...that's heartbreaking. Thinking he'll regret this, he asks, "So, uh, do you have any family? Parents, siblings, and stuff?"

"Yeah? I have moms and two little sisters."

"You see them often?"

"I mean, not when I was in virtuality. I went Christmas, I'm going for Thanksgiving."

"Oh." Maybe Sadde won't regret talking about family because Jackson is deeply incurious. But in any case, that might explain how they don't notice it. Maybe. Sigh. "Do they live far?"

"I'm Canadian."

"Oh! Yeah, that's pretty far."

"And Canadian Thanksgiving is earlier," he adds. "I don't know why you have Thanksgiving and Christmas so close together."

"I don't, either. I mean, I don't see the point of Thanksgiving much, so."

Shrug.

Jackson's sort of plodding through his own food. When Sadde finishes he scans the rest of the cafeteria population.

Sadde props his head on his elbows and looks at Jackson. "Looking for someone?" he asks, pretty sure he knows the answer to the question already.

"If you're gonna leave I might go sit somewhere else while I finish eating."

"I'll wait until you're done."

"Okay." Nom.

Sigh. The therapist has probably not talked to Jackson yet, it's been too soon. He'll ask in a week.

Jackson eventually finishes eating. "Bye."

And Sadde knocks on Isabella's door, again precisely on time.

And Isabella opens the door. "Hello there."

"Hello, ma'am."

Isabella kisses her. "Did you remember your swimsuit?"