“Parker, if you don’t want to go to school hungry, you should stop playing with your food. The bus is going to be here in like ten minutes, and you still need to finish your food and get dressed.”

Parker looked up at me with a heavy-lidded gaze that practically screamed his disinterest. “But it doesn’t taste good,” he protested.

“I’m sure it tastes fine,” I replied, sighing.

“Well, it doesn’t,” Parker said with a little jerk of his head. The little turd. “You burned it.”

“Just because it isn’t bleeding doesn’t mean it’s burned,” I corrected.

It had been an interesting morning. One of the livestock had been in labor and Niall had gotten called in extra early. Niall normally makes the breakfast for the kids ahead of time, and I just make sure it’s warm. It’s not that I’m a bad cook, but I’m a vegetarian and the kids very much are not. Niall can actually eat meat, and thus knows how long to cook things for, how to prepare them, and how Parker and Sybil like everything. Sybil is more flexible in how she likes her meat; Parker is not, and likes everything practically raw. While Sybil was content with her breakfast that morning, I once again failed to meet Parker’s particular expectations.

“To me it does,” he mumbled, reluctantly shoving food in his mouth.

I watched his dejected, Oscar-worthy performance until he finished. I grabbed his iron pills from the cabinet, handing him one. “Here.”

This he took without protest, thankfully. Nonetheless, he still took the opportunity to protest something else.

“Dee, can I stay home from school today?”

“Are you sick?” I asked.

“Not physically.”

“Then no.”

“But my legs are really cramped and school just makes it so much worse,” he complained. He gazed up at my with his big, dark eyes. While he wasn’t as adorable as when he was younger, there was a still enough childish cuteness in his pudgy, round features to make my heart feel like someone was squeezing it. That, and I felt his plight. I hated that we had to hide who we were and that it came with such physical discomfort. I felt in my own back and my limbs. I wished that he, as young as he was, didn’t have to deal with the same thing. But for Parker, more than the rest of us, secrecy was essential.

“I know, bud,” I murmured, crouching down to his height. “Look, tonight we can all go out back and you can stretch your legs. But today, you need to go to school. I’d like to save your absences for days when you need to be out.”

Parker looked down. I know he didn’t like my response, but he understood it. “Okay,” he sighed, plodding to his room to get dressed.

I stood back up and frowned. Niall and I were lucky. We managed to avoid having to go to school—well, “normal” school. While neither of our childhoods were something we would wish upon Parker or Sybil, we never had to hide what we were. Now, as an adult, it was hard on both Niall and me—I hated to think what it was like for Parker and Sybil, the both of them trying to fit in and figure themselves out at the same time. I didn’t know who it was harder for, out of the two of them. The first five years of Sybil’s life were similar to Niall and mine’s, so she had experienced both the difficulties and the freedoms that had come with it and could compare the present with her past. Parker was so young, and he never had to go through what the rest of us did.

“He’ll get over it.”

Sybil’s gaze met mine, calm and steady. It’s weird because she’s fourteen, but talking with her is sometimes like what I imagine it would be like to talk with a friend in soft tones over a dark sleepover. Sometimes it’s comforting, sometimes it’s concerning.

I nodded. “I’m sure he will be.”

“So we’re going for a walk tonight?” Sybil asked casually, trying to feign indifference. Walks were exciting for everyone, but Sybil was going through the ‘I’m too cool to care’ phase of adolescence.

“Yeah, the forecast is good. Even if Parker wasn’t all pouty, I figured we’d head out.”

“Cool,” she replied, and then looked up at the wall clock. “Bus should be here soon.”

I nodded. “You’re right. Let me check if I can see it yet.” I walked over to the kitchen window, which allowed a pretty good view of the road. Sybil was right. I could see the orange-yellow bus crawling over a hill in the distance. “Yep, I’d say about three minutes.”

She walked over to the table and grabbed her backpack and the sunglasses she wore at school to prevent herself from being overstimulated, and then went over to the stairs. “Three minutes!” she yelled up to Parker.

A minute or so later, he came bounding down the stairs, sounding more like a herd of small children than his single self. How he managed to do that, I had no idea. I brought him his backpack and put my hand on his back, hoping it offered at least a little comfort.

“You two have a good day, okay?”

Sybil gave a silent nod and Parker let out some sort of grunt. He took his bag and waddled out the door.

“Love you!” I called after them. The response I got back was fairly incoherent and lackluster, but it was something.

I watched them until the bus doors shut behind them and sighed. I still had a bit of time to myself until I had to leave for work.

/I wonder how Niall is doing…

Well, there’s no harm in asking./

I made my way back to the kitchen and grabbed the fruit salad I had made for myself, reaching in my back pocket for my phone. No messages from Niall. I didn’t really expect any; he probably hadn’t had a free moment since he got called in. Or a clean hand. Births were messy. I tried to remember what he’d said earlier in the morning. Was it horse or a cow? I was barely conscious when he told me. He just woke me up to let me know I’d have to make breakfast.

'How’s it going?' I texted and then set the phone down. I had only gotten through a few pieces of fruit when it buzzed.

'Pretty good. Mildred finished about an hour ago. No complications. Joe’s got a new little heifer.'

Cow. Cool.

'That’s cool. How are you doing?' I replied.

The response came back quick: 'Tired.' There was a sleeping emoji with a bunch of Zs next to the text.

'Think you’ll get any rest?'

'We’re taking a break in a few. Anne’s making up some breakfast and coffee. I think I’m gonna inject it straight into my veins.'

Anne is the farmer’s wife. I met her a few times. She’s a pretty nice lady. Can do everything the men can too—she’s crazy strong.

The phone buzzed again.

'I will replace all my fluids with coffee.'

There were some dots on the screen. He was still typing.

'I will be Caffeine Man!'

I smiled. He was definitely tired.

'Sounds like someone needs a nap.'

More dots.

'You’re just jealous because they’ll make an action figure of me and not you.'

I rolled my eyes. 'No, I’m jealous because you can get Parker to eat without complaining :P'

There was a pause for a few moments before the dots popped back up.

'Well, maybe don’t suck at cooking ;)'

I scrunched my face, and couldn’t help but laugh. 'I do not suck at cooking!'

'Send pics - did your nose just grow?'

I was tempted to send him a pic. Just of a certain hand gesture and not my nose. 'I think I’m going to go somewhere where my talents are appreciated.'

'Like where?'

I thought for a moment. 'Idk, maybe like a vegan compound or something.'

'That’s cheating. You could prob just feed them weeds and it would be an improvement.'

'That’s it. I’m leaving. Packing up rn.' I put a suitcase emoji at the end for emphasis and skewered a mango piece with my fork.

'Noooo'

The phone buzzed again shortly after.

'Who else am I gonna annoy?'

'Idk, I’m sure you’ll find somebody.' I paused. I figured I should probably let him know about tonight. He might be too tired though. 'Btw, tonight’s gonna be nice. I’m taking the kids for a walk. You wanna come or you think you’ll be too sleepy?'

His first response was a party emoji. The text came shortly later. 'I’m in!'

I smiled. That made me happy. Usually the kids would go off, more or less on their own. If Niall was around, he’d hang with me. “Walks” were nice either way, but they were always nicer if I had someone with me.

'Cool, I’ll see you then. Gtg finish breakfast,' I texted.

'See you tonight. Have a good day, Dee! :)'

I grinned.

'You too. :)'