“Well, that’s officially our worst day so far.”

  Ever turned around. Logan had his arms crossed, eyes hooded as he stared at the cash register.

  “Zero customers came in?” Ever asked.

  “No, just one.” He held a finger up for emphasis, almost as if by doing it, it would make another customer walk through the door. “A vanilla cone; they came in on your lunch break. Wasn’t one of our regulars. Even they’ve abandoned us.” He looked out the window and heaved a great sigh. It was already dark outside, even though they weren’t closing for another thirty minutes.

  Ever went back to wiping the table. No wonder it seemed completely clean. Even that spot that he had been scrubbing for months seemed to have somehow disappeared.

  “I guess we’re going to get less customers because they probably won’t want to get even colder than they already are,” Ever surmised. He slipped the cloth back into the gray water and came back to the serving area. “I’ll get an ice cream and pay for it.”

  Logan snorted. “Don’t be an idiot.”

  Ever regarded his boss with a level gaze. Ever since Logan had implored him to not stop caring for his niece, Ever saw past his big coat and bravado. He'd only known Taylor for a few months; that had been a rollercoaster in of itself. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like raising her.

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  “Here,” he said. He strode over, grabbing the scoop. “What flavors? Don’t argue, I’m not going to dock your pay.”

  Ever nodded. “A scoop of vanilla and a scoop of mango sorbet in a cup, please.”

  Logan wordlessly fulfilled the order, sliding it across the bench. Ever stopped it from falling off the edge with one hand, his other grabbing a little, red spoon. The boss rinsed the scoop and got himself two scoops of peanut butter chocolate. He leaned against the wall, eating the ice cream thoughtfully while Ever perched himself on the bar stool.

  “Taylor’s leaving at the end of this week,” Logan said.

  This would have made Ever’s stomach lurch in months gone by. Now, he was saddened by the news but its effect wasn’t so visceral. “Is she going to be coming in again before then?”

  “I’ll make sure she does.” He put a big scoop of the peanut butter ice cream in his mouth, eyes open but mind elsewhere.

  “When’s she coming back?”

  Logan didn’t immediately answer. He finished his ice cream, wiping his mouth before flinging the spoon and cup in the empty bin.

  “The semesters go for six months, she says.” He crossed his arms. “It’s a tough flight from Mexico City to Melbourne but I've mentioned that I'd like to see her back home at least once a year. So if not in six months, then maybe after 12 months.”

  His faraway gaze suddenly focused on him. “Ever…”

  Ever met his eyes, silently waiting for a response.

  “...Nothing. I’ll talk to you about it later.”