The next morning

Aiden stood in the kitchen with a pan heating while refilling the coffee maker with fresh water. Standing there waiting, he heard her bedroom door open.

“Morning,” Lisa said, coming out in her oversized sleep shirt.

Natalie followed in drawstring shorts and a tank with her hair a mess, and still unbrushed. They’d both slowed when they saw him.

“Morning,” Aiden said, eyes moving from Lisa to Natalie and back.

“Coffee?” Lisa asked, already at the machine.

“Yeah. Pick a pod,” he said, flipping the lid for her.

“I’m just gonna grab a water,” Natalie said. She moved to the fridge, grabbed a bottle, and took a drink, but it didn’t help calm her nerves. Natalie’s fingers fussed with her waistband before dropping them to her sides.

“Want some eggs?” Aiden asked.

“I’m good,” Lisa said. “How about I take a shower, then we can all figure out the day together.” She glanced at Natalie and she couldn’t help the flirtatious look that came out, so she tried to hide it with a turn of her head.

“I’m fine with whatever,” Natalie answered, setting her bottle on the counter without looking up.

“How was your night, sweetie?” Lisa asked Aiden.

“Good. Nothing special,” he said. “And thanks for understanding I had plans. I felt bad that you came up yesterday and I dipped out.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lisa said. “It gave Natalie and me some time to catch up.”

“Cool. And how was your night? You two do anything?” he asked.

“It was good,” Lisa said, giving Natalie the quickest glance. “We just went to the hot tub and then hung out here.”

“Yeah- it was good,” Natalie echoed, setting her empty glass by the sink.

“Are you sure you don’t want a coffee? Come on, what are you in the mood for?” Lisa asked, opening the k-cup drawer. The smile she had though, was a little too big.

“Whatever,” Aiden said, chuckling as he shook his head at both of them.

“What?” Lisa asked, all innocence.

“Nothing.”

“Come on,” she said, dropping a pod into the machine. “What?”

“Really, it’s nothing.”

Lisa reached past Natalie to grab a mug, her fingers brushing Natalie’s wrist. Natalie stepped back, trying to make it look like she was just giving Lisa room.

“Let’s hear it, Aiden,” Lisa said, looking over. “Spit it out.”

“Oh, for the love of God, Mom,” he said, setting the spatula down and rubbing his forehead. “I know you and Natalie-” he gestured between them, then exhaled. “I know about you and Natalie.”

“Aiden,” Natalie said, strained, but keeping her focus on the counter.

Lisa’s eyes slid to Natalie.

“Don’t worry, she didn’t say anything,” Aiden cut in. “I heard you that first night we came up here.”

Color rose in Natalie’s cheeks. She picked up her bottle, took a small drink, and set it down with care.

“All right then,” Lisa replied, steadily. “I guess that just means we don’t have to pretend anymore, do we?”

“I’m not twelve,” Aiden told her. “You never had to hide anything from me in the first place. Not that any of it’s my business.”

“Fair, I’ve always told you to be honest with me, so I guess you should expect the same,” Lisa returned. “I care about her. I care about you. Let’s not turn this into a secret or a show.”

Aiden flipped his eggs, watching the pan. “Is this… actually a thing? Or what’s the deal.”

Lisa cleared her throat before looking to Natalie, seeing if she wanted to weigh in. She didn’t.

“’A thing’ would honestly be too strong a choice of words,” Lisa answered. “It’s clearly more than a one-time deal, but it’s not like we’re together.”

Aiden worked the spatula under the eggs. “Got it. You’re casually seeing each other, or whatever.”

Natalie nodded once. “That’s… closer.”

He slid the pan off the burner. “Okay then.”

Lisa exhaled, letting some of the tension leave her shoulders. “Then let’s stop circling it. We’re good?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “We’re good. I’ve been good, I was just asking.”

A small pause carried the moment until Lisa finally spoke up.

“Let’s get out for a bit,” she said, with a little more cheer in her voice. “We can do brunch, and get some fresh air. We’ll figure out the rest of the day after.”

Aiden tapped the spatula on the rim. “I’m literally making eggs.”

“Since when has an egg ever filled you up?” She lifted an eyebrow. “You’ll eat them now and be hungry in an hour.”

“Two eggs,” he countered, but smiled.

“You’ll live.” Lisa set her mug down. “A shower for me, then we go.”

Natalie reached for her bottle. “We could try that spot on Stone by the park. The one with the patio.”

“I’m down,” Aiden said. “They do decent pancakes.”

“Perfect.” Lisa backed toward the hall. “Give me ten minutes. Maybe fifteen.”

Aiden plated the eggs turning to Natalie. “You sure you don’t want some?”

“No, thank you,” Natalie said. “I’m gonna go get dressed.”

“Yeah, I will right after I scarf these down.”

She gave him a quick, meaningful look. “Thanks for getting that out in the open.”

“No worries,” he replied with a shrug. “I mean, if she’s gonna try to sneak in little touches and be that bad at hiding it, then we might as well just lay it out there.”

She considered him for a moment, and with a nod she left to get dressed, and the apartment settled into the bustle of a late Saturday morning. Aiden finished his eggs in a few quick bites, rinsed his plate, and ducked into his room to swap sweats for jeans and a clean tee. When he came back out, Lisa was waiting by the door, with damp hair, and her sleep tee traded for a tank and shorts. She was tapping out a message on her phone but looked up the second he stepped into the hall.

“Ready?” she asked, smiling.

“Yep.” He checked for his wallet, pocketed his keys, and waited for Natalie.

She joined them a minute later, perching her sunglasses on her head. “Let’s go before it gets crowded.”

The three of them walked down to the street, feeling the sun already warming the fall air. At the crosswalk, Lisa rested her hand briefly on Natalie’s shoulder, a gesture so casual it might have gone unnoticed a day ago. This time, Natalie let it happen, barely acknowledging the gesture. Her eyes stayed forward, focused on the crossing signal ahead.

Brunch was a simple affair. The hostess put them on the patio under a string of faded umbrellas. Lisa sat on one side, nudging Natalie to slide in beside her. Conversation stayed light at first, revolving around orders for pancakes, omelets, and a giant cinnamon roll for the table.

Aiden watched the way they interacted, more curious than bothered. He stacked butter wrappers, forked up pancakes, and gave them space.

“Okay,” Lisa said after a lull. “Level with me, how have you been since you called?”

Aiden tipped the syrup onto his pancakes. “Better. It was just a rough day. I wasn’t sure how I did on a quiz, sleep had been a bit rough, and I guess I was just feeling a bit unsure of things. I’m sure I sounded worse than I was,” he lied, not wanting to bring up his concerns about Natalie.

“You didn’t just sound tired,” Lisa said. “You sounded like you used to, when you’d be spiraling about something.”

He grimaced. “Nah, it’s just school, it’s nothing really. Natalie’s made me a couple good meals since then, I got some sleep… I promise, I’m not spiraling. I guess I just needed my mom for a minute,” he continued, attempting to flatter her and get her to let the topic go.

“I came because you sounded wrung out,” she said. “I’m not here to hover- just to see you with my own eyes.”

He nodded. “I know, and I appreciate it. I really did feel bad bailing last night, but I’m good, I promise.”

Lisa looked to Natalie, and back to Aiden. “You’d asked if I’d heard from Natalie. Is everything okay between the two of you? Were you not talking or something?” she pressed.

They both poked their food around, taking small bites and trying to avoid eye contact.

“We’re fine,” Natalie said, finally breaking in. “As far as I know, everything’s good.”

“Yeah,” Aiden said quickly. “We’re good.”

Lisa studied them. “Then why won’t either of you look at me?”

Aiden glanced up. “Mom, please, everything’s fine. I swear.”

“Does this have anything to do with… me and Natalie?” Lisa asked.

Aiden let out a short laugh. “I haven’t given it any thought. Who you two see is up to you, even if it’s each other. That’s your deal, not mine.”

Lisa searched his face, then Natalie’s, and let it go with a nod. “All right.” She set her fork down. “After we finish, could we stop and check out a few stores? There were a few little clothing shops on the way here that looked super cute.”

“Sure,” Natalie said. “I’ve got nothing planned for the day.”

Aiden, on the other hand, gave a groan. “I’m sorry, but do you mind if I just head back? Sitting around while you two try on clothes doesn’t sound like how I want to spend my Saturday.”

Lisa waved off Aiden’s protest with a smile. “Go. We’ll call you if anything comes up.”

He finished his juice, stood, and tucked his chair in. “Don’t have too much fun shopping.”

“No promises,” Lisa called after him, her mood lightening a notch.

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