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You can see Tobias suppressing his laughter as you act about as surprised as you can manage. At the same time, you notice Maxie and Zoe exchanging a bemused look. They even look a little hurt that you would tell their son you'd forgotten who he was. Tobias, however, steps in by addressing Zoe again.

"Mom, I was just gonna go out in the yard—is that okay? I'm not gonna mess with any plants or anything."

"I know you're not," Zoe says, but she frowns, keeping her hand on Tobias's shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in a little longer? There's a lot of people here who'd love to hear about how you're starting college soon."

"And Huknock just got here," Maxie adds, looking crestfallen. "He must want to hear all about what you've been up to. You don't just want to go off by yourself, do you, ki—Tobias?"

You catch a glimpse of that same tension in Tobias's face again, but with a glance at you, he seems to hold himself back from saying whatever he really wants to say. Instead, he looks at you and cocks his head the tiniest bit; you figure he's giving you a signal to meet him outside.

"Yeah, um…sorry, Huknock, I'm not that good with crowds. I won't stay out there all night."

His parents seem conflicted, but they don't stop Tobias as he gives a quick wave and slips away. From the look they give each other, complete with a short sigh, you can guess that Maxie and Zoe are used to Tobias doing this kind of thing.

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