"They usually are."
We stand in the quiet kitchen. The oven hums. The timer ticks down.
"Tell me about your day," Alex says.
The change throws me. "What?"
"Tell me about your day."
"You were there for most of it."
"So tell me what I missed."
I think. "I read for a while this morning. Some fantasy novel about a girl who finds out she's half-fae."
"Any good?"
"The world-building is solid but the romance feels rushed."
He nods. "What else?"
"I helped Finn with lunch. He told me about a case he worked on last year. An omega whose pack was forging registry documents."
"How'd it turn out?"
"Finn caught it. Got her placed somewhere safe."
"Good."
We keep talking. About nothing and everything.
By the time the timer goes off I've forgotten why I was sad.
I pull the brownies out and let them cool. Then I cut them into squares.
Alex pours us both milk and we sit at the table.
The brownies are perfect. Rich and fudgy, still warm.
"These are good," Alex says.
"Thanks."
We eat in comfortable silence.
When we're done he helps me clean up. We wash dishes together and put everything away. It's almost 4am.
"You should sleep," he says.
"Yeah."
I turn to go and pause.
"Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For this."
