empty;

I know you did. Smartypants. 

...M’not smart. I just worked really hard. Studied when I should’ve been sleeping. Studied at school. Studied on my breaks at work.

Too many people to keep track of

… I’m proud of you for going to Stanford next year. 

...thanks. I worked my ass off for it.

It’s just apart of life. We are all adults, after all. 

We are. Strange how that creeped up on us.

… You know, I’m gonna be moving out soon. There’s a two-family house about two blocks from here that I’ve been looking at. 

I’m sure dads will be thrilled. First Ty, then Debbie, then you and me? Big ole’ house, just for them.

That wasn’t the best thing for me to say. It was heat of the moment thing, I’m sorry. But are we ever just gonna sit down and talk like normal people?

[looks back at the tv, away from Mark’s gaze] Probably not, let’s be honest. Doesn’t matter anyway. I’m going to school in the new year. Then we can be on holiday visit and hannukah card terms and everybody’s happy.

We need to find someone to kill.

(lame)

Miranda- Honestly, what are you doing with your life? 

Codie- Do you think you’ll ever go back to school, or is being a mechanic what you want to do for the rest of your life?

Becca- What’s something you’ve wanted to try in the bedroom but never had the guts to do?

Flynn- What are the best and worst parts of parenthood?

Lacey- If you could adopt any of the group home kids without it being an issue, who would it be?

Shannon- Are you afraid of ending up divorced like your parents?

Zander- Do you think you’ll ever be able to reconcile with your parents?

Ryan- Who are some of your all-time favorite students? (Eli’s basically your son, so he doesn’t count.)

Rowan- If either of your biological parents reached out to you and asked for forgiveness, what would you do?

Toby- Do you have any goals for the future? If so, what are they?

I’m working two jobs. I work 35 hours a week at a doctor’s office, picking up experience and making connections in the area. In the beginning I made a lot of coffee and answered a lot of phone calls, but now I get to send off blood tests and I observe the doctor doing what he does.

The rest of the time, I work my ass off in that hot, sweaty diner. I’m assistant manager now. So that’s something. 

In the evening’s I’ve been making sure I don’t fall behind on what’s going on in the medical world. I read medical journals. I watch videos on YouTube. I practice suturing on a dummy I ordered from Amazon. 

I got a full ride to Stanford when I reapplied and I’m going at the end of the year. I’m going to be a pediatric oncologist, that’s always been the goal. Nothing’s changed.

Fuck you for thinking I was sitting on my ass doing nothing.

… I’m heating up a DiGiorno pizza. If you’re hungry, you’re welcome to have some. 

Not hungry. 

Do you have any enemies?

[as he’s waiting for the food to heat up, he wanders into the living room where he sees Miranda on her phone; he sets a timer on his phone and takes a seat near her, but not too close, trying to keep the possibility of Miranda lashing out at him as minimal as possible] Hey. 

[immediately locks her phone, crossing her arms over her chest] Hi.

-smirks at her-

[he doesn’t come back down for a while, but does eventually come down and goes into the kitchen to make himself food]

[flicking through her pictures on her phone absentmindedly, pausing when she comes across one of her and Chadwick, it having caught her off guard as she had deleted the others a while ago. And so she sits there and looks at the picture, a memory frozen in time of when she was happier, as evident by the smile on her face as she holds onto him tight amidst a piggyback]