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the kitchen was bathed in the soft light of the early morning, the kind of light that promised a new day but still held the quiet of the night before. sandy moved about the kitchen with the familiarity of routine, reaching into the cupboard for a glass before opening the fridge to grab the orange juice. he was about to close the fridge door when kirsten appeared, blocking his path with a mischievous grin on her face.
she was armed with a playful, oversized red bow and arrow, clearly homemade and dripping with enthusiasm. before sandy could react, kirsten drew back the arrow and let it fly, hitting him square in the face with a soft thud.
"ooooh!" she exclaimed, her laughter bubbling up as she bounced on her toes, excitement dancing in her eyes. "happy valentine's day! someone just got struck by cupid's arrow!" she leaned in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek, her grin widening. "mwah! happy valentine's day."
sandy raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged as he bent down to pick up the arrow. "valentine's day's not till tomorrow, sweetie," he pointed out, handing her the arrow with a sigh.
kirsten's face fell slightly, her excitement dimming as she took the arrow back. "you're not excited?"
"i am, i am," sandy replied, though his voice lacked enthusiasm. he poured himself a glass of juice, his shoulders heavy with lingering worry. "i'm just... still thinking about oliver with that gun."
"yeah, i know," kirsten said softly, her eyes dropping to the floor for a moment. the room seemed to grow a bit colder at the mention of oliver.
"who knows what could've happened," sandy continued, his voice carrying the weight of what they had all been feeling since the incident.
"but it didn't," kirsten interjected, her tone taking on a determined cheerfulness. "and savannah's okay, and dr. kim lifted ryan's suspension. so, the best thing for everyone is for everything to return to normal." she emphasized the word 'normal' with a dramatic flair, her eyes brightening as she leaned into the moment. "and in this house, that means celebrating the holidays!"
sandy didn't seem convinced. "valentine's day's not a holiday," he retorted, crossing his arms. "rosh hashanah, now that's a holiday. memorial day, yes, a holiday. you know who invented valentine's day?"
"saint valentine," kirsten replied, though she was already bracing for sandy's inevitable response.
"hershey's and hallmark," sandy corrected. "if you're single, it's designed to make you depressed. if you're lucky enough to be in love, start shelling out—chocolate, flowers, lingerie."
"you never bought me lingerie," kirsten pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
"and see how upset you are!" sandy exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "i hate this holiday."
