“What are we doing for dinner?” Eden asked absentmindedly, just waiting for her mother to leave the room so she could go check her phone.

“We’re going to the Rankins’. Remember?”

“You can’t remember something you never knew,” Eden said. It was the last thing she felt like doing.

“I’m sure I mentioned it,” her mother said, disappearing up the stairs.

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Eden said.

“Either way,” her mother said brightly, “we’re expected around five.”

“How was Nancy last night?” Nancy, whose last name was Rankin and thus not the mysterious NH.

“Oh, fine. She’d just had a bad day.”

“But couldn’t she just talk to you about it tonight?”

“Well, it’s different, you know. When it’s just the girls. And tonight you and Dan and Mark will be there.”

Eden checked her phone.

Nothing from Marwan.

Nothing from Anjali.

Nothing from Eli.

Julian’s latest text was right there. She could answer it. At least it’d be something.

Was it weird that she sort of missed the device?

Or maybe it wasn’t that at all; maybe she missed him?

She started replaying the scene on the green roof, wishing it had all gone differently. She shouldn’t be wasting time texting Julian, not when someone like Marwan was right there and seemed to, well … care?

Eli

ELI

Eli’s sister and a friend were enjoying time with robots in her room down the hall from his. They’d found this old talking toy of Lily’s that always drove Eli bonkers. My Pal Violet was a purple stuffed dog that asked your kid to play and then asked the kid’s favorite color or animal or food. You programmed it to share your kid’s preferences, so this one liked purple and dolphins and baby food because Lily had. Their actual dog, Cora, was cowering in a corner of the living room.

“Your favorite food is baby food?” his sister’s friend said.

“Well, it was when I was a baby,” Lily said, and they both laughed.

Eli doubted his grandfather would like My Pal Violet any more than he did, and, in fact, his grandfather had refused time with robots today. He had a cold and hadn’t wanted to do any of his activities, and the nurses hadn’t forced him. So Eli had visited him in his room, which was possibly the most depressing place Eli had ever been. A weird extra-high-seat contraption over the toilet made it almost impossible for Eli to even go in there. A boring seascape hung on one wall, but the others displayed nothing but scuff marks. On the dresser, three framed photos captured better times. His grandparents together at their wedding and at a beach somewhere. His grandfather with Eli and his sister and parents at Lily’s First Holy Communion last year.

Eli hadn’t stayed long.