INNER DEMONS ▹ B. BARNES [slow updates]

thirteen.

Lorna spent the night at Sarah's, which she was so used to doing that she already had her own place on the couch.

"Why didn't you say something?" Sam demanded his sister the morning after their heartfelt conversation.

"Because I didn't want to tell you last night when you were lookin' all sad puppy dog in the rain," she explained, not taking her focus away from her lunch preparation to her sons. Meanwhile, Lorna sipped her coffee quietly by the table.

"It was a rough day."

"You mean with Isaiah Bradley?"

"And what they did to him."

Sam told her what happened between him and the Black Super Soldier. Lorna was glad he took the initiative to seek the man and grasp the importance of his role after Steve gave him the shield.

"You wanna talk about it?" Sarah inquired softly.

"No. I'm trying to figure out what it all means."

"Okay, well, I'm here. Lorna too," she nodded towards the green-haired woman. "But as far as the boat is concerned, the bottom line is, Mr. Dinh backed out. I don't know what to do. Parts alone on that thing are gonna eat up most of what we get back."

Sam sighed in aggravation.

"Listen to me. Don't worry. I'm gonna fix the boat."

Sarah chuckled humorlessly.

"Aren't you supposed to be off, saving the world? Why are you back here bothering me?"

"'Cause my family's well-being is a part of the world!" He dramatized, sitting on the chair beside Lorna's.

"So you're waiting for a lead?"

"And the government stepped in and took control and kind of benched us."

"Which is bullshit," Lorna pointed out, breaking her silence. "How convenient of them to interfere after we did all the hard work."

Before either Wilson sibling could respond, Sarah's sons joined them. The older woman handed each their lunch.

"Please, make sure Bennett and Elling each get one," she reminded them before they left for school.

"Bennett and Elling's dad cannot get up before noon," the black woman explained. "Kids keep showing up hungry but are too proud to ask for any help."

Lorna stood from her seat and helped Sarah wash the dishes.

"And you're just like Mom, feeding every kid in the neighborhood," he teased. "How many people still owe Mom and Dad something?"

"All of them."

"Hm," Sam hummed pensively. "It might be time to call in a few of those favors." He grabbed a phone from a drawer. "I'm gonna fix this damn boat."

After he left, Sarah turned back to her friend.

"Okay, now are you ready to tell me what happened yesterday?" She crossed her arms.

"I got rejected by the guy I have a crush on," Lorna stated neutrally.

Sarah frowned.

"You have a crush on someone?"

Lorna shrugged.

"It's pretty recent. But it didn't work out. He doesn't feel the same way."

"But for you to cry like that, are you sure it's just a crush?"

Lorna wiped her hands on a towel before turning to her friend.

"I don't know," she admitted. "We're both messed up, but I admire his strength and loyalty. He deserves the best, and I don't think I'm good enough."