"Do you think she likes apple pie?" Audrey asked, looking over her creation again. Eli shrugged, reading as he leaned against the wall. At the very peak of the climax of the story, he was engrossed.

Audrey rolled her eyes as she walked over to him. Phoebe had been impossible to crack; absolutely refusing to go and see Karen. But, she did let Audrey use her kitchen to bake a pie. Eli had been more malleable, though Audrey was sure it was mostly just guilt over her wrist.

She didn't mind exploiting that guilt for a good cause. That poor woman, alone and afraid. Eli was her only family. "Your hair is insane right now." Audrey huffed, reaching up to fix it. Eli pushed her hands away as he struggled to continue reading.

"Quit it!" She stifled a giggle and grabbed his book, flinging it on to the couch. Eli's mouth fell open as he stared at his precious possession all flailed over the couch cushion. "Are you serious?" He guffawed. "I didn't even put my bookmark in there."

"What's more important, the book or your Mom?" Audrey put her hands on her hips, indignant. Eli pursed his lips as he thought the question over, and Audrey slapped his arm.  "Just let me do your hair." She sighed. Eli reluctantly complied and slid down the wall a little so she wouldn't have to reach up too far.

She brushed through his hair and he watched, amused by the severe concentration in her eyes as she attempted to get it to decently part to one side. As Audrey pushed his hair back, she noticed the little scar on his forehead. It wasn't that she hadn't seen it before, but that she hadn't ever seen it for what it was before.

"Your house doesn't have stairs." She said in a small, contemplative voice, hand still in his hair. Eli looked away from her big, mournful eyes. "No." Audrey finished his hair and smiled at her finished product. "Oh well," She said, running her fingers through her own hair and checking herself in Phoebe's hallway mirror.

"We sure do have some interesting stories for the grand-kids." She put on some clear lip gloss and pushed her lips together. Eli smirked at her comment, knowing she hadn't even thought about it. "Why would you tell kids these stories?" He watched her eyes narrow in the mirror.

Her head whipped over to him and she smiled that bright smile. "Builds character?" She suggested, eyes sparkling as she watched him break into laughter.

****

Three Years Earlier

Eli had started reading silently ever since Audrey had dozed off. Her shoes were missing as she took in the sunlight, splayed out like a starfish. He took a moment to take a mental picture of her- rose patterned dress and bouncy curls, iridescent in the afternoon- before returning to his reading.

When Audrey awoke, she saw Eli sitting, hunched over his book. She resisted the urge to stretch, feeling refreshed and mischievous. Eli's brow wrinkled, and that was her cue. He was totally absorbed in his story. She reached out and pulled up a fistful of grass.

Eli flinched as a grass bomb was launched on him. He registered this strange event for a second, carefully placing his book down and looking up. Audrey fell back, snorting and laughing at the sight of Eli covered in grass.

He blew the grass and hair out of his eyes and shook his head. Audrey didn't stop laughing even when she got grass thrown back at her. She snorted again as she tried to brush the grass off of her face and out of her mouth.

A full out grass war ensued, complete with uncontrollable laughter and stuffing grass down tops. It ended with the two of them trying desperately to rid themselves of the grass, having only ten minutes left to get on the bus.

Audrey shook her hands through her hair and aired out her dress. She started laughing again as what looked like a pound of grass fell out of Eli's shirt when he shook it.

He pouted, grass officially everywhere and moving from hilarious to irritating. Audrey took pity on him and started to help him brush the grass off, picking little slithers of emerald green out of his golden locks.

The summer sun glowed powerful and piercing yellow through the air, and Audrey's stomach erupted into butterflies as she took in the beauty of the boy stood before her.

She pulled the grass away and squinted into the light when she saw a small scar on his forehead. "What's this?" She inquired, tracing her thumb over the scar. Audrey knew by now about his upbringing. And yet it still didn't click straight away; she didn't automatically make these connections.

"I fell down the stairs." Eli said nonchalantly, and started to take his fingers through her curly hair to rid her of any leftover grass. Audrey quickly accepted the explanation, too entranced by how close he was, how gently he touched her.

She kissed him and he smelled like fresh grass and tasted like summer. Slowly he slid his hands into her hair as she pulled herself up using his shirt to reach him. As they eventually pulled away, big, bashful smiles plastered on both of their faces, Audrey knew that this was one memory that would forever stay with her.

****

Audrey had insisted on holding the pie, though it was awkward to hold with her bandage getting in the way. She waited for Eli to open the door. Karen Davis was currently being monitored in a woman's center. She had her own room, but everything was done for her.

Eli stared at the door knob, knowing Audrey was watching him expectantly. All he could think of was his book. Right in the middle of the sentence, she took it away. Reluctantly, he opened it. A heavy white door that made a low creaking sound as it opened.

His Mom immediately stood up, straightening out her shirt and brushing off her jeans. She looked better, if not pale. Pale was better than purple, Eli decided. Mother and son were rendered speechless, so Audrey took the lead.

Audrey put the pie down on a side table. "Hi, Karen." She said with a bright smile, "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Audrey." Karen tried to smile, although it was only faint. She was a bit zoned out these days. It was so quiet, and she was taking endless medications and having endless therapy sessions. Karen avoided Audrey's eye contact, a twinge of guilt biting at her whenever she saw the bandage wrapping the younger woman's wrist.

"Hello." She said quietly. She looked like Eli, just a bit. But the quiet tones of their voices, the gentleness of their gazes, that was the real familial connection. Karen looked at her son, who was scanning her little room with furrowed brows and curious eyes. "Hello, Eli."

The room was filled with warm colors and comfortable furnishings. Through the small window, pink blushed across the evening sky and clothed the room in soft light.

Audrey looked absolutely perfect in that light. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. She constantly surprised him. Even the fact that she was there with him in that moment after all that went down... He'd never understand what he did to deserve this iridescent woman, and he'd never take it for granted either.

Eli's eyes snapped back over to his Mom. "Hi." He said, and when he glanced at Audrey, Karen could tell he must have been given a signal, because he added, "Uh, I hope you like apple pie."

Audrey turned back to Karen and grinned, happy with her influence, and trying to resist the urge to hug the small woman. Karen actually let a genuine, closed lipped smile spread across her face as she peered into her son's dark, nervous eyes. "I love apple pie."