"You realize this is psychological warfare."
"It's shopping," Haley corrected while dragging Gael through the mall by the wrist.
"That's exactly what I said."
Saturday afternoon crowds filled nearly every floor:
music,
people,
bags swinging everywhere,
soone aggressively playing violin near the escalators for reasons nobody understood.
Gael already regretted agreeing to this.
Mostly because Haley and Alex had sohow united temporarily.
Which was never good for him.
"You need better jackets," Alex announced while scanning a storefront critically.
"I own jackets."
"You own expensive jackets," Haley corrected.
"That's normally considered a positive trait."
"No," Alex said. "You dress like a startup founder trying to testify before Congress."
Gael stared at both sisters in betrayal.
"That felt coordinated."
"It was," Haley answered proudly.
Unfortunately, they weren't entirely wrong.
Gael's wardrobe leaned heavily toward:
dark colors,
minimalism,
and expensive things that didn't look expensive unless soone knew fashion.
Efficient.
Apparently that now qualified as "emotionally repressed businessman clothing."
Interesting.
"You know what's weird?" Haley asked while pulling him toward another store.
"That phrase has historically damaged ."
"You actually let us bully you into this."
Gael glanced between both sisters.
"One of you weaponizes emotional guilt. The other weaponizes statistics."
Alex looked oddly pleased by that description.
"That's fair."
Two stores later, Haley had already forced him into trying on:
leather jackets,
lighter colors,
and one sweater Gael was convinced belonged to a divorced architect.
"No," he said imdiately while staring at himself in the mirror.
"Oh my God, yes," Haley replied.
Alex folded her arms thoughtfully.
"It makes you look less emotionally unavailable."
"That's not a asurable aesthetic."
"It absolutely is."
Gael rubbed a hand over his face while both sisters looked entirely too entertained.
Honestly?
Watching Haley and Alex interact outside the house was weirdly fun.
At ho, their argunts blended into family chaos naturally.
Out here, the contrast felt sharper:
Haley impulsive and socially fluid,
Alex analytical even while shopping.
Completely different people.
Still obviously sisters.
"You're staring again," Alex said while checking price tags nearby.
"You noticed that without looking up?"
"I always notice."
Haley grinned imdiately.
"See? Nerd flirting."
Alex looked genuinely offended.
"We argued about fabric quality."
"Exactly."
Gael laughed quietly while Alex muttered sothing about "abuse."
An hour later, they ended up in the food court carrying far too many shopping bags.
Mostly Haley's fault.
"Why did you buy decorative candles?" Gael asked.
"They sll expensive."
Alex stole fries from Haley's tray while reading sothing on her phone simultaneously.
"How are you both still alive?" Gael asked.
"Genetics," Haley answered.
"Spite," Alex corrected.
Honestly accurate.
The three of them settled into comfortable conversation while noise buzzed around the crowded food court.
At so point, Gael noticed people glancing toward their table occasionally.
Not surprising.
Haley attracted attention naturally.
Alex looked like she belonged in an Ivy League brochure.
And Gael himself wasn't exactly invisible.
Still, sothing about sitting here with both sisters felt strangely dostic too.
Dangerous thought.
Abort imdiately.
"You know what Mom asked yesterday?" Haley said suddenly.
Gael looked suspicious imdiately.
"That sentence never improves my life."
"She asked if you eat enough vegetables."
Silence.
Then Alex started laughing so suddenly she nearly dropped her drink.
"Oh my God."
Gael blinked once.
"…What?"
"That's such a mom thing to worry about," Alex managed between laughs.
Haley grinned smugly.
"She says you survive on coffee and expensive air."
"That's..."
"You drank coffee for breakfast."
"That's not evidence."
Haley leaned lightly against his shoulder while still laughing.
And for a second, Gael found himself imagining Claire saying it:
half-distracted in the kitchen,
pretending not to sound concerned,
already ntally planning als for people without realizing it.
The image settled oddly warmly in his chest.
"You disappeared into your head again," Haley murmured.
"I'm being psychologically attacked by your family."
"That's because they like you."
Alex looked up from her phone.
"Yeah, you're kind of stuck now."
Simple sentence.
Casual.
Still, hearing it from Alex carried different weight sohow.
Because Alex didn't say things she didn't an.
Before Gael could answer, Haley suddenly gasped dramatically.
"Oh my God."
"What now?" both Gael and Alex asked at the sa ti.
Haley pointed across the food court.
"Mom."
All three turned.
Claire stood near one of the coffee stands holding shopping bags while talking to another woman.
Then she looked up.
And imdiately spotted them.
For a split second, surprise crossed her face.
Then amusent.
"Well," Alex muttered quietly, "this should be interesting."
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