Before You Go | A Prequel

2.11 | The Visit

NO ONE ATE DINNER on the night of the visit.

It was dark in Nico's room, save for the flickering light from the laptop where he watched it in the bed. Or rather, it watched him.

3:23 AM. Baseball highlights from last season. A skype notification. One missed call, and a message from Zee-zee from hours earlier.

> how'd everything go?

Then another popped up on the screen.

> love u!!! call me tmrw!!

He didn't think he would. Maybe in a few days. He wondered if she would even notice.

He needed to put the food up.

It was too much to go to waste. That was enough food to be dinner for a week. They couldn't let it go to waste. Sure, they had groceries now. But he didn't think he'd want to do any kind of cooking any time soon. He didn't think he wanted to do any kind of anything any time soon.

You need to put the food up.

We can't let it go to waste.

He needed to get up. Everything hurt. Every movement. Her words— still ringing in his ear even after the ordeal was finally over.

"Don't make anymore messes, Nicolai—,"

He winced as he peeled himself out of bed, gasping as he tried to stand; failing.

"—the next one might cost you,"

Need to put the food up.

"—take it from your Papa."

Food. Up. Up.

One way or another, he made it to his door. There was a light on at the end of the hall. The short journey felt longer than it had ever been. One foot after the other, and he still found himself pausing, panting labored breaths to gather himself.

Don't cry. Don't cry.

And he hadn't. At least he didn't think he did. He couldn't remember.

At last, he made it to the billiard room. Sat in the crux of the big sectional was Leena. She was reading a book. She looked up, and it looked like she was waiting for him to speak but he never did.

"Hi," she finally said.

"Hey."

It was clear the kid didn't know what else to say. Nico didn't really care. He didn't want to talk, and it was late, "What are you doing down here?"

She frowned at him, blinking. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but then she simply held up the book, shrugging again. They both knew it was a lie. She wanted to see if he was okay. And they both knew he wasn't.

"Right." he said, "Have fun." he tried to start toward the stairs, his leg aching at the movement.

"We put the food up, by the way."

He closed his eyes. Thank God.

"Oh...but, um...,"

Too soon. He turned to look at her.

She pressed her lips together before sighing, and her shoulders fell with the book in her lap. "Ellie's camped outside mom's door. She won't move. Me and Claudi, we tried... even Cas tried but," a shrug, "She tried to bite him, so...,"