Phone conversation of Lisa asking to let him stay

“Seriously, Nat, you’re a lifesaver.”

Lisa’s voice crackled slightly through the speakerphone as Natalie placed a pair of folded towels at the foot of the bed.

“I owe you big time for this,” Lisa said.

“You say that like I’m not still trying to convince myself it’s a good idea,” Natalie replied, smoothing the fabric unnecessarily.

Lisa chuckled. “He’s not high-maintenance, I swear. You might even forget he’s there.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Natalie muttered. “That I’ll walk into the kitchen in my robe, or less, and scare the hell out of both of us.”

Lisa laughed. “You’re going to get along better than you think.”

Natalie paused. “I haven’t lived with anyone in a while and I wasn’t planning on it for some time.”

“Since Frank, I know, c’mon, there’s always room for one more.”

“Yeah.” She tugged at a loose thread on the comforter. “It’s been kind of… nice. Quiet.”

Lisa didn’t say anything for a moment. “Well, it’s not like Aiden’s going to disrupt your whole world.”

“Mm.” Natalie made a noncommittal noise, then added, “I just didn’t think the next person I’d live with would be your son.”

“He’s not a kid anymore,” Lisa said, with a tone that was almost teasing. “You’ll see.”

“I’m not looking,” Natalie shot back.

“Didn’t say you were,” Lisa replied, lightly. Then, after a moment, “He always thought you were kind of intimidating, you know.”

Natalie raised an eyebrow. “I was twenty-five and working all the time when he met me. And if I wasn’t working, I was trying to keep Frank calm while he tried to keep tabs on everything I did when I wasn’t home. I think I barely looked up from my phone.”

“He still remembers you as intimidating, for whatever reason.”

That made Natalie pause, but she kept her tone casual. “Well, I hope I don’t scare him off this time.”

“He’s not that easily scared anymore.”

There was something in Lisa’s voice that Natalie couldn’t quite pin down. Maybe it was simple motherly pride.

“I’ll keep him in line,” Natalie said. “Just promise you won’t start calling me his second mom.”

Lisa laughed again. “You? Please. Actually, now that you mention it, he’d probably listen to you more than he listens to me.”

A longer pause this time.

“You sure this won’t be weird?” Natalie asked, almost pleading for reassurance from the universe.

There was a lightness in Lisa’s reply. “Would it be the first time we agreed to something that wasn’t a little weird between us?”

Natalie didn’t answer right away. She reached for her glass of wine and took a slow sip.

“This is different” She replied. Not hearing Lisa respond, she added, “Fine, I’ll manage.”

“I know you will,” Lisa said, softer now. “You always do. You nervous?”

“A little.”

“You excited?”

Natalie smirked. “Don’t push it.”

Lisa laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop. Just be nice to him, will you?”

“I will,” Natalie said. “But I’m not making him muffins.”

Lisa paused. “You’re totally making muffins, aren’t you?”

Natalie sighed. “They’re banana nut. Don’t judge me.”

“Oh, I’m judging. But also, I’m touched you’d go through the trouble.”

Another small pause settled between them.

Lisa spoke first. “Crazy, isn’t it? When we met in that hot yoga class seven years ago, I never would’ve guessed my son would end up living with you.”

Natalie let out a dramatic sigh, “Yeah… that definitely wasn’t on my bingo card.”

“Honestly, I would’ve expected me to live with you before Aiden ever did,” Lisa said a little more playfully.

Natalie blinked, caught off guard. She gave a small laugh, unsure how else to respond. “Well… you probably would’ve been better at folding the towels.”

Lisa laughed with her. “Maybe. But I definitely wouldn’t stay out of your wine stash.” She smiled to herself, thinking for a second.

“Weird, huh?” Lisa said.

“Weirds one word for it,” she answered. She appreciated that she could be candid with Lisa, all things considered.

“Anyway,” Lisa said, slipping back into her usual chipper tone, “you’ll be great.”

“I’ll manage,” Natalie replied. “I usually do.”

“I know,” Lisa said, quieter now. “Night, Nat.”

“Night, Lisa.”

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