She turns back to Sadde. "And you're happy?"

"Yeah, I am I guess," he says, looking up at Theo. He furrows his brows a bit, but puts his hand on Theo's and squeezes it anyway.

"Then I'm happy."

Theo smiles when Sadde looks at him, then at Laura, then continues to remain in the same position.

"Well, I think it's about time you two stopped spending so much time with a temporary invalid and got on with your lives."

"Mum—"

"Honey, I'm not going anywhere, you need a shower and a change of clothes and to brush your teeth and to get breakfast. Now chop chop, you can come back later to pick me up, I'm pretty sure I'll end up having to leave on a wheelchair."

He sighs. "Fine."

"Do you want to get some food first, then?" Theo asks Sadde, again smiling at Sadde's mum.

"Yeah, alright I guess," he sighs, then leans closer to plant a kiss on Laura's forehead. "Text me if you need anything?"

"Will do. Have fun, but not too much fun," she laughs.

"Um."

"...you already did, didn't you."

Theo looks on, acting a bit sheepish.

"Were you safe?"

Sadde looks at Theo and scrunches his eyebrows together, then looks at Laura again. "We didn't get that far, could we, like, not have this conversation right now?"

"Alright, alright, go."

Sadde pulls Theo with him as he leaves the room.

Theo comes willingly, after grabbing his bag. He doesn't need to be dragged; he's hardly a child.

Kero: is in his bag.

Once they're walking, Sadde says, "You're being weird again."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"'Sorry about that.' Why are you being weird? You're weird since yesterday."

"I was a bit better later last night, but... I'm still a bit on edge."

"Why?"