"It really is, with Craig and Allison and then Atlas staying. And Allison's still there," he said, grinning. "And maybe that's why she feels okay staring. We're safe, for the most part, and ridiculously fit."
Ben grinned, pleased at making Dale laugh, and made a note to thank Dumbledore for that nifty charm again the next time their paths crossed. "I'm sure I don't look ridiculous. I look festive, and cheery."
He bit his lip as Dale sobered up, and then breathed a sigh of relief when he was hugged. "We don't know yet. We only made the decision a week ago. Haven't even started looking yet," he explained. "We're going to look for rentals first, with the option to buy." And that seemed like such a big step now that he was saying it out loud, but he couldn't be anything but excited about it. And maybe just a little scared.
"Well, there's an opening at the Apollo center for a pianist. Open auditions are next week, so I'm going to go for it. It's a step in the direction of making an actual career out of music."