Graupel Canyon Life is like a box of donuts

fit carry two large colorful boxes; Box 1 and Box 2

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Calliope enjoyed doughnuts, being doughnut day yesterday, she was able to go out and pick up some limited offer specialities to bring back home. She also had dog safe doughnuts too, because she wasn't about to forget to forget the two best boys in this house.

Walking in, she balanced the boxes, "Levka...I may have a problem I need help with, " it was clearly a lighthearted comment, no stress, no worries.

But there was a tasty smell wafting as she carried them to the kitchen.

She had his attention. He peered into the front of the house after having been in his room going through laundry. He was a lot of terrible things, but a man who did not care for his clothing and his home was not one of them.

"What is it?" he questioned, dubious in spite of her lighthearted tone.

"There was a sale on doughnuts after yesterday being national doughnut day, " she told him, lifting the boxes in front of her face.

"Even got doggy doughnuts, " she said with a smaller bag.

Sorry for stressing, she and the bear both were on the page of food and contentment right now.

National what, now?

It didn't hardly matter, in the end, because she had brought food. More than that... he realized that Calliope was not only doing well, but doing especially well, perhaps. As if his denying her things she wished for her turned into her determination to do better, after all.

So he hummed a note of approval and approached to the kitchen, whistling to get Flint's attention from where he'd been napping.

"You keep showing up with food things. You are trying to soften me up again?"

Not that he'd ever say no to food. Other things, yes, but food? No.

Calliope gave, a mix of an innocent yet shocked look. "I'd never, " she told him, but there was maybe something else there.

She set the boxes down, the fresh fried dough with toppings drifting out from the box, Khan was already at her side. Tail wagging as he had learned not to bump against her leg to beg but boy, he was toeing that line.

"Swear he acts like treats are a rarity, " Calliope joked as she opened up the bag of dog bone-shaped canine-friendly doughnuts for them, "Also, other reason I got these. I'd been taking classes for EMT and other medical classes; it's where I've been going about every other day, and I just passed the main classes, " so, she had that to be happy about as well.

Even though she didn't have something she realized she wanted, she planned to still work her backside off to get to that point.

Levka came to lay claim to a white looking donut that smelled an awful lot like peanut butter. And he was right! And pleased with it as he watched the dogs come dancing in for treats--and made sure Flint got one too so no one would get jealous.

But Calliope came with not just donuts, but news as well.

"Oh yes? You are wishing to be medic?"

It was a role he had once considered for Esperanza and her mothering ways. But he could never have bullied that woman for anything, not even for a role she would have been good at, and she'd been gone before it had manifested.

"Well, we had talked about it before. Since the SLueth doesn't have a one, " she told him as she picked up one and then one for Khan as well.

She smiled as he sat, then gently took the treat from her hand.

"It was just before the vampire went for my face- why I was at the library that day, just reading up on it, " she told him, not thinking about the rest of it, just what had caused her to go into that place. A place she'd not been able to stomach going into again.

She took a bite from her doughnut, feeling a bit more sure of herself than perhaps a few weeks ago.

Kicks in the pants help.

It was likely they'd talked, and likely he'd forgotten. But good that she'd remembered, and kept at it.

"And now you are on the other side of that, and you carry on as I expected. This is good, I expect you will keep it up and we will be able to rely on you very soon." Praise and expectation, all in one.

Calliope smiled, eating her doughnut, nodding.

"Can't even tell anymore, " save if she thought about it too much, "I will- did you know they have practice skin? But it comes in different ways to figure out how to stitch them together with different stitches. Given how we heal...I'll probably just get the thread that dissolves, won't have to pull it out later or worry about it ripping through on a shift, " Calliope told him, still in awe of the different things she's learned.

"Look at you, knowing things. You will do a perfect job."' Perhaps demand as much as encouragement, but he had faith in her, as he did all his bears when they chose to step up.

He tossed a bit more donut to his dog, feeling content.