It hit about six in the evening and Alex had finished his homework as well as having had a shower and was now sitting downstairs in the kitchen while Riley's mom was finishing up the cooking and her dad was preparing the table. Riley always mentioned "mom and dad" in a way that made it out like they were Alex's parents too. While, Alex knew it wasn't biological there was something comforting about having parents. He stayed in thought about this as his fingertips ran along his mug of coffee, the warmth travelling through his hands and up his arm.

"Riley!" Their mother called up the stairs, "Dinner! You too Alex." He stood and walked over towards the counter next to the cooker and took the plate that had been served up for him.

"Thanks... Mum." He told her, his familiar thin smile crossing his face, she smiled back at him.

"You're welcome... Son." She teased and made a face before bring Riley's and her father's plate to the table before bringing over her own. Alex sat and began eating the spaghetti bolognese instantly. It was a simple dish but it tasted so good, something Alex loved was definitely his new mother's cooking. "Anything interesting at school today?" She asked, while they were waiting for Riley to come down.

"There were try-outs for the baseball team..." Alex began, bringing Riley's father's interest to the table, "I did okay, the coach wants me on the team." He added, before putting another fork full of the dinner in his mouth.