So I remember we were driving

 Trish was devastated by the news that Liv found a place to live in Seoul, but she did her best not to let it show. Only, she knew she couldn't hide it from Bren.

"She'll be all right," Bren said about the matter. Of course, it felt good to be out of the house for Trish. Still, when she looked around Bren and Mario's apartment, she remembered that Liv was there.

It was an emotion that tugged at her chest. She could hardly stand to breathe. Bren brought out the goodies her father had brought her. 

"I haven't even talked to you since you got back from your honeymoon," Trish quickly said. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, we got lost a couple of times," Bren held in a laugh. She said Mario was very old school and maybe her first child too. She sighed and touched her growing tummy. They drank hot tea in her cozy dining room.

"Will you guys move?" Trish was even lipped. Nothing was going to make her smile as she cradled the warm cup of tea.

"I don't think right away," Bren shrugged. "We need to have the baby first and you know, save more money." Bren nodded.

Trish nodded. She'd been saving money all her life and it hadn't amounted to much. Her head felt a little dizzy. She didn't want to think of the economics of her life. Yes, she was a failure on so many levels. She'd failed Liv the most. She couldn't forget that.

"Let's have Thanksgiving together," Bren reached for her hand.

Trish nodded. "As long as I don't have to cook the whole meal."

"Oh, we'll let Mario's dad and my dad do that," Bren laughed.

Elvis knew what Rox needed. Of course, he'd had some bad times too. Wasn't that life? He was just a leftover from his mother's first relationship. Or maybe she'd just wanted a baby back then. He didn't know. Although, it felt as if she would never let him be. And he didn't want to think about that at the moment.

It was good to be away from her. After all, it was just the two of them and of course, his mother's wayward bouts of medicating herself. There were so many ups and downs, and he'd had to be the grownup all along. Surely, he could handle Rox.

They'd hung out at the arcade he often visited when he needed a lift. Rox told him he was just too serious about so many things.

"Yeah, right, you got a serious side too," he didn't want to think about anything sad. "Let's just not talk about it." And they didn't. They ran in the streets that night as if they owned it.

It was fun spending the whole night alive and finding places to see under the streetlights of the city. Yes, it was colder and they huddled from time to time. But in the end, they ended up having waffles at the Waffle House.

"I didn't know it existed?" Rox said. "I never make it on this side of town." They were somewhere on L street past the Stock Yards. 

"So are you going to be a model?" Elvis asked.

"No." Rox played with her waffles and fruit. "I should be a nurse, but in the state I'm in I shouldn't be taking care of people."

Elvis agreed. "But shouldn't you be doing something you love?"

"It's complicated." She frowned. It was as if they were finally back to reality. Elvis sipped his cream coffee.

"It's always complicated." He told her. 

"How would you know?" She swelled even a bigger frown.

"Sometimes, you're born with it, you know." He smiled. "Look, why don't we live together. We'll be good for each other."

She pressed her lips tight. "But you don't really know me." Her sad eyes looked up at him as if he'd soon regret it. 

"It couldn't be any worse than where I am now," he shrugged. He told her he lived in a motel with his mother. "She won't miss me." He shrugged.

"But you don't have a job, you were-"

"She thinks she's being a mom. She's the one who's fucked up. You think any of those meds are for me?" He was even-lipped about the matter.

"Come on, what do you say?" He let a smile slip. Rox looked at him wide-eyed.

"You..you need to finish school," she warned him.

"I don't want a nagging big sister," he assured her with a smirk. 

He paid with cash then.

"How..how do you have any money?" Rox wanted to know.

"Um, there's an app for that," he shrugged back with a smile. "I do work at the grocery store." It was legit. But he still liked to do a little crypto on the side. It wasn't that big of a deal. 

"We'll find us a place. I bet you could sign for it," he told her. Rox winced. 

"But-" 

Elvis took her hand then. He unwound her fist and touched her palm. It was soft and endearing. "Oh, I think I'm in your future." He chuckled.