Peter could almost hear him thinking, I hope she won’t spit on her finger and wash my face. He beamed at the boy, and got himself another drink. Lewis looked like he’d like one too.
Everyone else arrived all at once, and piled inside talking excitedly. Well, Koko and Darcy were talking. Ned just kind of bumbled his way in in Darcy’s wake. The two seemed to be very carefully avoiding each other, very obviously so. Nobody but Peter noticed, though. Ned caught his eye and he started to smile, but Darcy poked him in the side with her elbow, which Peter knew from experience was very sharp and pointed. As they piled into the dining room, Marj smiled happily, Hal rolled his eyes, Lewis looked at Peter with fear in his eyes, and Ned dropped into the seat beside the little boy, slipped something i
