why are we like this

not because he's a baby a la classic man cold

but because he will AGGRESSIVELY try to pretend he is not sick

he is trying to gaslight others but ALSO himself

he has a gold medal immune system thank you he did NOT get taken down by ill pikeling spreading Elementary School Plague to him

not happening

as an itty bitty he lied so he wouldn't have to skip hockey, and that has NOT changed as an adult

his true toxic trait is that he WILL be typhoid mary in that locker room if it means he doesn't have to stay home and miss playing

like. no one else on the team understands Hollander Illness Behavior yet, so they're teasing ilya about being overprotective because shane is SO underplaying it and meanwhile ilya is just, "no, i am so fucking serious. get a medic and then call an ambulance."

and shane who is barely on this realm of existence and about 0.2 seconds from having Involuntary Floor Time is just, "don't worry :) i'll just take an advil or something :)"

"You are my soulmate. We are forged together by battle and tears and love. Also my brother's coming along."

"Isn't it weird that your brother in law is always hanging around?"

I just don't think she imagines there would be any point. Forgetting the precise color of Will's eyes isn't about the color. It is about forgetting Will. She doesn't just forget his eye color, she forgets his laugh, and as time passes, she knows she will forget more.

It's like Will turning around to talk to Jem and realizing he isn't there. Eventually he'll stop doing that, and that stopping is also a loss, because it's the acceptance that Jem is gone. Tessa turning into Jem wouldn't help Will, and her turning into Will wouldn't help her.