"Sure." Alex reaches into his duffel bag and pulls out a sketchbook and offers it to Isabella, who holds it so Sadde can see. The drawings are miscellaneous: page of hands in various poses, weird monsters, abstract doodles, caricatures of random people, half-finished sketch of a squirrel...

"That's cool! And since you said portfolio, I assume you wanna do that for a living and not as a hobby?"

"I mean, I dunno, what do hobbyists call it? I'm okay at it but it's really hard to make a living in art."

"I dunno what hobbyists call it? I'd assume if someone just drew for a hobby they might not collect it in an actual portfolio but I don't actually know."

"That's what my art teacher calls it," shrugs Alex.

"They're probably right," he shrugs, too. "So if not being an artist what are your plans for when you grow up?"

"I dunno. Maybe I'll mooch off Bella forever."

"I'd make you work," snorts Isabella.

"Still. Nepotism."

"I'm not sure that's likely to work in your favor here..."

"What, no, she loves me, can't you tell."

"Yes. Yes, I can."

"So clearly I would have some kind of technical job that I wouldn't have to actually do and I could play video games and draw all the time."

"Does not follow."

"Yeah, no, I'm pretty sure she'd overwork you because she loves you."

"That doesn't follow either. I'd just expect of him approximately what he can do."

"Accurate expectations! My one weakness!"

"That's a strange weakness, says the kettle to the pot."

"Are you saying you share this weakness or just that you're weird, pet?"

"Just that I'm weird. I mean, we've already discussed what my weakness is."

"Beware, we don't want to chase Alex away."

He giggles. "Although I suppose we could also say 'distressed people' is a weakness."

"It kind of is."

"Yeah. Anyway," to Alex, "what do you like to do besides drawing and trying to con Isabella into letting you mooch off her?"

"Video games are good. Sometimes I go dancing, not like clubbing but contra or whatever. Mom gets into random hobbies and sometimes those are fun. I can kinda cook."