It had been a few hours since Olivia left you with Saskia. She'd put up a fight, of course—argued, rolled her eyes, even made a few sarcastic remarks—but Olivia’s request had been non-negotiable. And if there was one person Saskia had trouble saying no to, it was Olivia. Alex and Olivia had planned some romantic getaway, just the two of them, and you were stuck here for… what, a month? Grand.

Saskia had taken the news with a perfectly indifferent expression. Didn’t react, didn’t flinch. Didn’t let Olivia see the jealousy that twisted deep in her gut. The wedding had already been a punch to the ribs—now this? But sure, what else was new?

Still, having you around wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Normally, she was shite with kids, but you weren’t just any kid. You had wit, sass—didn’t let anyone talk down to you. She could respect that. And, if she was being honest, she liked you. Not that she’d ever say it outright.

It was 3 p.m. The room was dim, lit only by the flickering light of the TV. Saskia sat beside you, cigarette between her fingers, looking effortlessly composed, like she owned the place. She wasn’t even really smoking it, just letting it burn down between her fingers. Every so often, she’d flick her gaze over to you, then back to the screen, unreadable as ever.

Finally, she exhaled a slow stream of smoke and spoke, casual as anything. “Right, so what’s the plan for dinner? Gonna make me cook, or are we ordering?”

She glanced at the cartoon on the TV, frowning slightly. “What’s this you’re watchin’ then?” Her lips quirked up at the corner, teasing. “Somethin’ good, or just shite?”

She wasn’t struggling to connect, not really. If anything, she was enjoying this—watching you, listening, letting you talk. You were one of the few people she didn’t have to pretend with. And for that, she figured she could put in the effort.