Twenty minutes later, Elliot sat back against the counter, body shaking and face dripping with snot and tears.
"Lilly, can you go get some tissues for Eli?" he asked, voice low.
She nodded, returning with a dusty box.
Matthew offered it to him.
Elliot didn't take it.
"...are you okay?" he asked.
The boy didn't answer.
"Can you tell me why you're sad?"
"You know why," Elliot spat.
"No. Tell me."
"You said we couldn't go to the creek," he whined. He stomped his feet and grunted. "And you said we could."
Matthew sighed. "Do we have any food?"
Elliot glanced away, frowning.
"I want to make sure you guys have food to eat," he whispered, moving to his knees. "When that happens, we can go, okay?"
"But I want to go nooooow," he moaned, his statement growing in volume until it was a solid scream. He stomped his feet against the dusty tile floor.
Matthew frowned. "I know," he started, but didn't finish the rest of the thought. Scratching the back of his head, he sighed again. "When we go to the creek, Lilly wants to pack a picnic. Do you want to decide what snacks we pack?"
Elliot, with tearstained eyes and bottom lip quivering, nodded.
"Can I pick something, too?" Lilly piped up.
"Of course," he insisted. "It wouldn't be fair for Eli to pick when you don't. Would you like to pick the fruit or the drinks?"
"Drinks!"
"Okay, but remember, Elliot needs to like it, too. Otherwise, I can't pack it."
Lilly waved her hand and stood up. "I like the super juicy packs, and Eli likes the, the fruity ones."
Matthew nodded at Elliot. "Strawberry?"
Elliot looked at him and nodded again.
"I like strawberry, too," he whispered. Standing, Matthew sighed, hands on his hips. "Now, I can't leave you guys alone while I go shopping. My job is to take care of you guys, not to leave you alone." He offered a hand to Elliot. "Do you guys want to come with me? Pick out the drinks and snacks for our picnic?"
Lilly bounced around the counter. "I want to go! I want to go!"
The boy took Matthew's hand and stood up. "...any snacks?" he whimpered.
Matthew sighed, a wary smile appearing on his face. "They've got to be a little healthy."
"Can we – can, can, can we try and f-find fruit ones?"
He shrugged. "Of course," he replied without skipping a beat. "But, again, they need to be a little healthy, okay?"
Elliot nodded. Finally taking a tissue, he wiped his face, leaving streaks of dust on his cheeks.
He kneeled in front of him. "Are you okay?"
Swaying, Elliot didn't answer.
"I'm sorry, Eli."
He sniffed and hugged Matthew around the neck. "Sorry."
Matthew hugged him, hand rubbing up and down his back for a few seconds until they both let go. "Go get your shoes, guys. We'll leave in a minute, okay?"
Lilly clasped Elliot's hand in hers and led the older boy out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom wing. "Which ones are you going to wear? I think I want my blue flower boots because I like the flowers on it. Oh! You should wear your yellow shoes. The one with the white shoelaces! Those're really cool!"
Sighing into his hands, Matthew leaned against the counter and groaned, only to smell every disgusting food he touched in his palms. Turning and slathering his hands in dish soap, he washed.
"Where are the children going?"
Matthew turned to find Mr. Yang, arms crossed and eyes moving to the overflowing garbage.
"May I ask what you're doing?"
Drying his hands on his pants, Matthew explained, "I cleared out all your expired food."
Mr. Yang picked up a milk jug, its contents sloshing about like jello bits in watered-down paint. "It was fine yesterday."
"One day's all it needs." Apparently.
He put the milk jug back in the garbage. "That doesn't answer my first question. Where are the children going?"
"They're getting their shoes," he replied, "to come shopping with me."
Mr. Yang's eyes narrowed. "Isn't that your job?"
"My job is also to feed them, and in order for me to fully understand what they eat, they need to help me shop. That gives me a gauge for what I should and shouldn't buy." Matthew moved around the counter towards the door to the dining room.
"I don't believe those two points are correlated, Mr. Robinson."
Matthew licked his lips and, despite the feeling in his stomach telling him not to, turned. Clasping his own hands behind his back, as if mocking the older man, Matthew began, "You see, sir, your children were not aware that, when I cleared out everything, that food doesn't, just, appear. As I've needed to postpone our outing to the creek to completely restock, one of the consolidations is that I've allowed Lilliana and Elliot to pick something small for the picnic." Matthew swung a foot and stepped closer. "Are you suggesting that I leave them alone, here, while I go grocery shopping? Me, unfamiliar with their eating habits, and pick their choices for them?"
The older man stared.
He shifted under his glare; he averted his eyes. "See, I consider that an extremely heinous move. Elliot's breakdown, as well, suggests a lagging socio-emotional development, which I hope to rectify with more choice, whether it be the illusion of it, or an actual one. Considering, also, Lilly and Elliot's ages, and where they should be emotionally and psychologically, in my opinion, it only strengthens my resolve for them to come."
Mr. Yang crossed his arms over his chest, stony face unmoved. After a moment, he whispered, "I do so hate that you've got a Masters in psychology."
Licking his lips, Matthew sighed, ready to be let go. More than anything, he just wanted the man to stop staring at him. "I just want to be honest –"
"What will you have prepared for dinner?"
"... I...haven't decided yet, sir." He was hoping he'd find a cookbook for that.
"Hm." This one was short. Mr. Yang passed Matthew before adding, "Well, I am particularly partial to vegetarian baozi. Also, when you get the chance, my office needs dusting, as well as the living room. Most of the windows need a good cleaning, as well, and I wanted to let you know that there's something wrong with the toilet in the master bath. It isn't flushing properly."
Drawing in air through his teeth, Matthew sighed, turning to his employer, and forced a smile. "Anything else I should know about?"
Mr. Yang didn't answer. He was already approaching his office while the children ran in from the other way.
A low groan caught in the back of his throat. Running back into his room for his jacket and shoes, he grabbed the car key. Matthew paused, staring down the distinctive key before grinning. Turning back into the kitchen and swiping the makeshift grocery list from the counter, he asked triumphantly, "Are we ready, guys?"