Love isn't easy

Chapter 37: June 14, 2028

June 14, 2028

MATTHEO PARK-MANOBAN & NICHOLAS DILLANE

4:15 PM

Eight-year-old Mattheo sits in the second row of the Park-Manoban SUV. He's on the passenger side squarely behind twelve-year-old Coraline. Coraline has been in a foul mood since they picked her up from school, six-year-old Rose has been pouting from the moment they got in the car, and eleven-year-old Annie is in the back quietly reading a book to help her prepare for her exams tomorrow. With his sisters otherwise occupied, Mattheo has the freedom to be giddy undisturbed. It's been a relatively long time since he's gotten to spend a day or even an afternoon at the office with Lisa. Lisa has been inordinately busy as of late. Her schedule has been chaotic to the point that she hasn't had the latitude to allow for the usual things she would habitually do with Mattheo, things such as office visits. She's been saying "soon" but "soon" would never happen, and now that it finally has, Mattheo is well-nigh pulsating out of his skin with keenness.

Cortland St.

Maiden Ln.

Dey St.

Fulton St.

Park Row.

Mattheo thoroughly enjoys skimming each of the street signs leading up to Lisa's block. Even before he could read, Mattheo could tell they were closing in by the different colors and shapes of the signage, and he would begin jumping while still strapped to his car seat. Mattheo has driven down these roads enough times that he could distinguish these buildings from a morsel of footage. Since he was born, Mattheo has seen them millions of times, and that makes him more than amply capable of accomplishing it. He can paint these sidewalks from memory. He's become infatuated with the way this part of town sounds, smells, and makes him feel, and there's a reason why. Mattheo knows he wants to continue to be acquainted with all of this for the rest of his life. Mattheo aspires to be like Lisa in every respect when he grows up, which means he wants to work in the same building they're heading toward and that building is, at this moment, only one block away.

Mattheo can see the twenty-story building, with its distinctive ziggurat-esque center tower jutting into the sky. That is One Hogan Place. It's the home of The Office Of The District Attorney For New York County a.k.a. the Manhattan DA's Office. His momma works on the twentieth floor. She's like...the boss of the place. At least according to Mattheo.

Now that they're approaching, Mattheo can foretell how this exchange is going to go almost step by step. First: his mother is going to try and get a rise out of Coraline for her own amusement.

Thirty-five-year-old Roseanne jokingly whacks Coraline in the arm to get her attention.

"What?"

Check.

"There's not going to be any parking. I'm going to need you to jump out and walk him to the elevator. I'll drive around the block and meet you again."

Mattheo knows Coraline is going to whine about it.

"Ugh...can't Nini do it?"

And Mattheo was right.

"I asked you, not her."

Roseanne looks through the rearview mirror.

"Mattheo, grab your backpack and get out as soon as I stop. Co is going to walk you inside."

Rose is now going to argue about it.

"Are you sure we can't go?"

There it is. His family is nothing if not predictable once you get to spend all day with them. Mattheo assumes what will happen next is that Roseanne is going to put her foot down and then Rose is going to do some sort of sulky expression.