Somewhere in there, Tarin allowed, he had said something right. It made sense that Lee would dislike the idea of something like fate being responsible for the things that happened. In the time he’d known her, Tarin had come to realize how important autonomy was for Lee. How important it was that she be able to make plans and choices and decisions.

It also would have absolutely sucked for him to boil down all of the trauma and experiences Lee had had to simple preparation to help him. That hadn’t been what Tarin was getting at and he was glad that, for once, he’d been able to explain properly.

“Well good…” he said, ”For once I got across the point I wanted to make.”

Lee seemed just as surprised as Tarin was to see the score of the game and commented that he’d probably missed it while he was talking about choices.

” Clearly I was distracted. I can’t even blame Michael for this one…” he said as the baby let out another yawn, ”He’s fighting the good fight, but I think he’s gonna lose eventually.”

Tarin felt that this was one one of the few times that he actually managed to say something right, to get his thoughts out the way he meant them.

Lee was glad that he had been able to explain it. It really had helped her.

And as Michael yawned again, Lee looked down at him. "Oh, it looks like hell fall asleep sooner rather than later," Lee commented as she finally took her hand from Tarin's so she could attempt to lay Michael down in her arms.

Even as he yawned again, Michael struggled against Lee's attempts. "And yet he's going to fight with every bit of strength in his little body," Lee continued with a slight smile.

Things were much lighter again courtesy of Michael and his cute little baby yawns. Lee released his hand and Tarin watched with a little smile as she tried to get the baby to lay down. Michael was having absolutely none of it though and seemed determined to stay upright for the moment.

“He wants to see if the Mets manage to keep the lead!” Tarin said when Lee pointed out how much fight Michael was showing.

The Mets, in fact, were continuing the play well and had managed to retire enough of the Marlin’s batters to end the inning. ”If they’d played this well at the beginning of the season, we might be having a very different conversation about October.” he said. “Maybe that bodes well for next season.” who knew though.

”Let me know if you need a break….” Tarin offered softly, Michael had stopped crying and had already done the whole diaper thing. It might just be kind to hold him when he wasn’t screaming.

Somehow, Lee didn't think that was what Michael was doing. Lee didn't think that Michael even had an idea what was on the tv.

"Hopefully they will start the season better," Lee replied. "Though, I'll actually be able to watch from the beginning of the season, too, so hopefully that will help?"

They had already had this discussion, and Lee didn't think that the magic was real, but Tarin did at least somewhat believe in this interdimensional hat magic.

And maybe the Mets would do better next year.

Michael was not interested in laying down, but then Tarin offered, said to let him know if she needed a break. Lee looked over at him with a slight smile. Did that mean he was offering to hold Michael now? The only reason he had before was because he had even less idea about how to make a bottle than holding babies.

"If you don't mind," Lee replied, prepared to pass Michael over when Tarin was ready. "Maybe he'll settle down better for you."

Tarin had to grin when Lee pointed out that next season she’d be watching from the beginning and hopefully that would help the Mets. It was such a little thing to say, but the fact that Lee was actually thinking about next season just made Tarin happy.

Maybe they’d be good next year.

Tarin didn’t think that really had a shot of happening, but a guy could hope. Besides, either way he’d have someone to watch most of the games with. ”Spring training starts in March…” he said with a smile. It really wasn’t all that long…

Tarin offered to hold Michael again and Lee looked at him for a moment before she spoke and Tarin smiled a little tentatively as he held out his hands to accept the squirmy little thing for the second time.

This time, when Lee handed Michael over, Tarin didn’t hold him out, he turned the baby and just sort of tucked him in so he was leaning against Tarin’s side and the crook of his arm, facing the TV. Michael didn’t squirm or fuss or try to move away, so Tarin nodded and went back to the game.

”Maybe he just needed a little change of scenery.” Tarin said after a moment, looking down at Michael as he switched from furiously gnawing on the jellyfish to sucking on his hand.

"In March?" Lee loolked at Tarin a little incredulously at that. March was still winter, and they started spring training for baseball then?

That was probably another of those weird American things that Lee was never going to get used to no matter how long she lived here for.

Not that it was going to keep her from watching with Tarin. Especially not when Kevin wasn't going to be there. That was something else that Lee was probably not going to get used to any time soon. At the moment, Kevin was just hiding in his room, but soon he was going to be moved into the mansion.

Tarin took Michael, well not more comfortably, but at least more easily this time, and Lee just smiled as she saw how Tarin settled the boy down beside him. And it did look nice and comfortable.

"That's possible," Lee agreed with a smile as she looked over at Michael with his hand in his mouth now. "Though that's one of my favourite places, so I understand why he's so content there."

“May actually be February…” Tarin said, frowning thoughtfully and shrugging. ” That’s still five whole months….”

All things considered, Michael seemed very content to be snuggled in where he was and Tarin contented himself with watching the game.

Lee spoke and Tarin gave her a slightly lopsided grin as she posed her theory as to why Michael suddenly seemed so comfortable. She did like to sit like that when they watched TV, curled up into his side.

Scooping Michael up a little, Tarin resettled the baby so he was more on Tarin’s lap and leaning against his stomach, freeing up the space on the couch. Michael didn’t seem to mind and settled back in.

“Here, best of both worlds.” he said, then turned back to the game.

"February?" Lee asked, shocked. "That is literally still winter. How can they say that's spring training?"

It was absolutely ridiculous. Though, Lee thought, Americans were a little crazy with the timing of their sports seasons. Football didn't finish up until February or March, after all.

Michael definitely seemed to have quickly settled in with Tarin holding him, even with the bit of shifting around Tarin did of him.

Lee smiled and took the opportunity to close that space on the couch so that she could lean her head against Tarin's shoulder.