Manhattan

08.

A FEW DAYS after that night, days spent furiously not thinking about Benji, Aidan found himself coming home from a quick run to Taki's, a small Japanese restaurant a few blocks from the apartment, with - for the first time in a while - good news.

He found his mother in the living room. It was a mess - more than usual. Paint cans, brushes, and paint-splattered newspapers and cloths were only some of the things covering the floor around her. His mother seemed oblivious to the chaos surrounding her, though, and she sat on a stool, her wild hair stuffed into a makeshift bun, her face and clothes flecked with paint, concentrated on the easel in front of her.

Aidan smiled. It was a sight that was too familiar, and it sent a wave of nostalgia through him. He grabbed the camera from around his neck by instinct and snapped a picture of her. She looked up at him, startled.

"Oh, Aidan," she said, smiling, setting her paintbrush down and turning to him. "I didn't notice you."

"I know," he said, setting the takeout on the coffee table and making his way to his mother. "What are you working on?"

She tilted the easel away from his line of sight. "Mr. Davis' painting. You can't look at it yet," she says.

"Why not?"

She winked. "Sorry, kiddo. It's a surprise."

She got up, looked down at the mess around her, horrified, then got distracted by the takeout sitting on the table. "Ooh, Taki's," she said, plucking the box and taking it to the kitchen, clearing the dining table and setting out plates. Aidan got up to help her.

"So," he started. "I've got good news."

She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "About what?"

Aidan grinned, and they sat down at the small dining table. He served himself some sushi, and his mom passed him a pair of chopsticks. He stared down at them helplessly, then watched as his mother used her own as naturally as if it was second nature.

"I still don't get how you can do that so easily, Mom," Aidan said, struggling to pick up a piece with his chopsticks, then giving up and using his fingers instead.

She shrugged, and picked up another, putting it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before grinning at Aidan. "It's easy."

He huffed under his breath, but looked up at her suddenly as a distant memory surfaced in his mind. "Hey, Mom, remember that time me, you, and - and Dad went to Taki's for your birthday?"

His mom looked up at him, surprised but nodded. "Of course," she said, laughing a little. "How could I forget? He was trying to impress me with the chopsticks but he ended up stabbing himself."

Aidan grinned, feeling something warm in his chest. "Dad was the only person who could ever do that." His mom laughed, and Aidan joined in, realizing that this was the first time he'd been able to talk about his dad without feeling as though he was going to cry. He paused, and his mom's laughter faded away. She took his hand and gave him a soft smile, and even though she didn't say anything, Aidan understood what she was trying to tell him. He squeezed her hand and pulled back, feeling relaxed and at ease.

"So," she said. "What's your news?"

He grinned. "Okay." A pause. "I got a job." He said it all in one breath, and when his mom did nothing but look surprised, he rushed on. "I mean, it's not permanent of course. It's at Taki's. You know May right? Well her father got injured and May's kind of taking over for now and she said they were running low on staff, and I thought I could help out. But um, I thought it'd be good you know? To earn some money. Help out with the bills -"