Time to join the other two

Natalie leaned against the kitchen island, half-listening as Lisa recounted the woman who came in mortified, asking for help removing a decorative wine stopper she’d mistaken for something sturdier during a moment of... experimentation, and then having to lecture her about the importance of something that flared at least, so it wouldn’t go all the way in, if she was going to continue making questionable choices.

It was classic Lisa, half absurd, half hilarious, and Natalie found herself smiling, even though her attention drifted every few seconds.

She heard the bedroom door down the hall open then close again. The sound barely registered, but it tugged her focus just the same. It was a sound she didn’t cause. A sound from someone who was now going to be inhabiting her space. Aiden’s room was across the hall from hers, close enough to make a difference in how loud she could be, but not right on top of each other. It had seemed like a logical arrangement when she offered it. Now it just felt noticeably close.

A moment later, he reappeared, pausing at the edge of the kitchen like he wasn’t sure whether to come in or wait to be invited.

“Survived the unpacking?” Natalie asked, in acknowledgement of him.

“Mostly,” he said. “Still figuring out where to put little things. Just details.”

“You’ll figure it out. The drawers aren’t that deep; it can’t leave you with too many options.”

He gave a quick smile and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. There was a quiet hesitation in how he held himself, like he was still finding his place in the room.

“Can’t help it,” he said after a beat. “I’m in school for architecture. Making things fit is kind of… hardwired.”

Natalie raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. “So, you’re saying the junk drawer might be your greatest challenge?”

“Depends how chaotic it is,” he replied, the smile returning. “Could be a decent design exercise in spatial awareness.” He was grateful for how easy she seemed to make it to talk to her, and ease some of the weirdness.

Lisa turned from the fridge with a grin. “Don’t encourage her. Next thing you know she’ll be asking for a full rework of the spice cabinet.”

“Only if it comes with extra credit,” he said.

That drew a laugh from both women, and Natalie found herself relaxing a little. It wasn’t effortless, nothing about this situation would be, but at least he seemed to have a sense of humor. She’d been concerned based on her minimal interactions of him before, and Lisa saying she intimidated him.

He moved a little farther into the room, staying close to the edge but present. She noticed he didn’t pull out his phone or try to fade into the background. He was just taking it in and not forcing anything.

Lisa rubbed her hands together. “Okay, we’re voting on dinner. Thai or pizza?”

Aiden glanced between them. “I’m good with whatever.”

Natalie grabbed the stack of takeout menus. “That’s not how voting works here, you don’t get to abstain.”

Dinner had come and gone, leaving takeout boxes half-collapsed on the coffee table, empty plates stacked nearby, and two glasses of wine quickly making their way through the bottle Lisa had brought. The TV played low in the background, but no one was really paying attention. Lisa had made herself comfortable in the middle of the couch, legs tucked under her and turned a bit towards her friend. Natalie was curled at one end, elbow on the armrest, glass balanced loosely in hand. Aiden had taken the accent chair to the side, sitting a little straighter than the others, one foot bouncing lightly as he listened.

“So,” Lisa said, topping off Natalie’s glass before offering the bottle toward Aiden. “Want some?”

Natalie glanced over. “He’s not old enough.”

Lisa rolled her eyes. “Please. He’s twenty. And we all know he’s had a lot more than a glass of wine at those college parties.”

Aiden let out a short laugh, glancing between them like he wasn’t sure if he was in on the joke or the target of it. Lisa wasn’t done. “I found him drunk on our front porch senior year. Was trying to sneak in all quiet, and he fell over taking off his shoes before coming inside.”

“I thought you didn’t know about that,” Aiden muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m a nurse, not an idiot,” Lisa replied, smirking. “You were home safe. That’s what mattered at that moment. At least this time he’s drinking at home,” she finished, looking at Natalie having emphasized the last word.

The word caught Natalie off guard. Home. She looked at Aiden again, glass paused just short of her lips. He didn’t seem to notice the shift, or if he did, he didn’t react. He just leaned forward and accepted the pour into his water glass with a quiet, “Thanks.”

He already saw this place that way, or at very least, didn’t resist the idea of it. Natalie took a sip, letting the wine settle on her tongue while the thought settled somewhere deeper.

Lisa pressed on, cheerful and tireless as ever. “Okay, so no college horror stories yet, but let’s shift gears. What’s the worst living situation either of you have been in?”

Natalie raised an eyebrow. “That implies I’ve had more than one. I went straight from my parents’ house to my ex’s. Never had a roommate.”

“Seriously?” Aiden asked, genuinely surprised.

She shrugged. “Lived with my husband until I didn’t.”

Lisa leaned in with a mock-conspiratorial grin. “And now she’s making up for lost time by taking in strays.”

“I’m not a stray,” Aiden muttered, examining the wine in his glass.

“Tell that to the duffel bag you walked in with, hobo” Natalie replied, her tone dry, and not cracking a smile.

That brought out a little laugh from Aiden, the first one since they started eating, he seemed to ease into his seat a little more. He wasn’t completely comfortable, but the edges of his caution had rounded off.

Lisa gave Natalie a look that said told you so without actually saying it. The conversation drifted on from there, letting the bad living situations go. Classes, transit nightmares, whether pad see ew was better than drunken noodles. Lisa did most of the heavy lifting of the conversation, pulling threads and nudging them into topics that felt neutral and comfortable.

Enjoying the story? You can support my work on Patreon where this story is currently through chapter 67 at the time of this posting. Happy reading!