“I’m here, I’m here!” She announced in sing-song, carrying the buns and hot dogs in one hand, a bag that clinked suspiciously dangling from her other arm.

“What took you so long, love?” Frank asked when she sat next to him and gave him a kiss, having set the food next to the veggies.

She just grinned as she hoisted the bag up. “We had beer downstairs!”

Frank laughed softly, hooking an arm around his wife’s waist. “Of course.” He accepted a beer with his free hand.

“Who wants one?” Katelyn held them out toward the others.

“I’ll take you up on that.” Cori hummed, accepting a drink before she looked to Pan. “Are you able to drink these, Pack?”

Pan just chuckled as he nodded. “Yeah, I can. I’d love one, thanks.” He smiled widely to Katelyn when she passed him one.

WW just stared at the bottle in her hand, facts and numbers from the research he’d done long ago racing through his mind. He had to shut his eyes and shake them away. You can’t think like that anymore. He told himself, shuddering a little. He wasn’t supposed to focus on the calories, anymore. He wasn’t supposed to think about how the drink would split into fat and acetate, and the acetate would become his primary source of energy, leaving fats and everything else to sit until it was processed. He wasn’t supposed to, but he couldn’t help it. His mental argument lasted less than a minute in real time and was stopped abruptly when Cori giggled at something Pan said. He looked to his parents across the fire, sitting close as they prepared to cook their hot dogs. They’d always been so affectionate, and so clearly in love no matter what they were doing… Then he glanced over to Cori and Pan. To the way Cori had slowly shifted closer and closer to him and batted her eyelashes up at him.

He was the fifth wheel.

It was that realisation that made him take a beer from the bag his mom had left by the food. Screw calories, screw acetate, and screw the fact that beer was the most disgusting alcohol WW had ever tried in his life. If he was going to make it through the evening, he needed a drink.

He ignored his mom’s raised eyebrows and wide eyed stare as he took a long sip. He had to hide his disgust as he reached for a roasting stick and a hot dog. He didn’t see Cori grinning over at him until she said, “Cheers bro!” and reached over to tap her bottle against his.

“Cori, seriously.” Frank sighed.

“Just leave it alone, Frank,” Katelyn kissed her husband’s cheek, “She just talks like that. It doesn’t bother me, it’s just a passing comment.”

Frank huffed, leaning heavily against her. “What if it bothers me?”

“Then I suggest you get over it,” Katelyn giggled and ruffled his hair, “I have.”

Cori sighed and leaned against Pan as she held her hot dog over the fire. “I wish I could stay longer… Mom’s coming to pick me up in like fifteen minutes.”

WW tensed up. Of course, she had to mention that after he’d taken the beer.

“That’s too bad…” Pan said, looking down at her. When she looked up at him she pouted, batting her eyelashes.

“Will you be at the shop tomorrow?”

Pan looked over to Katelyn and Frank, who were too busy cuddling and talking quietly between themselves to notice his silent question. “Uh… I’m not sure. I hope so, I really enjoyed it today.”

“Oh good! Do you have a favourite flower? Did you see it at the shop?”

WW just stared at his hot dog, watching the skin sizzle and pop, beginning to blister. He didn’t look at his parents, or at Cori flirting with Pan. He just took another big swig of his drink and did his best to ignore the fact that he was the fifth wheel.