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“I’ll get the dishes, don’t even worry about it,” Cass said quickly, and he stood up with his father and reached across the table to pick up his dad’s plate and mug. “Anything I need to know about today? Mom doesn’t have any appointments or anything?”

“No, nothing. She didn’t eat a lot yesterday, but she slept well overnight. Uh, and I’ll be home late. Nine, maybe. That okay?”

Cass nodded as he started over toward the sink. “Of course, yeah.”

He expected to hear his dad’s footsteps heading out of the kitchen, but when Cass turned around after setting the dishes in the sink, his dad was still standing there, watching him, an unreadable expression on his face.

Cass immediately dropped his eyes to the floor. “I-I’m sorry I wasn’t here—”

“No, no. No, Caspian.” His dad moved closer, and Cass looked back up when a solid hand set on his shoulder. “You took the time away to do something very important to you. Your mom and I recognize and support that. You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. Got it?”

Cass swallowed and nodded weakly. “Yessir.”

His dad’s hand didn’t move from his shoulder, and it felt strangely comforting in a way. He lowered his chin and closed his eyes, and his dad squeezed gently.

“I’ve gotta get going. I’ll wake your mother up,” his dad said.

Cass nodded again. “Yeah, of course.”

With a final squeeze, his dad turned and headed back down the hallway to the bedroom. Cass stood there for several seconds, trying to wrangle whatever emotions were jumbling around in his chest. Despite his father’s insistence that Cass’s trip had been fine and that both of his parents supported him fully, guilt still weighed heavy on Cass’s shoulders. He wanted to believe his father, though, and so he took a breath, closed his eyes, and tried to push away all of his worry and unease.

He turned back to the sink and was about to start on the dishes when his phone buzzed several times from his pocket. And he remembered he’d been in the middle of a conversation with Ash.

Ash.

His heart felt lighter almost immediately, and a small smile worked its way onto his lips as he pulled his phone out.

Ash (6:59 a.m.): She will *try* to. She’s a beast

Ash (7:00 a.m.): Two more treasures, which I am now the keeper of: a piece of bark and another stick. This one bigger

Another picture came through then, and Cass let out a soft breath. The picture was of Ash alone. He held a branch in his hand that was nearly as tall as he was, one end on the ground and the other end pointing up, like he was using it as a walking stick. His beautiful smile lit up his entire face, and his eyes gleamed with what Cass assumed was amusement.

He started typing a response, but after he wrote God, I really needed this just now, he paused, shook his head, and deleted it. Instead, he sent a simpler message: a laughing emoji and then the words She’s making you carry that one??

From behind him, his dad cleared his throat. “I’m heading out. Your mom says she’ll be ready to get up in a few minutes.”

Cass quickly spun around, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. Thanks, Dad. I’ll text you later.”

His dad stared at him for what felt like forever but was probably only a second or so. Then, the side of his mouth twitched up in what had to be a smirk.

“Tell your friend I said hi.”

Cass’s eyes widened. “I—”

“See you tonight.” With a wink, his dad grabbed his keys from the table in the entryway and then disappeared out the front door, shutting it quietly behind him.

And Cass’s phone buzzed from his pocket again.

Cass (Friday, September 30, 2022 – 4:35 p.m.): So, first week of classes is over. How do you feel?

Cass (4:38 p.m.): Call me tonight after Bri is asleep so we can chat? :)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ash

Ash hummed softly, stroking Bri’s forehead as she looked up at him with heavy, tired eyelids. Her skin was too warm and slightly clammy, and she’d been fighting sleep for at least the last three hours.