#bergen_county

CJ is big for his age, as befits his trollish blood, and from his chair he can see Connor. He waves with a finger waggle, cautious though

Then his little brow knits, and recognition sets in "Buddy!" He booms happily

Connor BEAMS! "Can we go in? Can we can we can we?!"

"Yeah, kiddo."

"C'mon, let's help set the table."

He takes her hand and squeezes it. "See? Everything changes and NUTHIN' stays the same. I bet Tove doesn't even remember how to make good chicken."

A gentle squeeze back - careful, as always, to not hurt. A sad smile.

He peers up at her, eyes wide and guileless. Ah, that terrible Pooka boon. "Whassa matter?"

"I... oh, it's.."

"I miss how things were."

"College was... hard, and lonely." It tumbles out.

"Do you want to run away with me? We can go to Never-Never land and not be grownups. I'm pretty sure I know the way. It was in a book!"

A wistful sigh. "Probably too late for me, yeah?"

"But I have months and months home for now."

"I sure am glad -I'll- never have to go to College. It must have been completely awful! School ALL DAY and then a lonely hovel at night?" Clearly curious.

"It wasn't all bad. Our apartment was nice, and we were right above a really great wing place."

"I didn't do as good a job at making friends as I probably should have, but... but I have some folks that might become friends?"

"Wings! And friends? Did the friends have wings?"

"No, but one had hooves."

“OoOooOooooOo!” He exclaims, excited.

"Sassy, yeah. She said she might visit over the summer."

"And Spark is big enough to work on saddle training, so we'll be busy with that..."

"Sassy! Like the kitty from the incredible journey!" He chortles. "I've got LOTS of saddle training from up North. I learned about the leather, and the, um, the buckley bits, and the straps, and there's a Nocker there who says the most INTERESTING things if you touch her tools!"

A chuckle. "Nockers can be very creative with words, yeah."

"Just maybe not for copying, right?"

"I don't even know if I HAVE a %&#$&, much less what I'd do with a hammer up in it." He says, with all sincerity.

Snerk!

Jaymes is setting the table

"A HOY HOY!" He shouts when the door is opened! "I learned THAT from Cap'n Siv." Connor confides in Dagmar.

"You did her proud."

"I'm the yar-est bosun this side of the mizzenmast!"

"Connor, come in, come in" Jaymes nods "Wash your hands, both of you, we're about to eat"

"Mister Jaymes! How is the store? You didn't go out of business when I was in the Almost-Frozen North, did you?"

As he obediently trots to the sink.

"Oh it was rough," Jaymes admits "Otto offered to help, but he's not a pro at it like you, Connor." Somber nod "But we get by, thank you."

Connor looks relieved! "But you still have room for me over the summer?"

"Summer is a super busy time so absolutely" A nod "And Dagmar needs her squire for summer tasks too I bet"

A fond smile (by troll standards) to his daughter

He PERKS up. "I'm NECESSARY!"

"Like I said, Spark needs lots of training..."

"I've learned plenty to help teach 'em, too. I know walk, canter, and trot, even if trot makes my teeth jostle." He nods! "I got to ride Mallorn, she's a nice ol' mare who's even older than I am!"

"That old?" Tove says as she comes out of the kitchen "But does she have as nice a tail?"

Dagmar might or might not recognize this food as very homey indeed. It was among the first they ate together as a family

"Not as FLUFFY." He admits. "But she lets me braid it and never even kicks."

'I can help you with posting the trot."

"But I don't have any stamps!" He grins.

She reflects the grin. "Then I'll stick some on ya."

His nods and sniffs. "Is thems rolls with butter?"

"Oh yes, regular butter on these, cinnamon butter on these" She says the latter on the second smaller container of rolls "Did you wash your hands?"

He shows hands still damp from the sink! "And who is THIS?" He leans in to tickle CJ. "Why, last time I saw YOU you was just kneehigh to a grasshopper!" Sounding for all the world like a grandpappy.