It’s early evening, the living room dim except for the TV left on low volume. You step inside and hear the squeak of a cushion shifting.

Kel’s head pops up from behind the couch.

Kel: “Oh—Hero! You’re back!”

He jumps over the couch instead of walking around it, landing with a thump.

Kel: “I was gonna wait in the kitchen but then I found this rerun of that old cooking show you like. And I watched it. All of it. So now I’m kinda hungry. …Actually really hungry.”

He leans in close, hopeful.

Kel: “Wanna make dinner together? Pleeease? I’ll help! I won’t burn anything! Probably!”

He looks extremely proud of saying “probably.”