course, there's also the infamous unsweetened baking chocolate that Dietrich likes to bring up."

Zeph made a face. "I made the mistake of eating baking chocolate when I was six. It's honestly vile—it looks like chocolate, it smells like chocolate. It's the furthest from chocolate you can possibly get."

"At six years old, the furthest thing from chocolate is any vegetable you can think of," Lysander said.

"I was weird, then. I enjoyed kumaras more than anything."

"Kumaras?" Jules asked.

"Sweet potatoes," Lysander explained. "And Zeph? You've always been weird."

"And you're my best friend, so what does that make you, mate?" Zeph grinned before looking at Moffitt. "So, did he just eat a whole bar of baking chocolate?"

"A square of it, not a whole bar," Moffitt said. "I can't believe he managed to even swallow it."

"Agreed," Lysander added. "Zeph spit it out faster than you could blink."

"And I threw a tantrum because it was the worst betrayal you could inflict on a six-year-old," Zeph said.

"Fortunately, you know better now," Anah added. "Troy, on the other hand… we are not sure."

"He does get embarrassed whenever Dietrich brings it up," Moffitt said. "Perhaps he has learned."

"This is Troy we are talking about, dear, and he is quite stubborn. You have a better chance at making a pig fly."

"I can make a pig fly right now if you want me to," Zeph said with a giggle.

"No! Not this again!" Lysander snapped.

Moffitt gave him a concerned look.

"He once took a sheep from a field for a broomstick ride."

"I… I think I need more to understand."

"This guy I was in a surfing competition with was being an ass, so I went to the farm he lived on and took one of the lambs," Zeph explained.

"Why? What's that supposed to do? You stole his sheep! That's not right!"

"It was funny, though."

"No, that's not funny, and you should be ashamed of yourself, young man."

"Okay, in hindsight, maybe it wasn't funny. The lamb had a good time, though."

"I sure didn't," Lysander said. "I had to call the guy you took it from, apologize, and make you bring the sheep back."

"At least I did bring it back."

Moffitt sighed heavily and leaned against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. "For the record, please, don't go out and take somebody's poor pig just for a laugh."

"I won't, sir, I promise."

"Thank you."

Within the next few minutes, the group was gathered around the counter, where Anah had laid out a platter of fried fish and another platter of homemade chips. She had seasoned the chips with a generous helping of garlic, shredded parmesan cheese, and a light dusting of black pepper.

"Thanks, Anah," Jules said. "I've missed this."

"You are most welcome, dear," Anah replied. "Take as much as you like."

"I'm not sure I've ever had a better serving of fish and chips," Zeph said with his mouth full. "How do you do it?"

"I put a great deal of love into everything I make, dear."

"It's her way of showing appreciation," Moffitt said. "I will always remember the day in North Africa when Anah made me a cup of tea for the first time. What a heavenly cup that was. Utter perfection. No other cup of tea at that point came close."

"You looked at Troy and said quite excitedly, 'She can make tea!'" Anah laughed. "He was not impressed."

"Of course he wasn't. Troy has no clue how to appreciate a good cup of tea."

"It made me feel very happy to see you happy over something so small."

Moffitt gave the cobra a smile before reaching over to gently scratch under her chin.

When dinner was finished, Moffitt was the only one still seated by the kitchen counter while Anah and Lysander were taking care of dishes, and Jules and Zeph had gone into the living room to lie down. Orange light was spilling in through the windows as the sun set, prompting Lysander to turn the lights on. Soot had his own dinner before walking over and laying by Moffitt's chair, putting his head on his paws.

"That was really good, Anah. Thanks for showing me how you make fish and chips," Lysander said.

"Oh, it was no problem, dear," Anah replied, telekinetically opening the refrigerator. "I swear I saw raspberries in here."

"What're you doing?" Moffitt asked.

"I am going to make a cobbler."

"Anah, could you let us digest what we just ate for a bit?"

"Oh, stop. I have to wait for the butter to soften anyway." Anah pulled out two sticks of butter and set them on the counter. She then slithered over to Moffitt and climbed up his arm to get to his shoulders. She flicked her forked tongue against his right cheek before nuzzling him.

Things were quiet for a few minutes aside from a man's voice from the television, followed by Zeph cursing and saying, "Well, that's great."

"What?" Lysander asked.

"Crap weather tomorrow. Can't surf."

"It's not like there aren't other things we can do, right?" Jules asked.

"Well, I'm not going out on my broom in the rain unless I had to."

"The horses need care, rain or shine," Lysander said.

"I'll help with that," Jules said.

"Mind if I join you?" Moffitt asked.

"Sure. Nothing wrong with more people helping out." Lysander closed the window by the sink.

They all turned toward the door when someone knocked three times, and Lysander went to get it. An older man's voice asked, "You're not having parties in there, are you?"

"No, Dad." Lysander stepped outside and closed the door. His and his father's voice became muffled.

Moffitt went into the living room, looking out the window at Lysander and his father. Their conversation looked civil, though Moffitt still looked down at Zeph and asked, "Is Mr. Wilkins good with strangers?"

"Oh, yeah," Zeph replied. "He won't bother you, especially since you and Jules are horse people."

"That's good." Moffitt sat at the other end of the couch, getting comfortable with Anah and watching the weather forecast along with Zeph. Soot decided to join them as well, hopping onto the couch and taking a moment to decide which person he wanted to lay with, and ultimately chose Moffitt, who was quite surprised at how comfortable the dog was with him. Lysander had mentioned earlier that Australian cattle dogs tended to be less comfortable with strangers.

Lysander came back in a few minutes later. "Sorry about that. Dad was making sure I wasn't throwing parties. He'd seen your rental car a few times and wondered what that was all about. I explained everything."

"Your dad knows you, Lysander, why the bloody hell would he think you're throwing parties?" Zeph asked.

"Oh, just making sure I'm not being influenced by crazy people at uni."

"Again. You were always the one who never cared much for peer pressure."

"I know. I'm just reassuring Dad that hasn't changed." Lysander went into the kitchen to get a drink before joining the others in the living room. "I've got cards if anyone wants to play a game."

"Do you know Oh Hell?" Jules asked.

"We call that 'Up and down the river' down here."

"It's quite a cutthroat game in our group," Moffitt said. "Makes for entertaining evenings."

"Especially with Troy and Dietrich," Anah added.

"I learned a lot of German curse words from playing this game with Dietrich," Jules said with a snort.

"I can't say that's a surprise." Moffitt adjusted himself to lean over the coffee table. "We'll try not to be overly profane tonight, correct?"

"Sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you and Jules both might be learning how to swear in Kiwi playing this game with us," Zeph said.

Jules smirked when he saw the look on his father's face. "Dad, I already know how to swear thanks to Troy and Dietrich."

Moffitt gave a sigh. "Oh, alright. All I ask is that we enjoy ourselves."

Jules had learned that night that Zeph certainly rivaled Troy and Dietrich with his colorful vocabulary, and he imagined that would make their meeting with him interesting and hilarious. They played a few rounds before everyone decided to take showers and go to bed. Jules took his first, and while in the privacy of the bathroom, he was still in disbelief at how well things had gone over the last few days. At the same time, he wouldn't deny he was a bit homesick. After spending a few more minutes enjoying the warm water, Jules left the bathroom to see his father making a cup of herbal tea for sleep. "Hey."

"Hello." Moffitt motioned to the tea. "Care for a cup?"

"No, thanks, I think I'll sleep well tonight. Still a bit worn out from surfing earlier."

"I overheard that Zeph's 'plan' worked, but I've been waiting to hear about it from you."

Jules frowned. "You're not angry with him, are you?"

"No. I understand why he chose this idea. In fact, it reminds me a lot of what Anah and Snowstripe did to force Troy and Dietrich to work together after Dietrich's…" Moffitt paused, and lowered his voice. "After Dietrich attempted suicide."

"You're right. It does sound similar. I was really angry with Zeph at first, especially after I failed to just catch a wave the first six times. I realized he had a point; I needed to get over this hurdle if I'm going to do the things I want to."

"And you succeeded." Moffitt smiled. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." Jules felt as though he should be happier than he was. "We should probably call Mum. Just to say 'hello.'"

"I already spoke to her earlier today. It's a little late to call again—she should be at work by now."

"Is she still upset?"

"I wouldn't say 'upset,' just a bit worried about you getting hurt." Moffitt added a spoonful of sugar to his tea. "I think the fact that you've made two good friends out of this will make her happy. All of us coming home safely will also make her happy."

"It's difficult seeing her unhappy."

"It is, but it's not your fault, and it's not my fault, or Anah's, or anyone else's."

Jules nodded before muttering, "It was the damn magpies."

"In a way, yes." Moffitt resumed his focus on his tea, then sighed, setting his spoon down. "I don't want to see you two push each other away."

"I don't want that to happen, either."

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page." Moffitt picked up his spoon again, stirring his tea absentmindedly. "I think this only worries me because we're thousands of miles away from home, and we can't sit down and have this talk with your mother now. The separation… is a bit of a breeding ground for unwanted thoughts and fears, but we'll go home, we'll talk, and we'll work things out. That's all I have to keep telling myself."

Jules didn't say anything in response while his father left his tea to cool in order to take a shower. He stood in the kitchen, only glancing toward the window once when rain started clacking against the glass. He didn't want to let his thoughts run rampant. I have too many people that I care about to do something reckless for the sake of it, and I don't ever want to tell Mum that I don't want to speak to her anymore. Not after everything she's been through, and it would break Dad's heart. He's dealt with enough. Anah, Dietrich, Troy, Hitch, and Tully would never let us drift apart. Jules looked toward the bathroom door. Then again, they won't always be there. I should learn how to resolve issues like this on my own. His thoughts came to a halt when he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Lysander leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Hey, I don't… I don't want to sound like I'm intruding or eavesdropping, but I just wanted to say something," Lysander said.

"Sure, go ahead," Jules replied.

"If what your mum is scared of is you getting yourself hurt, or worse, I wish there was a way for me to say to her, or show her, that won't happen on my watch. You heard what Zeph and I were talking about earlier, when my dad was at the door. Yes, I like riding horses, and I enjoy surfing, but I don't do either of those things recklessly, and I don't let people pressure me into doing anything recklessly. I might seem like the laid-back, do-what-you-want-type, but that's only within reason. I told you yesterday, that I wouldn't have let you ride Astor if I didn't think it was safe."

Somehow, Jules felt there was more to what Lysander was saying, but couldn't decipher what it was. "I'll… do my best to tell Mum all this."

"Please do. I don't want to just sit back and watch your relationship with your mother fall apart."

"I don't think that's something to worry about."

Lysander said nothing more, and simply nodded before looking toward the bathroom door. "Your dad's in there?"

"Yeah. He shouldn't be long."

"Okay." Lysander patted Jules's shoulder. "Get some sleep. We've got work to do in the morning."

Jules watched Lysander head back through the living room to get to his bedroom, then went into the living room himself, where Zeph was sitting on the couch with a book. "Can I just say there was something odd about that?" Jules said. "You heard all that, right?"

"It's odd if you don't know Lysander's history," Zeph replied.

"I had a feeling there was more."

"Yeah, but it's not my place to talk about it."

On one hand, Jules wanted answers, but he also understood why Lysander would want to keep certain things to himself. He lay down on the floor with his blanket and pillow, suddenly doubting his ability to fall asleep quickly as he stared up at the ceiling and allowed his thoughts to wander. He wanted independence, but not at the cost of his relationship with his parents. There had to be a way to have both.