# Light Inside One Shot 1

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As we pulled up out the front of the house, I had to say I felt an odd sense of nostalgia. I didn’t even really know why, because it wasn’t like I hadn’t been here often enough since I’d come back. It felt like before Lucy and I had moved out, I’d spent as much time here as I had at my own place. Nonetheless, my mind leapt back to the times I’d first visited here. Back when I’d walked there instead of driven, on my own instead of with Lucy.
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It was a nice house, in a nice neighbourhood. Big, two storeys, nice garden. I remember being really impressed by it the first time I saw it – I’d been kind of surprised to learn Lucy had lived somewhere so upscale, but I guess that was partly because I’d gotten too used to my own place being such a dive. I preferred the apartment I had now to either one of them, though. It was more of a home than the both combined.
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“What’s with that look on your face? You look like a reminiscing old geezer or something,” From the other side of the car, Lucy was casting a playfully suspicious glare onto me. “Last time we were here wasn’t that bad, was it? Dad even invited you to go out golfing with him.”
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“No, I know, it’s nothing serious,” I laughed. “I was just remembering the first time I came here. Back in high school,”
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She gasped in mock horror, shying away from me as much as she could in a seatbelt. “God save me. You actually are turning into a reminiscing old geezer.”
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“We’re like the same age. If I’m old, you’re old,” I jabbed back as I finally turned the car off and climbed out.
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Lucy suddenly dropped the act as she considered that for a moment .“Oh yeah, good point. I take it back, you’re not old.”
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I leaned against the car and waited for her as she took a moment to stretch her wings. The sun was just starting to set, but there was still light enough to see the few other cars parked out on the street. The NasCar wasn’t among them, so I could only presume Naser was running late or something. Well, I supposed I couldn’t blame him – he still had a lot on his plate even now. Medical school was no joke, from what he'd said to us.
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“Can’t see Naser’s car anywhere,” Lucy echoed my thoughts as she made her way around the car, extending her hand out to grasp mine. “Hope he’s still coming.”
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“He said he’d be here, so I’m sure he will,” I reassured her as we made our way up the little footpath. “He would have said something, otherwise.”
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“Yeah, you’re probably right. He’s never been a dick like that,” Lucy conceded with a nod.
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She knocked firmly on the front door as we reached it. From inside I heard Samantha yell out a reply of ‘Coming!’, and then something less distinct to someone else. I could only presume that she was asking her husband to go and get the door for her, and found myself reflexively bracing for an impact that probably wasn’t going to happen. I knew it was dumb, he’d been nothing but nice to me lately, but in my own defense it’s hard to get first impressions out of your head. I’d been more than a bit unnerved by the guy when I’d first met him.
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The door opened, and to both of our surprise it wasn’t Ripley who greeted us at all, but Naser.
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“Hey, Anon. Hey, Lucy. Been a while,” He said with a warm smile.
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“Hey, Naser. Yeah, it has,” I replied, managing to recover well enough to keep the shock out of my voice. I hadn’t seen him for months now, it felt like, and I found myself a bit disarmed that he was right here in front of me.
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“Naser, hey! You’re here already!” Lucy practically squealed as her wits seemingly returned to her, immediately moving forward to pull him into a hug. “Did you take a cab here or something? Where’s your car? We thought you weren’t here yet,”
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“What? No, my car’s out front,” He pointed out past us, singling out the very car we’d parked behind.
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“Wait, what? What happened to the NasCar?” Lucy asked, turning around to check as he and she separated again. She sounded as taken aback as I was.
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He shrugged as he stepped aside to let us in, his wing splaying slightly against the wall. The warm glow from the hallway suddenly shone over us without his obstruction. “Eh. Still in the garage, bogged down behind a bunch of stuff we haven’t moved. Naomi thinks I should be driving this one around more anyway,”
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“What? Why?” Lucy sounded scandalized, her feathers bristling slightly as they pulled away again. “I liked the NasCar better,”
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He just gave us another shrug. “I guess cause it doesn’t have a big old hole in the windshield? I dunno. I wouldn’t stress too much anyway, Lucy, it’s just a car,”
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It was weird to hear him talking like that about his old car. I hadn’t even realized he wasn’t driving it anymore. He’d been really attached to it, as I remembered. I mean, the name he’d given it had managed to be the cringiest thing I’d ever heard at the time, but he’d said it so proudly. He’d really loved that car... it was kind of a shame to hear that he wasn’t driving it anymore.
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In spite of that, he seemed pretty at ease as we led the way into the lounge room. His stride was careless and relaxed, blissfully heedless of my thoughts. “So, how have you guys been going? What have you been up to?”
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I sat down on the little sofa together with Lucy as he took a seat on the chair opposite us. “Oh, not too –”
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“THERE YOU TWO ARE! I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
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I’ll swear I jumped hard enough to graze my head against the roof as Ripley’s voice boomed out from practically right next to me. Somehow my eyes had passed right over him, sitting completely still in his chair.
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My first detached thought was that it spoke well of my readjustment to civilian life that the thought of reaching for my kabar – which I didn’t even have on me anymore – hadn’t occurred to me at all. For the most part, though, my focus at that moment was stuck on trying to to get my now-rampant heartbeat back under control, and pretending I hadn’t just had the everloving shit scared out of me.
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Lucy, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have been affected at all; in fact both her and Naser were sharing a smug little smile.
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“Jesus Christ, were you there the whole time?” I reeled, hand over my chest in an effort to steady myself.
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“I was waiting for that,” Naser snickered, his grin only growing wider.
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Ripley let out an uproarious laugh. “Hah ha! Ahhh, you mammal sorts and your movement-based vision. I swear, that never gets old...”
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“That is not nice, dear,” Samantha appeared from the doorway leading into the kitchen to chide him, wooden spoon in hand and her usual pink apron on. I could see an amused smile on her beak in spite of her words as she made her way into the room at a brisk pace and wrapped her daughter up in a tight hug. “Hello, Lucy, Anon. It’s lovely to see you two,”
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“Hey, mom. And hey, dad,” Even as she returned it, Lucy still couldn’t quite keep the laughter out of her voice. “It’s good to see you, too.”
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She separated from Lucy and immediately headed back towards the kitchen. “Dinner’s not quite ready yet, you two, but it will be soon! Do you want anything to drink?”
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“Not at the moment, thanks. Do you need a hand with anything?” I offered before she left the room. I was composed enough again to remember my manners.
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“No, thank you, I’ve got everything well in hand. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked for this many people, but I’ve still got it!” She yelled out her answer from the kitchen. “It really is such a pity Naomi couldn’t come, though, Naser! Why, this could have been our first dinner together as a whole little family,”
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“Yeah, that’s really a shame,” Lucy muttered under her breath with a roll of her eyes. Thankfully Naser didn’t seem to hear her.
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“So, like I was saying – How have you guys been going?” He asked again. “Been a while since we’ve gotten to talk.”
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“We’ve been going alright. It’s been a... really busy couple of weeks, though,” I answered again, still half expecting something else to scare me out of my wits as I did so. “What about you? You and Naomi still doing alright?”
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Preoccupied as we had been the last month or two, first with the move and then with Trish, we hadn’t had much time to keep up with anyone else. Before the move, I’d talked to Naser a little bit when I’d seen him at Lucy’s place, but never for too long. He’d seemed a bit preoccupied, and more interested to know how Lucy was doing than he was to talk about himself.
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“Yeah, we’re doing pretty good,” He said with a laid-back smile. “We just took out a mortgage on our own place, if you can believe that. Dad helped us find a cheap little house just out of town. We started moving in last week.”
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“Really? That’s great,” I congratulated him with a smile. Maybe I’d had the wrong of it at first. He seemed like he was doing pretty alright for himself after all. He certainly seemed a lot more relaxed now, if nothing else.
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“Wow, Naser! An actual house? You gotta let us come over and see it sometime!” Lucy looked surprised as well for a moment, before her expression shifted into one of guilt. “... I can’t believe this is the first I’m hearing of it. I’m sorry, Naser, I’ve just been really focused on my own –”
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“Hey, don’t worry about it, Lucy,” Naser headed her off with a wave of his hand. I caught how he shot a brief, dubious look my way as he did, though. His tone was as cordial as ever, but I heard questions unasked, masked behind. “I mean, if you guys have been real busy, your stuff’s gotta take priority. But yeah, when things settle down a bit I’d love to have you guys over. At least after we finish unpacking, anyway.”
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“I thought you said you moved in last week? We had our unpacking done in a few days,” I asked.
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He gave a short laugh and a shake of his head. “You severely underestimate how much stuff Naomi has, Anon.”
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“And how much stuff he has, too,” Ripley chimed in, directing an amused chuckle Naser’s way. “Seriously. Ever since you and Lucy moved out, I’m certain we tripled our floor space. And wall space.”
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“Oh, come on, dad,” Lucy scoffed, gesturing exasperatedly around the lounge room . “Me and Naser kept most of our stuff in our rooms, it’s hardly changed here. Look, you still got everything in exactly the same spots.”
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“Well, yeah, I didn’t say which rooms we gained most of the space in,” He smirked, prompting Lucy to just roll her eyes. His face fell into a slightly more thoughtful expression as the smile faded. “It really has been a lot quieter with you both gone, though...”
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“We can come visit if you want, dad,” Naser suggested. “Like on the weekends or something.”
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“That would be a great idea!” Samantha appeared in the doorway again, her beak open in a wide smile. “Your father’s right, it really has been too quiet here. The both of you ought to give us a call more often! You especially, Lucy. We’ve missed you since you moved,”
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“Sorry, mom,” Lucy said ruefully, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’ll call more often, I promise. It’s just been... really busy,”
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“It’s alright, Lucy, don’t be sorry. Like I said, we just miss you,” Samantha gave her a consoling expression, before she abruptly clapped her hands and beckoned us into the dining room. “But now, come on, you lot! Dinner’s ready, come and sit.”
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We took our seats around the table as she went back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen, each time bringing back a larger dish and again waving off anyone who offered to help. She seemed to have gone all out – the room was smothered in the heady aroma that can only come from home cooking, on a scale grander that even Lucy could manage. Just about every inch of the table that didn’t already have a plate or bowl on it was soon taken up by a pot of stew, a bowl of sauce, a platter of slow-cooked pork and vegetables. It wasn’t so much a dinner as an outright banquet. Lucy’s cooking made me feel as spoiled as a fat king – but even the king’s chef had no recourse but to quail and bow before the god’s own feast that was now laid out before us.
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I couldn’t deny I was tempted to start in already, but I knew from experience that was a bad idea. I’d seen Naser and Ripley cop stinging slaps to the hand for trying it on meals far less extravagant than this. Even now the both of them were eyeing the food up covetously, but Samantha’s baleful glare kept them at bay. Lucy was usually more restrained, but this time she looked like she was fighting off the temptation as well.
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“Wow, mom... I think you might have cooked a bit too much,” Lucy marvelled.
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“There’s no such thing!” Samantha clucked her tongue at her as she sat down. “And besides, it’s the first time we’re getting to eat together as a family like this, I wanted to make it special.”
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“No it’s not, mom. We’ve had Anon over for dinner tons of times.” Naser remarked bemusedly.
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“Oh, you know what I mean. Even if Naomi couldn’t be here, I couldn’t just un-cook everything,” She huffed, pointing a threatening finger his way. “You’re not too old for a whack around the crest yet, Naser.”
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“You’re never too old for that, as a matter of fact,” Ripley muttered.
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Naser just laughed, sounding completely unphased. “Sorry, mom.”
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“You better be. Now – What are you waiting for? Dig in!”
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There was an immediate flurry of movement. Lucy didn’t insist on making anyone say grace – I got the feeling she wanted to, but everyone bar her and I already had their plates half full, so she settled for crossing herself before promptly setting about stacking her plate high with everything in reach.
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For a little while, eating replaced speaking at the table as the dino family I was now a part of tucked in. The food became the centrepiece of what little discussion remained, and the only words uttered were to ask for someone to pass a dish around to them. I could hardly blame them as I finally managed to secure myself a bowl of casserole. It was phenomenal – like nothing I’d ever had growing up. Cooked to perfection, richer than probably anything I’d ever had before. The care and effort Samantha put into her work was on full display.
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I supposed I might be biased, but as good as it was, I still thought Lucy’s cooking was better – maybe only by the barest fraction, but still. Not that I’d ever say that out loud either way. I doubted that Samantha would deem me to be too old for a whack around the ears, either.
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I managed to pack away my share of the meal as we steadily tore our way through it, though I’d admit freely I couldn’t keep up with the voracious appetite of anyone else at the table. I’d grown so used to it, though, I didn’t even notice until Lucy decided to rib me about it.
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“What, Anon, not that hungry? Mom poured her heart and soul into this, you know,” She nudged me with one feathered elbow, a wry grin on her face.
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“Ahh, cut me some slack, I can’t help it if I can’t eat as fast as you,” I rolled my eyes.
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“You haven’t been overfeeding that boy at home, have you, Lucy?” Samantha cast a mock critical eye over her daughter. “He’s right, humans are just like that. You have to go easy on him,”
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“I’ve been careful, mom, don’t worry,” Lucy laughed, shooting me another smug little smile before turning to her mom. “Speaking of which, I was about to ask – this roast, I don’t think we’ve ever had it like this before, have we?”
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“No, I’m trying a recipe from one of my friends out,” Samantha answered happily. “What do you think?”
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“I think it’s f – I think it’s absolutely great,” Lucy caught her slip of the tongue well enough that she only received a playful finger wagging for it. “Can you send me the recipe? I want to make it as well.”
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“Oh, certainly! It’s in one of my binders. I can copy it out for you after dinner, if you want!” Samantha practically glowed. “But you’ll have to help me with the washing up, then.”
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Lucy gave her a confused look. “Uh... I could just take a picture of it, mom.”
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“What? A photo just for a recipe? That’s so wasteful –” Samantha’s reproach died halfway through being delivered as Lucy reached into her pocket and displayed her phone. “Oh, right. You kids and your new technology these days...”
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“She’ll still help you with the washing up, though, don’t worry,” I saw my opportunity and I took it, leaning over to jab my own elbow into Lucy’s side this time.
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“He means we’ll help, mom. He’s volunteering himself, too, isn’t that nice?” She glared at me with playfully narrowed eyes.
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“Very nice indeed, dear.”
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Everyone else at the table was watching us with quiet amusement. Ripley said something under his breath that apparently got a laugh out of both Samantha and Naser, but I wasn’t able to hear.
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The meal progressed steadily, the tremendous feast slowly crumbling under the family’s attentions – and my own less prodigious efforts. Though we hadn’t been around for dinner with them in a while, the atmosphere was exactly the same as ever. With all the turbulence Lucy and I were coming out of from the last few weeks, it was nice to have something that could be relied upon. It was still welcoming here, a place where we were we could be at ease and just relax.
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Finally, though, the dinner came to an unceremonious end as Lucy finished her plate off and didn’t go back for seconds – or another round of seconds, I should say. I’d given the ghost up a while back and was now in the process of fighting off a food coma, and the rest of the family didn’t look like they were doing much better.
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Samantha was the first one to rouse herself, pushing away from the table and using her wings to steady herself as she stood up and turned towards the kitchen. “Alright... Someone stack the plates and bowls up, please. Come on, Lucy. Let’s start washing up.”
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“Sure thing, mom. Come on, Anon,” Lucy stood up slowly, grabbing me by the arm as she did and hauling me up as well with surprising strength.
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“Actually – Just you, Lucy, please. I want to talk to you.”
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She stopped abruptly, leaving me awkwardly hanging somewhere between sitting and standing as she exchanged a glance with her mom. “What about?”
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Samantha just shrugged. “About girl stuff. Come on,”
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She tilted her head insistently towards the kitchen, and with a shrug, Lucy seemed to decide to go along with it. She pushed me back down into my seat with the same force she’d started lifting me out of it, still as casual as you please.
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“Alright, just me, then. Coming, mom.”
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We three who remained hauled ourselves up out of our seats and retired to the lounge room. Ripley turned the TV on to some news program. A professional-looking yellow raptor with slicked-back hair was busily talking about some bullshit or other, but I’d already tuned it out. There was hardly any good news on the news these days anyway.
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“How are you going with med school, Naser?” I asked over the white noise.
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“Ahhh, I’m still working my way through my bachelor’s, Anon. It’s a long ride,” He chuckled. “It’s hard as hell, and there’s so much to remember, but I’m looking forward to the day I can start actually putting some of what I’ve learned to use. Feels like I’ve just been learning about stuff forever.”
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“How long have you got to go still?”
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“I’m not even halfway through yet,” He said with a lazy shrug. “Another year of college. Four years of medical school, but at least I’ll get to do clinical rotations in the second half. Then after that I gotta find someplace to work.”
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“You say that as though you’ll have any issues there, Naser,” Ripley laughed, shifting backward in his seat. “A boy of your talent? You’ll be getting letters from hospitals across the country begging you to come work for them.”
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“Yeah, thanks, dad. We’ll see,” He said with humble smile. “I’d like to stay close to home, if I could. If I can get a position at the Greater Volcaldera Hospital... that’d be nice. But either way, that’s like seven or so years off still. I ain’t gonna stress about it yet.”
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I whistled. “God damn. I know it takes ages to become a doctor, but that’s a long-ass time.”
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“Man, you’re telling me?” Naser gave another laugh as he stood up out of his chair. “I’m gonna get something out of my car. Back in a minute.”
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As he passed me, he cuffed me slightly on the shoulder, tipping his head towards the door surreptitiously just as Samantha had a few minutes prior. The message wasn’t lost on me, and I gave him a tiny nod before he moved on.
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I gave it a few seconds before I stood up and excused myself to follow him. “I’m heading outside for a minute, too. I need to get some air.”
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“Anon.” Damn. A few seconds wasn’t near enough, apparently. Ripley’s voice was suddenly brusque as he addressed me. “I wanted to ask. How have you and Lucy been doing since she moved out?”
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“Well, we’ve been doing alright. Like we said earlier, it’s just been real busy for us both.” His authoritative tone of voice made me unsure if I should be calling him Ripley or ‘sir’ all of a sudden.
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He nodded slowly, his expression somehow as much patient and understanding as it was firm and demanding. I got the distinct feeling that I was being judged, but the jury was still out. “You been treating her right?”
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I let out a short exhale. “... I’ve been doing my best for her. I’m not sure how much of it is my place to say, but the last few weeks have been a bit... tumultuous for us both. We, ah... We met an old friend from high school.”
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His brow furrowed. “It wasn’t that pink raptor weirdo, was it? What was his name again...?”
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“No, that was Reed. We... bumped into Trish.” In a manner of speaking. “I don’t know how well you know her...”
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“Ah, yeah. I remember her,” A flash of recognition lit his face up before it fell back down into a focused look. “Hm. Now I think about it, I don’t remember seeing much of her after Lucy left high school... She just stopped talking about her all of a sudden.”
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“Yeah, she and Lucy didn’t exactly part on the best of terms...”
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“And did she do something? When you saw her?” He asked in a deadly serious tone, leaning forward in his chair slightly. “I’d chalked it up to the stress of moving, but Lucy’s been a bit distant lately. Did Trish do something to her?”
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“No, she actually didn’t,” I said quickly. Jesus, he sounded like he was ready to go up after her now if I’d given him half a reason. “I’m... really not sure how much I should say, Ripley. It was kind of personal. But... It went better than I might have thought. They made up and all,”
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A look of mild surprise overtook him for a second as he slowly sat back again. “Ah. Well, that’s good to hear. Still... Keep an eye on her, won’t you? Keep an eye on them both. I don’t want anything happening to my little Lucy, alright?”
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“Of course I will. I don’t want anything happening to her, either,” I answered firmly. “She’s tough, though. She can handle herself, too.”
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“I know. I just worry about her. For a while, it felt like we were... losing her,” A rare smile suddenly broke through on his face. “You know, you’re almost a completely different man to the kid who first stepped in this house, Anon. I never would have pegged you for it back then, but... I honestly think you are the best fit for my Lucy. You’re a good man, Anon, and... I’m glad she met you.”
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For a moment, I was stunned out of a response. That was the last thing I’d come into this house expecting to hear tonight. “I... Thank you,”
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He waved me away. “Don’t tell anyone I said that, of course.”
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“Of course.” I couldn’t quite keep a smile down. Man had to save face.
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“We really should go golfing sometime, Anon. Next time you’re around, we can sort something out. What do you say?” He’d made the offer before, but this time there wasn’t even the slightest undercurrent of an implied threat, joking or not.
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“... Sure, that sounds good. I don’t have my own clubs or anything, though. And you’ll probably kick my ass,” I agreed. I’d never really golfed before, but hell, it might actually be fun if I didn’t have to worry about one of those clubs coming down over my head at any point.
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“You can borrow mine, son. And don’t worry, I’ll teach you. Golf isn’t too hard to pick up, you’ll see.”
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“Alright, sure. Sounds good then.”
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He gave me a crisp nod as I turned to leave the room and followed Naser out of the house.
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The cool wind was the first thing I felt as I opened the door, an immediate shift from the warm, cozy home. Night had well and truly fallen on Volcaldera bluffs, the only light now coming from the occasional streetlamp and the front light above me.
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Naser was sitting quietly on the front step, appearing at ease. He turned and looked up at me as I clicked the door shut again. “There you are. You get lost on the way out or something?”
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“No, Ripley just wanted to talk to me for a minute.” I said.
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He looked slightly concerned. “... Okay, what’s the damage?”
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“What?”
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“I know dad. When he wants to ‘talk’ to someone, shit gets real.” He explained, looking me up and down as though inspecting me for injuries. “So what’s the damage? Nothing that needs a doctor, right? I’m not qualified to practice yet.”
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“What? No, it was fine,” I laughed. “He actually really just wanted to talk for a minute. It wasn’t anything bad. He invited me to go golfing with him.”
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Naser’s eyes opened wide with skepticism. “...And he didn’t mean it like he’s going to beat you to death with a golf club or anything?”
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“He’s never actually done that to anyone, has he?” I asked doubtfully.
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“Well, no. Not as far as I know. But I mean, he probably would if he was pushed...” Naser said, visibly nervous as he considered the prospect.
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“Yeah, I get that impression off him sometimes...” I sat down next to him on the stoop. “But no. I mean actual golf. He said he’d teach me.”
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Naser was silent for a second. “Huh. He must really like you.”
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“You think so? It’s just golf.”
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“He takes his golf pretty seriously, you know. So yeah, if he’s happy to spend time teaching you, I’d say so,” He sat back slightly, flicking his wings out behind him as he looked up at the black sky.
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I spent a minute thinking about that as I looked out at the empty street. It was a nice thought to consider, honestly. I’d been terrified of the grizzled old ptero when I’d first met him. To think that he’d warmed up to me made me feel like I’d finally properly earned a place in this family.
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My eyes fell on Naser’s car as I slowly swept them down the street, and I had to wonder again why he’d sprung for a new car.
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“You mind if I ask you something, Naser?” He nodded a quiet affirmative. “Why’d you ditch the NasCar? I liked that thing.”
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“I haven’t ditched it, Anon. Like I said, it’s still in the garage,” He shrugged. “Dragging it out isn’t exactly the highest on my list of priorities right now, though. Once we get everything else sorted out I’ll probably drive it around more. Naomi thinks it should be repaired before I take it out anywhere, anyway... She’s kind of right, I guess.”
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“You think so? I like it how it is,”
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“What, with the big old bullet hole in the driver’s side windshield?” He asked incredulously.
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“Yeah. Gives it charm.” I answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Is it definitely a bullet hole, then?”
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“Probably. Dad won’t say, but I’m pretty sure it is,” He shrugged. “Anyway, at the end of the day, it really is just a car, Anon. A great car, but just a car. I’m not gonna throw it away if that’s what you’re worried about. I might get it refurbished at some point, get the windshield fixed up, but it’s not ending up in the bin even if Naomi doesn’t like it. It’s still a good car.”
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“That’s good to hear,” I smiled. “How come Naomi’s not here, anyway?”
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“Too busy, she says. Tons of paperwork,” Naser heaved a sigh. “She’s a secretary at this accounting firm now, I don’t know if I’ve told you. She’s always busy now, I swear... I don’t know if she just takes her job too seriously or what, but it makes me miss high school. I thought we’d have less work after we left, but we’ve just got even more.”
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“Damn, man. That’s rough,” I said consolingly. I didn’t envy the poor bastard, but I had no idea what I’d do in his shoes. “I hope she can chill out or something. Spend some more time with you.”
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“Yeah, thanks man. Me too,” He said with a short nod. “But anyway. I brought you out here because I wanted to ask you something.”
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“I gathered that. You want to ask how Lucy’s going, right?”
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He drew back a bit in surprise. “Yeah, actually. How’d you know?”
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“Wild guess.” That and his dad had already asked me exactly that already, not even five minutes ago. “It’s not entirely my place to say, Naser. You should ask her. But she’s doing alright.”
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He was silent for a moment, inspecting me for any trace of dishonesty before he turned his gaze back out to the street again. “I’d just worried she was starting to... I dunno. Relapse a bit, when she didn’t call after she moved out. But you’re right, I will.”
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I didn’t have to ask what he meant by that. Lucy herself had told me the state she’d been in while I was gone, but she was a lot stronger now than she was then. “You shouldn’t worry so much before you at least ask her. It’s not like in high school, I don’t think she’d push you away now if you asked.”
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“... Yeah, I know. I suppose you’re right. I’ve just always worried about her. Even when she didn’t want me to, even when I probably shouldn’t have,” He said with another light sigh. “But I have noticed she’s seemed a lot better since you came back. You know, this’ll sound dumb, Anon, but... I probably wouldn’t be where I am now if it weren’t for you,”
​
“What do you mean?”
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“Well, this course. Medical school. I don’t know if I’d have the, uh... fortitude, I guess, for it. I remember back in high school, I was worried as shit about Lucy all the time, it was hard to focus on class. I felt like I was on the verge of a breakdown sometimes, no lie.”
​
“It sounds rough, but... I don’t get what you mean about me.”
​
“Look – this course is stressful enough as it is. If I still had to worry about Lucy on top of it, I probably would have gone postal by now.” He gave a weak chuckle as he looked out onto the darkened street. “I just wouldn’t be able to do it, man. I mean, for a little while after you left, I was still kinda worried for her. But she covered a lot of ground while you were gone, made up with mom and dad and all, and since you came back... she really does seem like she’s going to be okay, you know? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her as happy as she is now.”
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“Well, it’s not just me you have to thank for that. She’s tougher than everyone thinks, you know. She’s tougher than even she thinks sometimes.” I pointed out gently.
​
“Yeah, I know... Still, I was a bit nervous when she said you and her were getting married. You’re a good guy, Anon, of course you are, but I felt like – well, I still kind of do feel like you and her are rushing into it all a bit.” He shot me a sharp look, but it softened as fast again as he heaved a sigh. “... I get that it’s too late to say that now, though. What I’ll say instead is... You better not break her heart, man. Not that I think you will, but you still better not.”
​
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” I said firmly. “Lucy means more to me than anything else in the world at this point.”
​
“Good.”
​
The door clicked open, and we both looked back to see Lucy herself emerging from the house. She gave us a soft smile as she shut the door again. “Hey. What are you two doing, sitting out here in the cold?”
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“Just talking,” Naser and I said almost simultaneously.
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“Could be doing that in front of the heater, you guys,” She laughed.
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“Yeah, well... You know.” Naser shrugged. Cool as a cucumber. “Look, Lucy... I wanted to ask, have you been doing alright lately?”
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“What? Yeah, Naser, I’m fine. Why’s everyone keep asking me that? First mom, now you,” She nudged me with her foot as she spoke, and I scooched over to make room for her on the step.
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“I just got a bit worried when mom said you hadn’t called for a while, was all,” He said, slightly defensively. “Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
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“Oh, well... Well, yeah, I’m doing fine, Naser. Better than fine, actually – I’m doing pretty good. It just really has been... you know. A busy few weeks.”
​
She didn’t quite meet his gaze as he spoke. Instead she turned to me, flicking me a meaningful look. I supposed she didn’t want to tell him about how she’d met up with Trish quite yet. Of her family, I could understand why he’d be the last person she’d want to tell. He’d known Trish the most, and even if he didn’t hate her, my first guess would be to say that he liked her the least.
​
“Well, look. We’ll all help if you need anything, Lucy,” Naser said solemnly. I nodded in affirmation – I’d promised as much to her already. “Don’t feel like you’re alone, okay?”
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“I appreciate it, Naser, but I’ve got to do some things on my own, you know? I can’t come to you guys for everything, every time I need help,” Lucy replied with a sigh. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate you guys or that I don’t love you or anything, it’s just... I don’t want to be a burden to you guys anymore.”
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“You’re not –”
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“I have been,” She insisted. “I have. Don’t say I haven’t. I have been, but I won’t anymore. I’m glad I’ve got you guys, I really am – but I’ve got to prove I can do it. To myself, if nobody else.”
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“Alright...” Naser relented, uncertain reluctance tinging his tone. “... You’re still going to come visit them, though, right?”
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“Yeah, of course. Mom was right, I haven’t visited or even called as much as I should. I’m going to do better,” She said confidently. “Just as long as you keep Naomi out of my face, if you’re going to bring her along when you come.”
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Naser shook his head exasperatedly. “I don’t get why you hate her so much, Lucy. She’s been really good to me, and she likes you too. She’s never said a single bad word about you, you know.”
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“Has she ever actually said a word about me at all?” Lucy asked dubiously.
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“Yeah. Every time I told her Anon came to visit, before you two got married, she’d ask me how you both were going. She always seemed pretty happy when I told her you were doing fine,” He explained. “It’d be easier if you got along with her, if we’re going to be a family. I wish you’d give her a chance.”
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“I... I just...” Lucy floundered for a second and fell silent. “... You’re really going to marry her?”
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“I’m thinking about it,” He said after a pause. “I’m honestly considering it. She really has been good to me, Lucy.”
​
Just like Trish, I’d never really liked Naomi much back at Volcano High. I remember coming up with nickname after nickname for her back then. I couldn’t deny that she’d helped me out a lot, though, and I was grateful for it – even if she’d very obviously only ever done it for her own sake, help was help.
​
She was often sickeningly sweet, to the point that it came across as nothing more than a facade for a nasty person to wear – But honestly, she’d never wronged me or Lucy. I supposed it would be wrong to judge her without giving her a chance, really – I hadn’t seen her much since I’d come back. She might have changed.
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“She might not be that bad, Lucy,” I said with a little nudge.
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“Oh, alright, alright,” She huffed. “I’m sorry, Naser. It’s just she... I dunno. She never really seemed like my type of person. She just kind of annoyed me, but I’ll try and... I’ll be nice, okay? I’ll make it work.”
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“Thank you, Lucy. That’s all I’m asking for,”” Naser tipped his head. “That actually reminds me. What about your parents, Anon? We ever going to meet your folks?”
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“... Probably not, at this point. Dad doesn’t seem to want much to do with me now I’m out of his hair,” I shrugged. It came out a bit blunt, but it was better to just say it straight, I thought. I didn’t want them to think it was a big deal, when I’d mostly gotten over it. “He never rang me once after school, or when I came back, not even when I told him about how I was getting married. He’s got my number if he ever wants to talk to me, but I doubt it.”
​
It wasn’t really something that affected me anymore. Maybe it was sad to say, but I felt more wanted as a part of Lucy’s family than I had in my own. It was easier to be happy here than it ever had been with my own mom and dad. I didn’t feel like I had to do something to try and fit in here, I just did. I was in a good place, with a good family, and good friends.
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If my own family wanted to make the push to be a part of that, I’d give them a shot. But I doubted it. I’d given them an invitation already, and they hadn’t taken it.
​
Lucy was looking away unhappily. She’d asked me about this before, before the wedding, and I’d said pretty much the same thing back then. Naser, meanwhile, was fixing me with a look that told me he had no idea what to say, his beak hanging partway open as he visibly tried to process it. I wasn’t sure what more I could say to assuage him.
​
“Look, don’t worry about it,” I tried to reassure him anyway. “Ball’s in their court, is what I’m getting at. If they want to meet you guys, then they will. I’m not going to push them, though, because that wouldn’t end well.”
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“And – What, you’re happy with that?” Naser asked disbelievingly.
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“Not completely,” I answered honestly. “But it’s the best I can do under the circumstances. I am happy here.”
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“Well, that’s... Something, I guess,” He looked away, shaking his head. “Man. I don’t know what I’d do if my mom and dad were like that.”
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I remembered a time where he’d told me that Ripley and Samantha had both just about given up on Lucy completely, but I didn’t open my mouth to remind him of it. Unlike in their case, my own parents probably couldn’t be made to come around.
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“It doesn’t matter overly much, Naser. I wouldn’t worry about it,” I shrugged. “If they don’t want to, they don’t want to. If they do, I’m here.”
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“I hope they do,” Lucy said quietly. “I’d like to meet them at least.”
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“Me too,” Naser agreed.
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I leaned back and looked at the black sky above. “Maybe one day.”