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The rest of the afternoon passed more quietly than any of them expected. Sue and Ethan eventually returned to the living room carrying steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Ethan insisted that Melissa taste his because, according to him, he had added "exactly the right number of marshmallows." Sue rolled her eyes and informed everyone that the hot chocolate had come straight from a packet and that Ethan's only contribution had been throwing marshmallows into the mug until she told him to stop. Ethan defended himself with exaggerated outrage, claiming that marshmallows were "an art, not a science," which only made Melissa laugh harder. Jackson watched the scene unfold from the armchair opposite them. He wasn't laughing as much as everyone else. He was watching. Watching Melissa throw her hea
- Writer
