"Did you have a good sleep?"

"Not really. You...finished what you were working on?"

"Putting a finishing touch on it now."

"I see."

"Breakfast? Edward couldn't seem to remember there are only me and Layna here. He could've fed an army."

"Thank you."

"Welcome."

He caught a degree framed on the wall.

"So. Uh, you did finish college after all."

"I did."

The bottom half looked burnt, oddly.

"What happened to the degree?"

"I tried to burn it. Lydie stopped me."

"Ouch. So uh, what actually happened after...after I moved out?"

"Kenny helped me find a new place to not set off the landlord. It'd be more difficult avoiding being the talk of the neighborhood if we waited till my belly's bigger. I moved again after she was born. I had to notify my workplace for resignation, especially because Layna needed a fulltime caregiver in the early months, but they arranged me a remote and flexible post instead."

She paused. "Actually, this building's Kenny's parents' too, so I got away with considerably cheaper rent. Lydie put in good words about me to the dean when I was in a bind. Actually, everyone chipped in a little bit. To list all of them would be exhaustive, and I cannot be thankful enough."

"...How about your parents?"

"Excommunicated. They weren't happy I kept Layna."

They had reached another impasse. Mercifully, someone knocked on the front door.

"Come in, it's not locked!" shouted Layna, and the door rattled open.

A spirited young woman burst into the room, another familiar face he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hi, Kay! Thought I'd drop by before work. You feel like having lunch with me and Abby on the weekend? There's a nice new cafe on 3rd Avenue, and Jamie could see Layna while we're at it!"

Kayla glanced surreptitiously on the calendar.

"Oh, Hi, Lydie. I'm...not sure I can make it. Let's see how it goes by Saturday?"

"Oh," said Lydie, crestfallen. "Well, there's always next week. Darn, it's been a while since us girls last had a day's out."

Kayla offered her a placating smile, to which Lydie rolled her eyes. It was only then that she recognized him at the corner.

"You!" At least she wasn't hiding her displeasure. He had to get used with these accusing edge, alright. It wouldn't be the last one anytime soon, he was sure. "Why are you here?"

"Lydie...I..."

Lydie turned around with apparent disgust.

"Kayla, what is this? I thought you said you'd try to...move on. Why bring him here?"

"Lydie, not you too. Can we...could we skip this?"

He cleared his throat.

"I will go. Sorry."

Removing himself from the area for the time being would be the wisest move. Lydie watched him walk out with hands folded in front of her chest, feet stomping impatiently. He heard several things muttered under her breath, one of them suspiciously close to a cluster of F-bombs.

Edward and Lydie had been Kayla's underclassmen. They had adored her, and he had no need to think twice for the reason of all the death stares he'd been getting.

But man, was it rough.

Kayla buried her face in her hands. He wondered whether Lydie would chew her out again when he was out of sight.