“We don’t just play games. I just call it game night because that’s how it started. Really, it’s just a bunch of my friends hanging out weekly. You know, something to look forward to.”

“Wait, it’s every week?”

“Yep.”

“Malcolm went every week?”

“Uh-huh.” Summer moves on to the hats, trying one on.

Joy’s not sure why that’s so surprising. Maybe it’s not because Malcolm was with her so often. Rather it’s that he managed to keep it a secret. How did Joy not know? She doesn’t keep close tabs on him like she’s his FBI agent, but she has a general idea of his goings-on at any given time. And yet he invested so much time in Summer without her knowing.

Maybe she didn’t want to see it because she only wanted to see herself. Her hope for herself overshadowed everything else. Selfish.

“Hey, Joy? About yesterday.” Summer’s gaze is fully trained on the hat display. “I want to apologize.”

“I’m listening.”

“I thought about what happened all day. I didn’t work through what I wanted to say first, and it got all jumbled up and came out wrong. I’m still trying to figure out the right way to say what I want to say, but for now, I want to say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“Thank you. That’s really considerate. But, Summer, I haven’t even thought about it at all. Honestly. I’m fine. It’s not worth worrying about.”

“Oh, okay. Cool.”

“Since we’re here,” Joy begins. “Is Malcolm okay? Did something happen yesterday?”

“Um. Sort of.” Summer flinches with discomfort, fidgeting and shrinking herself down by hunching her shoulders. “I’m going to, um, uh. I want to look at the shirts. I want to get some for my roommates.” And just like that she flits away to the shirt wall, leaving Joy alone.

Neither of them wants to talk about it? Okay. Weird. More than weird. Possibly horrendously bad.

“I can see you thinking,” Fox says, materializing out of nowhere. He’s standing in front of her, next to the turnstile.

“Hallo.”

“ ‘Hallo’?” He grins. “Not ‘hey, hey’?”

“Oh, that’s only if I greet someone first.”

“There are rules. I didn’t know this. Hmm.” Fox picks up a nameplate from the J’s and tucks it away in his hand. Joy pretends she didn’t see it, smiling that they had the same idea.

“Something’s not right with Summer and Malcolm.”

“I noticed. There’s also this.” Fox pulls Joy into a hug. He dips his head, so his jaw touches her forehead, and holds her tightly inside a Fox cocoon. She sighs, actually sighs, from contentedness. She hugs him back, surprised by how relieved she suddenly feels. And how much she needs this. From him.