Nate begs them not to, and Sophie leaves in tears, but Parker stands resolute in his room and Eliot stands with her.

"They took him from us," she says as Nate follows Sophie. She doesn't look over, doesn't reach for his hand. His scent is still on the air, orange soda and cheetohs and sweat, and she doesn't move toward the bed or the shirt discarded on the floor.

"We can't get him back," Eliot says softly. He doesn't move, either.

"We can make them feel like we do," she whispers.

He wouldn't want that, wouldn't like that. But it's all she can think to do.

"Yeah," Eliot says. He sounds tired. "That we can."