"This is lame." Birdie slurred. Only two beers vere left on zhe counter und Mattie vas holding his liquor vell. He vas pretty loopy, zhough, so I planned on hiding zhose last beers vhen I got zhe chance.
"Ja?"
"Jah." He imitated. I smiled.
"I can't get drank without music."
"Jou're already...Drank...Birdie." I vas spending mein time on zhe couch, vatching him face zhe tiny space zhat vas mein home.
"Do you have a stereo?"
"Nein." I didn't see zhe point of music after Mattie died.
"Aw man." He slouched into zhe couch.
"I have music on mein laptop." I spoke up. "Vell...Youtube at least. I can steal Wifi from mein neighbour."
"Sweet!" Mattie jumped up. "Where is it, Gilbart?"
"Gilbart?"
"Giiiiiil-bart~" He purred. "Vhere is zee laptawp?"
Gött, I loved zhis kid.
"On mein coffee table." I ansvered.
"Merci beaucoup." He found zhe laptop und began typing avay vith one hand vhile using his ozher hand to drink.
Soon, a song came on. It vas a rugged folk song.
He stumbled mein vay und fell into mein lap.
"Birdie." I vrapped mein arms around his vaist und set mein chin on his shoulder. His long hair tickled mein cheek und his back vas varm against mein chest.
"Matthew." I vispered. "I don't vant jou on zhe front lines zhis time."
"Wha?"
"I vant jou to stay in zhe safest place possible in zhis plan. If I lost jou again...zhat vould kill me." I told him.
"But the safest place...that's..."
"Medic. Jour good vizh medicine."
I heard Matthew let out a tiny breazh.
"Okay." He vispered. "But not just for you. It's for Alfie and Papa and Arthur. I don't want anybody to be sad anymore."
"And zhey vont." I assured him. "Not anymore."