One thing that Connor has discovered since he deviated is that he likes sharing a sleeping space with someone. More specifically, with Chloe. They'd shared their bedspaces with each other a few times in the past few months, but now that they've put a name to their relationship the idea of sleeping alone lost any appeal it may have held, if it ever had. He's found that waking up next to Chloe, usually with one of them holding the other, is the best part of his day, and he suddenly understands why some humans find getting out of bed a hard thing to do. Sharing a bed is both comfortable and comforting, and the nest that Chloe had created for them out of the fluffiest bed linens she could find hasn't made getting out of it any easier.
Then again, when Chloe isn't there beside him he has a much greater incentive to get on with his day. Chloe has flitted off to who knows where, a whirlwind of enthusiastic energy as she prepares for the holiday season. Connor hadn't even heard of Christmas or the winter holidays until their arrival on this island, as the topic had never come up during his time in Detroit or their previous months here. It all seems to have descended upon them very suddenly, but then that could probably be said of most things in his life, and many of those things had turned out very well indeed.
So he wanders the mall, in and out of various stores, getting ideas and purchasing a few small items, what Chloe might have called "stocking stuffers", silly little things that he hoped she might appreciate. Soon enough he finds himself at the ice skating rink, and after spending time watching the skaters and deciding it doesn't look terribly hard, he slips on a pair of skates (free rentals? Is that an oxymoron?) and heads out onto the ice. Tentatively at first, his attempts illustrate his initial anxiety. But as he finds his footing and with it, his confidence, he's soon gliding along the ice like a seasoned professional. He's not thinking of trying any jumps or fancy moves just yet, but given time? He always accomplishes his mission.
III
Then again, when Chloe isn't there beside him he has a much greater incentive to get on with his day. Chloe has flitted off to who knows where, a whirlwind of enthusiastic energy as she prepares for the holiday season. Connor hadn't even heard of Christmas or the winter holidays until their arrival on this island, as the topic had never come up during his time in Detroit or their previous months here. It all seems to have descended upon them very suddenly, but then that could probably be said of most things in his life, and many of those things had turned out very well indeed.
So he wanders the mall, in and out of various stores, getting ideas and purchasing a few small items, what Chloe might have called "stocking stuffers", silly little things that he hoped she might appreciate. Soon enough he finds himself at the ice skating rink, and after spending time watching the skaters and deciding it doesn't look terribly hard, he slips on a pair of skates (free rentals? Is that an oxymoron?) and heads out onto the ice. Tentatively at first, his attempts illustrate his initial anxiety. But as he finds his footing and with it, his confidence, he's soon gliding along the ice like a seasoned professional. He's not thinking of trying any jumps or fancy moves just yet, but given time? He always accomplishes his mission.