#bergen_county

Grunt.

"I know you don't like the color pink for yourself, but I was thinking of doing that to the baby's room since he keeps insisting the kid will be a boy. What do you think?" mischief.

"Well... maybe, dunno, neutral?"

"... you know, green and yellow are nice..."

"mmm" thoughtful, "They are... yes, that might be the right balance. THank you, Dagmar." A thought "would you like to tlak longer or... do you need to go to bed?"

"Bed soon." Sigh.

"Okay" A brief hug, but only a brief one, "Love you. Please do a little clean up in your room tomorrow."

"Uhg. Maybe."

A chuckle, and Tove slips out.

Odin, snoozing on a pile of dirty clothes, stretches.

He would like to keep some of these on the floor for more options to nap on.

Oh choices one must make when cat and mother disagree!

(End scene)

Columbus day over, Adam finds himself with Zane at school.

"At least it's a short week."

"Yeah..." Zane says, he watches Tanya walk by. "Hey , Tanya"

And she just walks by not saying anything.

"Sorry, dude." Sincerely.

"Yeah, she dumped me.. quick, clean and smooth. Needs more..simplicity in her life while she prepares for her saining" A sigh "Damn... she's probably the hottest girl I'm ever going to date"

Zane says "And she had layers, though sometimes it was hard to get her to talk you know?"

"Yeah. I know."

"Sam's not answering my texts. Dunno why."

"Yeah? Huh... hold on, let's see if we can find out" He sees Lucia "Hey ,Lucia... how goes?"

The boggan walks over "pretty well, you two?"

"Well, Tanya dumped me..." He says with a sigh "Saw it coming, still hurt."

"Oh" Sympathy from said boggan, "anything I can do to help? "

"Well, Sam seems a bit busy.. is it anything we've done or? maybe we're misreading?" Zane pushes "We'd hate to lose another friend."

"Ugh, boys are so dramatic" she says "Of course she's busy, word has it she's gonna be a big sister. Tove is with child and Sam's probably understandibly worried about how that's gonna shift things around. I mean, the parents TELL you they've got it all planned out..." A shake of her head "Well, you two are both older sibs. You know."

Zane nods "yeah, my parents were so full of... " He coughs "I mean, it turned out okay. But prepped they were not."

Adam looks thunderstruck, then grins.

"Well hey! That's ok..... "

"You guys want to be friends? Offer to help her with weird projects at her house, or contrary offer to give her time away which ever she needs. She's an adoptee you know? And I read online on Empathic Me magazine that it's a lot harder for adopted kids than it is for some others... "

"Empathic Me?" Zane raises a brow.

"It's a publishing periodical dedicated to increasing one's greater emotional awareness of the needs and wants of others" Lucia says loftily.

"It's got a boggan behind it somewhere doesn't it?" Zane whispers a guess.

"Yup" She beams "I mean, it almost has to."

Adam may come to the realization that each kith has their own form of ..ah pride.

"I know I was thrown when my folks had Lily."

"Well, imagine all the insecurities borne of adoption and throw it on top of that" Then realizing who she's talking to "But don't go telling Sam how you figured she'd be insecure. For one thing we don't know , for another it's just.. well, I think the nocker term is a 'putz move'"

"Yeah, no, I get it."

"I think she's talking to me, Adam. I'm the one with hoof in mouth" Zane chuckles.

"I'm talking to both of you and reminding myself as well." Lucia says "Just give her a place where she can be baby free, or vent about the baby whichever she wants and you'll be doing a good service" Lucia says

"How can you tell the difference? You always have a hoof in your mouth." Piper comments as she clips up to the group. "Hey, am I interrupting anything?"

"Hey Piper." An appreciative grin.

"Hey Adam! Nice work at Pennons. I'm sure having two A-rank squires helped contribute to the RV win at the joust! Lucia, always a pleasure. I missed you there, but there were such crowds..."

"Ha ha" Zane says "We were just catching up on the gossip."

"Oh, I get it, you guys are using me" Lucia huffs at the boys, then looks over to piper "It's okay, Piper. I heard your song.. it was nice, but did you get a little nervous at the start there?"

"That was awesome. I didn't want to leave......"

She reddens a bit. "Augh, don't make me blush - it makes my freckles pop." An embarrassed grin as she rubs her cheeks. "Yeah, I wasn't sure if folk might think I was fronting a little, singing Rivervale's song when I'm like, the newest one here, outside of boy-or-girl-King-baby."

Zane says "You've done better, Cuz, but it was okay" a grin to show he's poking.