Wendy had take-out under the name ‘Psycho Mantis’ because Borr didn’t play video games and one of the cooler servers had taken her order. Mostly because if she used her own name he’d be waiting for her.

Borr would.

Always watching.

Maybe he was Santa Claus.

Cid was supposed to come her place after work so she was picking up 2 six-packs of their preferred brew (one of Borr’s) and probably way too much food. But leftovers. The best leftovers.

She didn’t see him at the bar so Wendy sidled up to it, right beside the old codgers. She was one of the few who enjoyed them and ended hidden between them with her arms around their shoulders, “Where’s the big guy?”

“Restroom? Not sure-” One said, “Went to back a few minutes ago.”

“Maybe took the dogs out back.” Two looked around, “Don’t see ‘im.”

“Thanks boys-” She planted a kiss on each of their grizzled cheeks and adjusted her very shady oversized sunglasses.

Wendy slid down by the register, hunched over the bar conspicuously, where the regular waitress smiled and produced both her takeout and her six-packs.

“Thanks-” Wendy whispered while she signed for her payment, “-I think I can get out of here before-”

The waitress’s face though.

“He’s right behind me… isn’t he.”

Borr was indeed behind her, towering over her, and he rumbled, “Wendy. Let’s talk.”

It was like having the principal call you to their office over the loudspeaker at school (she was familiar) or having your parents sit you down for a ‘family meeting’ (been there too). Wendy smiled sheepishly, “You waited til I paid, didn’t you?”

Borr quirked a smile, “Back booth.”

Wendy sagged, bags clutched as she sulked off to the corner booth, the one that Knucklehead inhabited. The dog sat politely in one seat and looked out the window, even when Borr and the young woman joined her.

“If this is about my ban-” Wendy started, sunglasses pushed up on top of her head.

“How’s Cid?” Borr tilted his head.

She looked genuinely confused, “Fine? I’m meeting him later.. “

“You make an honest man of him yet?” Borr’s big hand pulled through his beard even as Wendy laughed in response.

“Honest man? Like marriage?” Oh man they had talked about marriage like a really funny event to have, where he would have a sweet a** gown and she got the tuxedo- not like marriage.

“A little bird told me your Facebook still says SINGLE.” Borr sounded so weird using internet words, but he wasn’t wrong and really anyone could have told him that fact. She had a lot of followers and she knew most of the employees well enough..

Wendy opened and closed her mouth a couple times, “With work.. People like to.. Listen it’s just..”

“You can’t even acknowledge it?” Borr looked very upset with her.

“That’s not-” Wendy sighed and pulled out her phone, “Here. I’ll change it right now. I get it. I’m a crappy girlfriend.”

“You know that’s not it. Wendy-”

Disappointed dad tone had her looking up. She looked completely at a loss.

“Did you ever think about how it makes Cid feel.. That you push your relationship off like that?”

No. Maybe. Yes. No. What about her though?

“How many years has it been?” Borr asked, not expecting answers since she was quiet now.

She opened her mouth and closed it again, looking at the table top. She did, after all, host a relationship advice show. Maybe on occasion she’d thought about what she’d tell someone in her exact position. Maybe she knew exactly that she was in the wrong and taking advantage and Cid should probably just toss her to the curb-

“You still keep your apartment you barely go to?”

“I get it Borr. I gotta evaluate my s**t.” Wendy, Cid and Tom had been terrorizing Borr for most of the lives, even sweet Darlene had to deal with their bullshit. It was one of those moments that his advice matter, his opinion mattered, because people who weren’t family and could possibly judge you somehow meant more.

“Serious re-evaluation. About what you got and what you want.”

Wendy sighed. Hearing it from her mother was one thing, her brother another thing, from Borr it was just frustrating. It meant that even against her will her business was out there. Maybe she should be embracing it.

Besides that it was Cid and he was her Cid, and neither of them would really ever end up with anyone else. She wasn’t sure what scared her about admitting it. She wasn’t interested in promiscuity, as commited as she could get really, but maybe the idea of being a single independent woman always somehow clashed with visions of being tied down.

Not that it even felt restricting. Just- She was stupid, stubborn, and maybe part of it was that he let her get away with it.

“Can I go now?” Wendy sighed again and pushed her glasses back on. Her phone was lifted and instagram opened, the camera lifted to Borr’s stern face. A picture was snapped.

“Yeah get out..” Borr sighed, never quite getting the cell phone picture obsession.

Wendy grabbed her bags in one hand while using the other to post and tag the picture on her way out the door, “He sees you when ur sleepin #unbelievaborr #darlenes #bardad #ashdownoriginal #wendyinthemorning.”