Derek and Marcus had both collapsed flat on their beds. Technically horizontal, but eyes wide open, locked onto the laptop screen in front of Kevin, occasionally letting out muffled, conspiratorial laughs.
Somehow they had more energy now than when they'd first dragged themselves back last night.
Ethan shook his head, too amused to bother saying anything to these guys. He grabbed his lunchbox, sat down at his desk, and quietly ate.
That afternoon, he was planning to head over to the faculty courtyard housing to get his place sorted out a bit.
Move-in day had been a quick glance and drop-off, and the past few days had been too hectic to actually make the space livable.
He did a quick clean of the place first, then headed off campus to grab new sheets, bedding, toiletries, and some basic everyday stuff.
After a stretch of busywork, the little place finally started feeling like somewhere a person actually lived.
He worked up a light sweat, took a comfortable shower, changed into clean loungewear, and lay down on the freshly made bed. The afternoon light was coming in just right. He was out almost immediately.
When he woke up, it was already three or four in the afternoon. The sun had shifted west, the heat dialed back, the whole day gone slow and easy.
Ethan stretched, yawned, and wandered out into the courtyard.
It was a small, well-kept space — a few clusters of deep green bamboo leaning against the wall, some flowers and plants tucked into the corners that he couldn't name.
He picked up his water bottle and took his time watering everything, enjoying the unusual quiet.
"Hey, mister!"
A bright, small voice came from just outside the fence.
Ethan looked over, genuinely surprised.
A little girl with pigtails was standing on her tiptoes at the fence, big round eyes like dark grapes, staring at him with open curiosity and recognition.
It was the little girl from the flight to New York a few days ago.
Ethan set down the water bottle, smiled, walked out of the courtyard, and crouched down to scoop her up easily. "Hey, little one — what are you doing here? Where's your mom?"
The little girl happily wrapped both arms around his neck, pointed a tiny finger toward the courtyard right next to his, and announced in her most serious voice, "That's my grandparents' house! Mom brought me to visit Grandpa and Grandma!"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. Made sense now.
This faculty courtyard area was home to NYU's senior professors — longtime academics, the kind with real history at the school. This little girl's family clearly had roots here.
"Sophie——! Don't wander off!"
A gentle but slightly flustered voice cut through the quiet.
A young woman stepped quickly through the gate of the neighboring courtyard — elegant, put-together. She saw Ethan holding her daughter and stopped for just a second, visibly surprised, then a warm smile settled on her face.
"Hi! Didn't expect to run into you here." Ethan smiled, shifting Sophie to one arm and extending his free hand.
"Hi!" She reached out and shook it, eyes carrying a flicker of both surprise and recognition. "Thank you again, for the other day."
As she spoke, she reached over to take Sophie from him. "Come on, Sophie, get down — you're going to tire him out."
"No!!" Sophie locked her arms tighter around Ethan's neck, buried her face against his shoulder, and went full pout mode. "I want to stay with him! He has flowers!"
Not budging an inch.
Claire looked equal parts helpless and apologetic. "She's usually pretty well-behaved. I have no idea what's gotten into her today. I'm really sorry."
Ethan looked down at the soft, warm little thing clinging to him — clearly fully committed — and felt something quietly loosen in his chest.
He ruffled Sophie's hair gently and looked up at Claire. "It's fine, really. Sophie's great — let her hang around for a bit."
So Ethan carried Sophie around the courtyard, pointing out the different flowers and plants, telling her little facts about each one in simple terms.
Sophie giggled and reached out to touch the leaves, completely absorbed.
Claire relaxed too, leaning against the fence, watching them with a soft expression. Every now and then she'd chime in — naming a flower, answering one of Sophie's endless questions with a patience that came naturally.
The afternoon courtyard filled up with easy, unhurried laughter.
...
Ethan walked Sophie through the flowers while she talked nonstop with the focused energy of a very small person with a lot to say.
From her cheerful stream of chatter, he picked up the young woman's name — Claire.
The little girl's name was just as sweet — Sophie. She took her mom's last name.
Sophie... Claire... Ethan quietly noted that detail.
Kids taking their mom's last name wasn't unusual these days, but combined with Claire bringing Sophie here alone — back to her parents — he had some quiet guesses forming in the back of his mind.
Just then.
"Claire! Sophie! Come eat, food's ready!"
A warm voice with a slight Southern lilt came from next door. An older woman with neat curly hair and bright, lively energy leaned out over the fence, waving their way.
"Sophie, Grandma's calling us. Come on, time to get down." Claire reached over to take her daughter again.
"No!!" Sophie stuck out her bottom lip and squeezed Ethan's neck even tighter. She tilted her little face back, big eyes blinking up at him with full negotiating intent. "You haven't eaten yet, right, mister? Come eat with us! Grandpa cooks so good — it's Sophie's favorite!!"
Ethan laughed at the total seriousness on her face. "How does Sophie know I haven't eaten?"
Sophie gave him the look of someone explaining something very obvious and launched into her reasoning like a tiny analyst. "Because when you first came outside, your hair was a little messy and your eyes were bright — just like Mommy when she wakes up from a nap! And then you were watering the plants, and then I showed up. No time to eat!"
She pressed one small, chubby hand gently against his cheek and looked at him with complete sincerity. "Come with Sophie, okay?"
Ethan was genuinely caught off guard by the flawless logic delivered in the smallest possible voice. He had nothing.
Claire, standing just nearby, watched her daughter's full attachment play out, glanced at Ethan's helpless but obviously charmed expression, and smiled. "Mr. Ethan, if a simple home-cooked meal sounds okay to you, please join us."
"I'd love that, thank you." Ethan laughed, shifted Sophie comfortably in his arms, and headed toward the courtyard next door.
He wasn't shy about it at all. Their neighbor was a senior NYU professor — a genuinely rare kind of person to have access to. You didn't need to be calculating about it either. Just being around someone with that kind of experience and depth was its own kind of education.
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