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Cal

I left you one. I’m not a monster.

Bea

you absolutely are. That was meant to be breakfast.

Cal

who eats chocolate for breakfast?

Bea

people who had a long night and need refueling

Cal

ah, eat up then. Did you sleep well?

Bea

yeah

Cal

me too.

you okay, Doc?

Bea

yes. Are you?

Cal

yeah

Tuesday session still on?

Bea

Tuesday session is still on. Don’t be late

Cal

I’m never late anymore. You’ve ruined me.

Bea

good, I’ve always wanted to corrupt a little fox to the punctual side

I put the phone face down on the counter. It doesn’t help. I’m still smiling at a countertop. Upstairs, Sydney’s alarm goes off, and she groans and hits snooze through the ceiling. Ashley has been on at her about this, saying it’s not fair that she gets woken up by 5 of Sydney’s alarms being snoozed, and Sydney defends it saying she doesn’t always snooze. I’m up before either of them, and I can confirm she always snoozes.

I look at the house calendar on our wall—it’s cat themed—and count the weeks to my MCAT. I do feel better now I’ve been with Cal, but where I thought my mind would stop fantasizing about being with him, it’s now replaying the memories. I’m not sure which is more unproductive for my studying. Probably neither.

I go upstairs and rescue the truffle from the nightstand before I can think too hard about how it got there. I eat it standing in the middle of my room in a sweater the size of a comforter. Best thing I’ve eaten in weeks.

I groan as I eat it just as Sydney appears at my door with her hair in a bun and a look on her face that is doing a very unconvincing impression of casual.