Minor Changes

Chapter Five

Eddy whiled away the two weeks in quarantine watching Anime and practicing as much of the Sibelius concerto as he possibly could without annoying the through-the-wall neighbor. Even though he texted or spoke with Brett every day, the distance did his heart a world of good, and for the most part, he wasn't lonely. 

 For the most part. Except when he laughed while watching a movie and there was no one's eye to catch. Or when he nailed a challenging passage in the third movement and no one marked it with a "Nice!" from the other room. Or at night, when a very specific person's comforting presence felt no less than 6,000 kilometers away.

***

It was difficult for Brett to be his adult-self when his mother was around. Sure, she could be overbearing, but she was also very doting, and sometimes that felt good. She served another portion of lu rou fan into his bowl even though he had already had a generous helping. The rest of the family would be in and out soon enough, but for now it was just the two of them, and he found himself sitting in the same place where he sat to watch her cook when he was a kid.

"You're not getting enough to eat," she said. "You look frail."

"I'm fine, mum. Your cooking is just better than mine," he smiled.

A faint, satisfied smile crept to the edges of her lips.

"Really, your face is so pale," she said with concern on her brow. He wondered for a moment if she was about to place her hand on his forehead for one of those impossible temperature estimates that only mothers can execute.

"Yes, mum. Much better. Don't worry about me."

"Is Eddy coming by?" she asked.

"No, he's back in Singapore already." She studied her son's face quietly.

"And you're going there soon?"

"In a few days." 

He knew she missed him being nearby, but was secretly proud of him for pursuing his passion for music, even if it didn't look quite how she had expected. She got up and busied herself cleaning the kitchen.

"When are you going to bring home a nice girl? You're not getting any younger, you know. I can introduce you to a friend's daughter. She's very pretty." 

Brett resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He cleared his throat and took his dishes to the sink.

"Thanks, mum. I'm a bit too busy to think about dating. And we're still in a pandemic, so I don't exactly get out much," he said, rinsing out his bowl.

"Too much time in the house will make you lazy. You need more company than just Eddy." 

Now he did roll his eyes. She came close and took his cheek in her hand, looking into his eyes.

"I just want you to be happy. Settle down. Start a family."

"I know, mum. Thanks. But please don't worry about me." He put the dishes in the drying rack and walked down the hall.

In his childhood bedroom, he thumbed through some of his old sheet music that was collecting dust. He found some favorites with his chicken scratch on them and put them in his bag. In one of the folders was an envelope of old Polaroid pictures from uni days, and he couldn't help but chuckle as he sifted through them. Friends stood huddled in little groups looking simultaneously pretentious and infantile. He used his phone to snap a few shots of the cringiest ones and texted them to Eddy with the caption: "Blackmail." After a few minutes, a reply popped up.