Daylight

5.- Labyrinth

As Conrad and Matilda wondered back up the new house, Belly ran onto the dock, going to see Cam.

She arrives, out of breathe, and sighs heavily as she sees the boat leaving.

' no matter how hard I try, I always miss the boat. ' Belly thought to herself, waving her hand in frustration.
——

As Jeremiah started mixing ingredients, while Steven annoyed him, he asked, "do we really have to physically sit for our portraits?" Steven peered over Jeremiah's shoulders, "can't she just look at a picture on her phone or something?" he asked, as Steven peered over his other shoulder, "Okay, get out." Jeremiah shook his head.

Steven let out a laugh, "What? Why?" , he asked, but he backed away.

"She needs to see you in the flesh in order to capture your essence, while you're still young and full of hope." Laurel explained, not looking up from her laptop.

Steven, Jeremiah, and even Matilda from the couch with Conrad let out a laugh.

Laurel cracked a smile, and looked up, "her words."

Jeremiah grinned, "Well, Conrad doesn't have hope, at all."

Laurel and Steven looked over to Conrad, who was laying on the couch, his head on Matilda's lap.

"Don't fear, my hangover smoothie cures all!" Jeremiah nodded proudly, pointing at Laurel who chuckled, rolling her eyes.

Conrad put a hand over his pounding head, "can you please just hurry up?!"

"Just go back to bed alright?" Jeremiah ordered, waving his hand in dismissal.

Conrad shut his eyes tightly, as Matilda ran her hands soothingly through his hair.

Steven peered over Jeremiah's shoulder again, grinning curiously,

"Alright, seriously Steven, get out!" Jeremiah told him, threateningly waving a spoon in his face.
Steven scoffed, looking amused, as he grinned
"This is delicate science okay, and your heavy breathing will break the yolk!" Jeremiah explained, sending Steven a warning look as he backed of again, laughing.

"Jeremiah, with all due respect, your uh, delicate science is smelling questionable." Matilda commented, sniffing the heavy smell of cabbages.

Steven barked out a laugh, while Laurel let out a tiny smile, even Conrad broke out a smile.

Jeremiah raised a brow, folding his arms as he turned over to the two. "I think you'll find, Lockwood, my delicate science, is made of all fresh goods, so please, we will see whose laughing, when Conrad is right as a daisy again, after he's had this."
He then turned round, and turned on the blender which made a loud noise, causing Conrad to cringe, as the loud noise made his head pound more.
Matilda put her hands gently over his ears, while her and Steven both stared curiously at the slop being blended up proudly by Jeremiah.

Finally the blender stopped.

"You know," Laurel began, "she hasn't painted you all since you were little, it'll be nice to have these portraits for when you're older."

Conrad's heart silently ached.

"No, when I'm old I'm sure there will be like holograms I can watch of myself you know. " Steven shrugged.

Suddenly, Jeremiah harshly turned on the blender again, making Conrad jump who was nearly pretty much asleep on Matilda's lap.

The blender stopped again.

"Just sit for your portraits." Laurel told them firmly, " you don't see Conrad, or Matilda complaining." she pointed over at them.

"Oh don't worry, Conrad will complain when he's conscious." Jeremiah commented, walking through to the couches and gently whacking Conrad's shoulder.