Max: So anything interesting go on?

Parker: Why do you gossip so much, huh? I feel like all we do is talk about ‘things we’ve heard’ and seen people doing.

Max: Leave me alone. I’m bored, okay.

Parker: Whatever. I think Papi’s gonna start dating a new lady.

Max: Really? Who?

Parker: Her name’s Athena. She seems nice. Her baby is cute.

Max: Athena? I know her! She lived with us for a little bit a few years ago.

Parker: Why? What was she doing at your place?

Max: I don’t know. She showed up one day and asked Dad if she could stay for a few days. I think she was pregnant then.

Parker: Was she married?

Max: She was, until her husband…dis-disappeared. *sniffle*

Both:

Parker: You’re thinking about your mom, aren’t you?

Max: …Can we go back to playing?

Max: Hey, thanks for this Parker, you know I can’t do this at home.

Parker: Well, you could…

Max: No, I couldn’t. Luna would never let me hear the end of it. Remember when she found me just looking at her makeup? 

Parker: I don’t get why people think boys can’t like dolls and makeup. What’s so weird about it? It’s just stuff.

The two continued to play until the sun started going down. Max started telling the story of how he heard Alex Goth talking about this weird dream he had about his mom getting abducted by aliens and no one ever saw her again.

Max: And then he said that in the end his sister Cassie married Don Lothario. But that would be weird, he’s like, 15 years older than her.

Parker: Max, I don’t really care about the weird stuff Alex dreams about. 

Max: Wow, rude.

Parker: Don’t meme me boy. You wanna go play outside?

2 Months After the Funeral

Parker arrived home from school to find Martha at the piano, like always.

Martha: You ready to practice Parker?

Parker: About that…I was thinking more along the lines of inviting Max over.

Martha: Parker, we talked about this…piano first, then play-

Parker: He’s already here though, and it would be rude to tell him to go away. Martha, just one day without piano, pleeeeeaaaaaassssse?

Martha: Hmm, you can practice before bed instead…

Parker: Thank you Martha!

Parker ran to the front door to invite Max inside, and they went upstairs to Parker’s room.