“Oh, come on.I don’t think there’s anything waiting for you at home except a ready meal in the fridge.”
“No, but?—”
“No excuses.Ryan and Evan will be here any minute.”She turns to the Doctor.“Can you help me clear the table?It’s a bit of a mess.”
“As usual,” the Doctor comments.“So, well… if you want,” he says, not looking at me as he points to Jamie.
I slowly approach and open my arms towards my niece.The Doctor hands her to me, and I take her, consciously brushing my fingers against his.
I’ve never experienced an electric jolt, but I imagine that sticking my fingers in a socket would feel like this, maybe even weaker.
The Doctor immediately backs away and trails after Chris to the dining area, leaving me alone with Jamie.The electric jolt still tingles under my skin, but I know it’s nothing compared to the fallout of having the Doctor’s body to myself.
What kind of disaster have I just gotten myself into?
The front door swings open, and Evan enters the living room full of paper bags.“Hey, Jamie!”He greets me, closing the door behind him with his foot, accidentally hitting Ryan in the forehead.
“What the fuck!”Ryan exclaims, rubbing his head.
“Oh, I forgot you were there too,” Evan replies innocently.
“I could forget your eighteenth birthday and the car you want so much,” Ryan shoots back.
“What car are you talking about?”the Doctor asks as he walks back into the living room.
“Why is he here?”Ryan asks, glancing at Chris, who is helping Evan put dinner on the counter.
“He’s staying for dinner.”
“So, you’re one of the guests,” Ryan says through clenched teeth.
“Apparently,” the Doctor responds.
“Don’t you have a home of your own?”
“I just dropped by after work, and Chris insisted I stay.”
“And of course you accepted.”
“She invited me too, and I have a house as well,” I say.
What the fuck am I even saying?Why am I interfering?Why am I defending him?And why, for the first time since I’ve known the Doctor, does the way Ryan talks to him bother me?
“Can we eat before dinner gets cold?”Evan puts an end to the discussion.
Ryan snorts and helps Chris bring dinner to the table, while Evan heads straight to his seat.I remain in the living room alone with the Doctor and my niece.
“What a joyful atmosphere,” I remark, making him laugh.
“It’s more or less always the same.Ryan is not in a good mood when I’m around.”
“Ryan is never in a good mood.Don’t take it personally.”
He nods, then turns to me.“Is she asleep?”he asks, referring to Jamie.
I glance at her and smile instinctively.“Yes.”
“The buggy is over there if you want to use it.”
