Chilly Boulder, Friday evening

[solo_sword]

Somewhere along the line Jaina had learned that bad times called for ice cream. Therefore that was where she decided both she and Ben needed to be after today's class. Enough ice cream counted as dinner, after all, and besides, she was going back to military food tomorrow, might as well go in on a good note.

She picked a seat, deciding to wait to order till Ben got here, and waited about as patiently as she ever knew how.


[For the cousin, but open for all your ice creamy needs. Who cares if it's fall.]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben came back with the biggest sundae the shop could make. "Want some?"

[solo_sword]

Jaina almost smiled. "Were you actually planning on finishing that yourself?" she wondered.

[momslilassassin]

He was going to try.

"It'd probably make me sick, huh?"

[solo_sword]

"Probably. Might be worth it, though," she pointed out as a good influence would.

[momslilassassin]

"It's got to feel better than tequila."

Ben had lots of good influences.

[solo_sword]

"You've made it to tequila?" Jaina frowned.

[momslilassassin]

"John showed me how to drink them with lemons," Ben told her, digging into the sundae. "It's nasty."

[solo_sword]

That was definitely a facepalm. "And he said Lois was a bad influence on me."

[momslilassassin]

"What'd she get you to do?" Ben asked, completely interested.

[solo_sword]

"I called her to go out one night," she said, shaking her head. "It wasn't nearly as bad as John would probably say it was, but I got talky." And fell down while on the bed.

[momslilassassin]

"And talky is bad?" Ben asked.

[solo_sword]

"It's me," Jaina explained.

[momslilassassin]

That got her a small smile. "So we're just gonna sit here quietly and eat ice cream?" he asked a little hopefully.

[solo_sword]

"Ha. First we get the heavy stuff over with, like asking how you're doing," Jaina said.

[momslilassassin]

"Fine," Ben lied, jabbing at the ice cream.

[solo_sword]

She wasn't going to say he wasn't. "I'm sorry I wasn't around earlier. I didn't find out till you were gone," she said.

[momslilassassin]

"It's okay," Ben mumbled. "You weren't at home either."

[solo_sword]

It was sort of sobering to question why another version of you wouldn't be around for something like that and find some not-so-flattering answers. "Sorry for her, too."

[momslilassassin]

"It's fine," Ben said, and this time he was sincere. "It was a really long week."

[solo_sword]

"I bet," she nodded. "How's your dad doing?"

[momslilassassin]

"Just this side of catatonic," Ben said quietly.

[solo_sword]

That was really hard for her to imagine, and at the same time, not at all. "He'll snap out of it," she promised.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not sure he noticed I went back to school again," Ben said, pretending to be deeply interested in the ice cream.

[solo_sword]

"People have strange reactions to death. Some run away, some move on, some shut down, some start killing people indiscriminately," Jaina said quietly. "He's not having the best reaction, but it will get better. And you've got people around for you."

[momslilassassin]

"Killing people discriminately would be okay?" he asked.

Not that he had plans.