The next day was amazing. I woke up late, marveling at the softness of the bed. I was still tired from everything that had happened, but instinct told me to get up and shake off the sleepiness. I went back to the dining room, and found Everest. He was eating from a plate of bacon and eggs, and there was an identical one in the chair I'd sat in last night. "Did you make this?" I asked awkwardly. He glanced up. "Oh, you're awake. Good morning, Rowan. Ah, yeah. I did make this."

   "Thank you." I really didn't know what else to say. After all, I didn't know how to react to so much unnecessary kindness. Still, my words felt inadequate. I needed to get Everest to understand how grateful I was for everything. "I mean it. Really, thank you." Everest's eyes widened, then he smiled sadly. "You aren't used to being treated nicely, are you?"

   He was observant. I didn't want to lay my problems on him, so I opened my mouth to wave away his claims, but he held up a hand. "It's okay, I understand. Now, you should eat before the eggs get cold." Right, the food. Sitting down, I started eating. It was really good, and I soon finished. Everest glanced over, and smiled. "You're done already? You must have been pretty hungry. Do you want anything else?"

   I shook my head. I was used to eating small portions, and my stomach was very full. The only reason I'd been able to eat it all was because it was the best thing I'd tasted in a while. Everest picked up both empty plates, and put them in a dishwasher. Then he turned back to me, an impish grin lighting his face. "Well then, what do you want to do today?" I blinked uncomprehendingly at him, confused. "You didn't really think I was just going to make you sit quietly in a corner, did you?" After a moment with no response, Everest smirked. "Wow, you're really shy." He leaned forward towards where I was sitting, looking me in the eyes. "One thing you'll learn here is that I'm far from boring. So, what do you feel like doing? Whatever it is, I'll entertain you."

   His face was close enough to feel warm breath on my nose. My cheeks suddenly burned, and I quickly jerked away from him, almost falling out of my chair in the process. Everest was surprised, then burst out laughing. "Are you okay?" I stood up, eyes on the floor. "I'm fine." I muttered.

   "You know I was just teasing you, right? Although, if you're going to react like that, all sudden and flustered, I might do that more often." Then, Everest lit up. "I have a great idea! Come with me." We went into his bedroom, and he began to dig through several boxes. "Here it is!" Then he turned back to me. "Alright, put this on." He instructed, holding out strange looking glasses. Nervously, I did. And I could see... myself? "It's a camera. I'm going clothes shopping for you, and since you can't come with me, this is the next best thing." Everest put an earpiece on, then gestured to a microphone. "You speak into that, and I'll hear you. I'll hold my phone like this," He brought his phone to the other ear. "And everyone will think we're just talking on the phone." I took off the glasses, and set them down on the table. Before he left, I needed to get my answer. "But why?" Everest looked over at me, puzzled.

   "Why are you doing all this? You already let me sleep here, and gave me food, but now, it almost seems like you want me to live here! I'm a stranger who broke into your home, remember? Even if you're just trying to be nice, this is all a little overkill, isn't it? So why? What makes you want to do this?"

   Everest smiled, looking over to the wall behind me. "You don't trust me yet, do you? That's fine. I don't need you to trust me. As long as you're safe, it's okay."

   I felt frustratingly confused. He didn't answer any of my questions, he'd just given me new ones! "You didn't answer-"

   "I know." He turned back towards me, eyes serious and calm. "I know you have no idea what's going on. But I can't answer your questions just yet. All you should know for now, is that I have a good reason for doing all of this. Can you accept that for a while?"

   After a moment of thinking it over, I nodded. Something about his tone, the way he spoke, made me feel safer. I wanted to trust him, and hopefully he would explain everything later on. Everest smiled with relief. "Good. Thank you." Then that cheerful grin was back, as suddenly as it had left. "So, all you'll have to do is speak into the microphone. I'll be acting like I'm on the phone, so feel free to make conversation. You'll be able to hear me through my earpiece. And if you see anything you like, just tell me."

   It seemed simple enough. After Everest left, I sat down at his multi-computer setup, put on the glasses, and waited by the microphone. Suddenly, a voice floated in from the speaker attached to the microphone.

   "Hey, Rowan, are things working on your end?"

   I smiled. "It's fine. I can see everything. It's almost like being outside."

  As I spoke, I noticed the camera jolt up, almost like Everest had flinched. "Are you okay?" There was a peal of sheepish laughter, then he replied. "No, I'm fine. Just, ah, you're a bit too loud."

   Quickly, I scooted back from the microphone. "How's this?"

   "Better! Thanks!"

   We continued like this, talking as Everest walked. He asked me questions about my life, and I answered honestly, despite my odd feelings of unsettlement. Then... "Alright, we're here. This is the store where I get my clothes, so it should have something for you." I nodded, then realized he couldn't see me. "Right, okay." Everest went into the store, and my breath caught.

   So many clothes...

   So nice...

   Probably crazy expensive...

   I could never buy anything from here on my own...

   "Rowan, you okay?" Everest spoke, cutting through my mess of swirling thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little different than what I'm used to." He paced slowly down the several rows of clothing, and I looked around. Then, Everest let out a quiet noise of triumph, and held a sweater where I could see it. "You like this style, right?"

   It was a light tan sweater with long sleeves. It looked really comfortable, and I smiled. "Yeah. Tan, peach, beige, light brown. I like neutral colors." He really was observant, picking up on things like that immediately. Now that he knew what to look for, Everest worked quickly, gathering several shirts, sweaters, and hoodies of similar colors. Then he paused. "And for pants? You like light colored jeans, right?" I did like light colored jeans, but I'd never said anything about it. "Y-yes..." I replied, feeling the feeling of unease settle over me again.

   Only a few minutes later, Everest had bought me enough clothes to live normally. Socks, pajamas, underwear (that felt a bit awkward), shirts, and jeans. He'd stopped asking my opinion on clothing about halfway through, choosing seemingly on a whim. Yet, I'd really liked everything he'd picked out for me. At the checkout, he kept the camera angled away from the register, which confused me. Everything was put into bags, and I froze when I saw there were eight total. I was about to say that he didn't need to carry all of that, but Everest just grabbed two, snapped his fingers, and the others began to float above him. He left the store, and started walking back home, then stopped. "Hey, take off the glasses. I want to get you a little surprise."

   My heart began to pound faster. "No, that's fine. You've already done so much-"

   "It's just a small gift. Besides, I really want to give it to you." I wasn't good with presents. Getting something nice always made me feel obligated to do something for them, and if I didn't, guilty. "You don't need to do that. I mean, I'm already grateful for everything you've done."

   Everest chuckled. "Don't make me cover the camera, because I will." Sighing, I relented. I took the glasses off, and set them down carefully. "Okay, I took them off."

   "Did you?" Everest asked in mock suspicion. "Yes, I did. I'm staring at your computers right now."

  There was a moment of silence, then I heard him speak. "Why don't you go fix yourself some lunch. I'll be back soon."

   I decided to listen to what he'd said, and left to go make myself something to eat. While searching for something, I began to speak aloud. "I'll make enough for Everest too. After all, he's been so great to me." I noticed the bread was similar to the kind I used to buy, and smiled. "I can make some grilled cheese." I got to work at the stove, basking in the familiar feeling. At least here, I had some idea of what to do.

   I'd just finished, and put both sandwiches on plates, when the door slammed open. I jumped, and accidentally brushed against the hot stove. A squeak of pain escaped me as my fingers touched the burning metal, and I flinched back. "Ouch!"  I yelled. Then I heard the sound of light objects falling to the floor, and Everest ran in. "Rowan, what's wrong?" He looked so worried, I was embarrassed as I showed him my hand. "The stove?" He asked quietly, gently holding my hand closer to his face. "Y-yeah. I'd just finished cooking, so it was still hot."

   Everest seemed extremely focused on my burnt fingers. He used his left hand to hold mine up, and the other hovered slightly over the red parts that hurt the most. The old cuts from where the glass had cut me caught his eye, but he didn't ask, which I respected. "Alright, don't worry. I'll be able to fix it in a moment, once I calm down enough to focus properly." He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes. He didn't look at my face, even though I was watching him carefully, unsure of what to do. Then, his face lowered towards my injured hand, and he pressed his lips to the palm.

   My heart rate skyrocketed, but I was too stunned to pull away. My face felt as hot as the stove, and I was almost frozen in place. Then, Everest moved away from my hand. He stood up, and smiled proudly. "There. It's all fixed now." I snapped out of... whatever had just happened, and looked back at my palm. It appeared completely normal. Even the marks from where the glass had cut me were gone. I touched the areas that had hurt the most, and felt nothing. Not even a mild discomfort. Amazed, I looked up at Everest in awe. "It's all healed!" He smiled, then looked back at the stove. "It's a simple healing spell. If you ever get hurt again, just let me know."

   "Well, then, could you m-maybe, do my other hand?"

   I was flustered just asking. There was a stumble in my words, and it revealed just how affected I was. Everest smirked. "Why, of course." Taking my other hand, he placed another kiss on the palm. This time, I was able to detect the subtle tingle that ran through my hand, healing all the marks. It was Everest's magic, and it felt oddly comforting.

   "I'm not sure where those cuts on your hands came from, but they looked painful. I could have treated them for you yesterday."

   I looked away. How could I explain that I hadn't wanted him to waste any medicine on injuries that would heal quickly enough. Still, that was before I'd known he could heal. "Sorry. I don't know a lot about magic. I don't know it's limitations, and I just assumed you couldn't heal me."

   Everest smiled. "It's okay. Either way, everything worked out well. Now," He turned to the sandwiches I'd forgotten about. "Let's eat. After that, I'll show you your surprise."

   It was amazing how good today had been. My hands were healed, my hunger pangs were gone, and there was a warmth in my chest. I felt safe here, despite knowing that something was going on in secret, I couldn't help but feel...

   Home.