Kieran waited just outside the Augurey, tapping his fingers against his thigh. Regardless of whether or not he pulled this off — Kieran still thought it pretty unlikely — there had been some impact. Jude had done something. Kieran had been feeling vaguely hopeful all day — it was an off-putting feeling to have — and he didn't know what to do about it.

And finally, Jude stepped outside. "Of course," Kieran said — he was still occasionally embarrassed to have Jude in his home, but Juliana stopped by often enough that he usually kept it tidier than he had a few years ago. And Eileen was still at the Augurey, so — they'd have at least some time alone.

It was a short walk from the Augurey to Kieran's flat, and the streets got worse the closer you got. Kieran shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and set off, matching Jude's pace. They had only gone a block when he said, "You should be proud, you know."

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