“Ah, end of the day!” Taylor whooped. She scuttled over to the door and locked it, turning the sign around. “I’ve got to say Chaos, I’m glad Ever found you.”

  Ever was wiping down the tables, turned away from them. She never sounded that happy talking with him. Chaos waltzes in and after a day, she’s happier than he’s ever heard her being. He scrubbed one particular spot harder than usual, trying to get it off with sheer effort alone.

  “Honestly, it’s the other way around,” Chaos said. “If he hadn’t put up that sign last week, then I wouldn’t have ever found him. Him being here is the reason I’m here.”

  Ever beamed into Chao’s consciousness, saying something that he’d learnt from Taylor: *can you not?*

  ∞Can I not what? Lie? I haven’t told one lie to her today. I also haven’t hurt her, nor hurt any of your beloved humans as you requested last week. Or was there something else you would have me not do?∞

  Ever withdrew the connection and moved onto stacking chairs.

  “Speaking of reasons to be here, I’ve got to pay you. We can do it the official way, but then we need to do paperwork, which I hate. Or we can do it the cool way, which is cash in hand.” Taylor preemptively opened the cash register.

  “Oh, I don’t want money, I have no need for it.” Chaos said, palms open. “All I need is a cup of ice cream for each day I work. I can’t get enough of the stuff.”

  “Tell you what, you can get two cups of ice cream for each day you work, and I will pay you.”

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  “Taylor, when you’re as old as I am, money becomes insignificant. If I’m being honest, money never had much utility for me. I get so much more fulfillment interacting with people.”

  “I can’t not pay someone for their work, Chaos,” Taylor said. “I’ll pay you cash in hand, how does that sound?”

  Ever held the chair in mid-air, watching the back and forth negotiation.

  “I…” Chaos shrugged. “Who am I to reject such a generous offer?”

  “Excellent,” Taylor said, unable to stop a hint of smugness creeping into her smile. She rummaged through the till, extracted the notes and handed them to the primordial being.

  Ever dropped the chair a bit harder than intended, earning him a dirty look from Taylor. Did he just witness a debate between a human and the first being in existence being won by the human?

  “Thank you,” he said pocketing the notes. “I’m going to get a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of melon sorbet before they’re all packed up.”

  “Go ahead!”

  With the three of them working together, it didn’t take long to finish cleaning and packing up. Standing outside, Ever offered the keys to Taylor.

  “You can hold onto these. I was right to trust you, even if you do crazy things from time to time.”

  “I…” Ever was momentarily speechless. “I learn from the best.”

  “Uhuh. Lock up, mate.”

  Ever did as instructed, and the three of them bid farewell to one another.

  ∞Death’s apprentice. Look in your pocket.∞

  Ever put his hand into his pocket and pulled out extra bank notes that didn’t belong to him.