He snorts. "I'm afraid it doesn't."

Shrug. "Maybe he'll come round when he's not six anymore."

Giggle. "It is pretty hard to convince six-year-olds to give up on ice cream. Is it just the food or—well I guess it isn't, given how much you like to run and do sports in general."

"Yeah. I just love feeling like a well-oiled machine."

"Is your family, like, doctors or something like that? Or did you all just take this up as a hobby?"

Cally shrugs. "Dad does something something architecture, Mom does... Professional being a supportive friend to rich people? That's what it sounded like anyway."

He sporfles. "Being a supportive friend?"

"Ahem. 'They talk to me because they know I won't turn out to be carrying a camera in my purse, or want them to sign my babies, or have an interesting idea for their next investment...' I'm not really sure about the details though? She probably just has a lot of rich friends, even if we're not super ultra rich-level ourselves."

"And they pay her for it?"

"Eh. Not directly. A car mysteriously appears, a contractor who's already been paid to repaint a room shows up..."

"Sounds lucrative."

"Yeah." Cally gives him a bit of an odd look. "You're not gonna go all googly-eyes and hope to get free trips to the city and stuff are you?"

He laughs. "Nothing like that, no."

"Good, I hate it when my friends get dollar signs in their eyes. Almost as much as I hate the ones who whine about not being able to go to Hawaii this year because their golf club meets too often."

"You have friends who like golf?"

"That was sarcasm, but yes. I do."

"Wow. That sounds mind-numbingly boring."

"It's... No, I can't really defend it. Yeah, it's pretty boring."

He giggles. "Have you told your friends that?"

Shrug. "They have a hobby I find boring. I could never convince any of them to run with me, so what? They're still my friends."

"I'm not saying 'stop being friends with them,' I'm just saying 'point out that standing still for several hours watching little white balls run' is dreadful."

"Oh, they totally have their phones out and gossip while the next guy hits."

"Okay that makes more sense I guess."

"Yeah. Anyway. I'm gonna go to math early, enjoy your lunch."

"Have fun with math!"