Tristan awoke to the dawn of a new day, his body aching and his mind foggy. The stiffness in his joints and the exhaustion weighing on his eyelids served as stark reminders of his current situation. In contrast, Sadie bounced around with unbridled enthusiasm, her tail wagging furiously as she explored their makeshift campsite at the rest stop. For her, this was an adventure, a break from the monotony of their previous life. Tristan couldn't fault her for that. Despite everything else bogging him down, he couldn’t deny that not waking up under his father’s roof had lifted a weight off his shoulders. As messy as the whole thing was, waking up and going about his day without the constant dread of being berated for some dumb bullshit was incredibly freeing.

He wouldn't go back to that house. No matter what the alternative was, he wouldn't do it. His father would have called him weak for that, and maybe he was right. Maybe words alone shouldn't have been able to hurt him this much. Fuck it, though. Those were his feelings, and nobody could judge him for them if he kept them locked deep inside.

The rest stop didn't have any showers, but there was a toilet block. Tristan gave himself a quick wipe down and put on some deodorant, hoping that would be enough to keep him from smelling too much like the homeless person he technically now was.

Sadie seemed to think that driving was boring and they should get out and do something more exciting, but after a while, she got tired of complaining and went to sleep in the back seat.

Having six hours alone to ruminate on his thoughts didn’t feel like it did a single thing to loosen the tightness in Tristan’s chest, but eventually he turned down a vaguely remembered street and at least had something to distract himself with once more. 

Sadie was eager to get out and sniff her new surroundings and empty her bladder and then her bowels. It was while he was in the middle of cleaning up after the latter with a bag from his car that Alice came out to greet him.

Tristan gave her an awkward, closed-lipped smile as he tied up the bag. “Hi.”

"Hi, hun," Alice said, her smile a hell of a lot more genuine than his. "Is this your little dog?"

“Yeah, she’s…” Tristan looked down at Sadie where she was completely ignoring the two of them to sniff at the side of the gate, “largely indifferent to people most of the time, actually. Unless she thinks there might be something in it for her. A perfectly selfish creature. I kind of like that, though. Uncomplicated.”

“Well, the girls are excited to have you and her staying with us. Bee is asleep right now, but don’t think that means she doesn’t care. She’s just had some rough nights lately.”

“I saw her through a few of those before you came into the picture. It’s nothing new to me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to treat you like you’re some stranger in all this. It's actually refreshing not to have to explain everything. Work has been a challenge, trying to get them to understand why I suddenly need time off for a second dependent teenager's medical appointments." She smiled warmly. "So, do you need a hand bringing your stuff inside?"

"Oh, uh, I'm good," Tristan said, shifting awkwardly. "I didn't bring much."

Alice nodded, her expression softening. “Do you have everything you need?”

“I’ve got food for Sadie and a toothbrush, so I’m set. I can always hit up the supermarket later for some food and other stuff."

"Any specific dietary needs? We're not exactly culinary experts, but I'm sure we can figure something out for you."

Tristan shook his head. "No, I just... You know. I don't want to be a burden."

"Trist, listen to me. You're not a burden. You're our guest, and a very welcome one at that. Now, come on, let's head inside. Bee might be napping, but Sophie is wide awake, and patience isn't her strong suit. I told her to wait inside while we talked, and she's probably reaching her limit."

"Better not keep her waiting, then," Tristan said with a small smile.

As soon as Alice opened the front door, Sophie pounced, though her attention was solely focused on Sadie.

"Aww," Sophie cooed, crouching down to Sadie's level. "She's so adorably goofy. Like the queen of the Ewoks, but from one of those royal lines that got all messed up from generations of intense inbreeding."

“Accurate,” Tristan agreed.

“But still a queen. You can see it in her eyes. She knows that she’s above us all.”

"That's about all she knows," Tristan said. "She expects everyone else to do everything for her, including thinking."

“As she should.”

Movement in the doorway leading to the hall caught Tristan's eye, and he looked up to see Bee, clad in pyjamas and squinting against the light. Without her glasses, she probably couldn't see too well, but she could see well enough to make a beeline straight for him.

Tristan opened his arms as she approached, pulling her into a hug, and then found himself supporting her weight as she sagged against his chest. She still felt small and frail, but there was more colour in her cheeks than the last time he'd seen her.

"I missed you," Bee whispered, squeezing him with all the strength she could muster.

"I missed you, too," he murmured back, the words feeling clumsy and insincere on his tongue, even though he meant them with every fibre of his being. He didn't want to burden her with the weight of his emotions, not when she was so young and already drowning in her own struggles.

“We make do in this household, so I hope you won’t mind sleeping on a camping mattress in the study, Trist,” Alice said as Bee eased away from him, keeping one hand on his arm for support. “It’s not the most comfortable, but I’m sure it’ll be fine for a night or two.”

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine with anything, really," Tristan assured her. "Thank you for letting me stay, and sorry for being weird about it earlier. Don't worry, my dad won't care."

"If you say so," Alice said, a hint of scepticism in her voice. "From what Bee's told us, he sounds like quite the controlling type."

"Yeah, he can be, but it won't be a problem," Tristan said, eager to change the subject. "Do you mind if I take a shower? I didn't get a chance to clean up this morning, so I should probably freshen up."

"You do smell a bit like a teenage boy," Bee admitted with a small smile.

Tristan smiled down at her. "Sorry about that. You should probably head back to bed and get some rest."

Bee considered for a moment, then shook her head as she stepped away from him. "I think I'll just go to the couch. It's closer."

As Bee stumbled over to the couch and snuggled up, Sophie fluffed up the fur on the top of Sadie's head. "I'll take care of your dog while you go and take a shower. Does she have any allergies? I'm going to feed her all sorts of treats."

"Probably," Tristan said with a shrug. "I mean, she has some kind of weird skin condition. I don't know what she's allergic to, though, and it might not even be food-related, so go ham."

“Ham!” Sophie exclaimed. “What an excellent suggestion. Would puppy like some ham?”

Sadie immediately perked up, her attention fully captured. She knew the answer to any question that began with 'would you like' was always 'yes.'

“Alright, I’m going to go take a shower now. Her name’s Sadie, by the way.”

"Ham, Sadie! Come on!" Sophie said in a high-pitched, excited voice, and Sadie trotted after her towards the kitchen without so much as a glance back.

Alice shook her head as she watched them, a smile playing on her lips. "Well, come on, Trist. I'll show you where the spare towels are."

Tristan followed Alice to the bathroom and was left alone to take a shower. As he stepped under the warm spray of water, he let out a deep, weary sigh. It warmed his heart to see Bee here, safe and surrounded by people who felt like a real family. When he had first dropped her off, he'd thought they seemed like good people, but seeing how comfortable she was in this place now had erased any lingering doubts.

Even the feelings he had about that seemed muted, though. Was this what growing up was like? Becoming increasingly dead inside? He remembered being a kid, feeling joy and pain and anger so intensely. Now, he mostly just felt tired. Alice seemed to have proper emotions, but maybe it was different for women. Tristan's father had always been an asshole, and his brother, who he'd once played games with and even bonded with over their shared hatred for their father, was increasingly turning into one as well. Was that what being a man meant? Were they all just sad, empty husks, devoid of any real feeling?

Maybe not. Some men seemed happy. Maybe it was just his family that was uniquely fucked up.

Tristan returned to the living room to find Sophie on the floor, bribing Sadie to sit with little pieces of cheese. Bee was already fast asleep on one of the couches, and Alice looked like she was halfway there herself.

“I taught Sadie to sit!” Sophie declared, a hint of pride in her voice. Tristan almost felt bad that he was about to ruin it for her.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought when I first got her, but I’m pretty sure she already knew it then as well. She knows plenty of tricks, but if there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s convincing people she’s even dumber than she actually is so that she gets more treats for less work.”

“Dastardly!” Sophie exclaimed as she fed Sadie another piece of cheese, for free. She was going to shit her brains out later. Tristan had learned from experience that her digestive system didn't agree with dairy.

"Well, if you're all settled, I think I'll go take a nap," Alice announced as she pushed herself up from the couch. "Bee's had some rough nights lately, so I need all the sleep I can get."

"Okay," Tristan said. "Is there anything you need me to do while you sleep?"

Alice tilted her head to the side, considering him. "Anything I need you to do? No, of course not, sweetheart. Let yourself rest."

For some reason, those last words hit him square in the chest. He nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

Sophie watched her leave, then grabbed the TV remote. "So, how do you feel about cartoons, Trist?"

"Uh…" Tristan shrugged, glancing at Bee's sleeping form. "Should we have the TV on? Bee's sleeping."

"Ah, it's fine. Bee's sleeping most of the time." Sophie switched the TV on with the remote and started scrolling through their streaming library. "Besides, she's like me. Her subconscious mind likes knowing that the people who care about her are close."

"Yeah, I guess," Tristan murmured, remembering the countless times Bee had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "Thanks for taking care of her. I can tell she's happy here."

Sophie scoffed, shooting him a look. "I'm not taking care of her. She's my friend. My family, really. We hang out."

"Yeah, well, family hasn't always been so good to her," Tristan said, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"No, really? Mine was great," Sophie said, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Anyway, time for cartoons. They're good for the soul."

“If you say so.”

Tristan wasn't sure if cartoons were truly good for the soul, but after spending an hour and a bit mindlessly watching them, he had to admit that he felt a little less tightly wound. Perhaps it had just helped to turn his brain off for a little while. He hadn't had much else to do but think for the last couple of days, and with no real conclusions about where his life would go from here in sight, he wasn't sure it had helped much.

When Bee woke up coughing a while later, Tristan followed Sophie around as she fetched her medicine. She had a nebuliser and cough syrup, and Sophie made sure she drank plenty of water. She wasn't much of a nurse, her eyes still glued to the cartoons as she handed Bee what she needed, but she clearly knew the routine.

The next time Bee woke up, slowly uncurling herself from her spot on the couch, Sophie decided it was time for lunch, and they all went to the kitchen to make smoothies. Bee seemed to have a little more life in her once she'd properly woken up and gotten some food in her system. After they ate, they put on more cartoons, and Sophie got out a jigsaw puzzle for them to do together on the coffee table.

It was nice, but in a way that made Tristan feel restless and out of place. Sophie made a lot more sense as a friend for Bee than Tristan ever had. He wasn't petty enough to be jealous, but it was a little depressing to realise that he couldn't really imagine himself having that kind of easy closeness with anyone. Not even hypothetically with an imagined person he hadn't met yet.