Head In The Stars

The next few days were filled with two activities: exercise and reading. Both Millie and I got stuck into our respective library books while I slowly got used to all the running in the morning. After the third day I didn't even have to gasp like a fish when I finished my rounds.

And it made me wonder what was taking Claire so long. She'd said it would take just a few days to verify things but here we were over a week later. I mentioned this to Aron, and he said, with a serious face, perhaps Claire had set up cameras and was filming a reality show focused on all the ways that Millie likes to wrap everyone around her little finger. I must admit, I didn't have a good rebuttal to that one.

And so rolled around the long-awaited dinner.

It seemed I must have misunderstood something. I'd assumed since the beginning that Aron's intention was to ask me out on a date, as in an actual date, but as it turned out, it was actually a dinner cooked by him at his parent's home. It took the pressure off me, which I was grateful for and made it easier for me, but I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

"You sure this is the right place?" asked Millie.

We were standing at the end of the hall of an upper market apartment block. The walls and floors were polished marble and granite and the lamps had intricate floral designs on them.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm… quite sure."

"That pause does not breed confidence."

I shrugged and rung the doorbell.

There was the sound of feet then after a few moments the door opened.

"Lachlan," Aron said with a smile. "And Millie," he added. His smile became a little stiff.

I wasn't going to just leave Millie on her own for the night. During the day, when I had to go off to do something, I could usually get babysitting help from Yuetling or one of her friends, but at night I felt I had to personally make sure Millie didn't disappear. Maybe it was just the memory of how she'd disappeared before but there was something about her at night that made me worry.

"Greetings human," said Millie.

"Greetings," Aron replied. "I hope you come in peace."

"I do."

"Alright, then you can come in," Aron said, making room for Millie to pass him. "There are slippers on the left."

"Sorry," I said once Millie was through. "I hope it's not too much trouble…"

Aron shook his head. "Not at all! I bought lots of ingredients."

I suddenly felt a little worried. Was Aron actually planning on cooking? Could he cook?

"Have any problems finding the place?" Aron asked as he closed the door behind us.

"No, it was pretty straightforward," I replied as I changed my shoes for slippers.

"We only had to ask directions twice!" said Millie proudly.

The little snitch… I aimed a glare at her. Millie looked off innocently.

"Oh, has your friend arrived?"

A robust welcoming figure appeared from what I guessed was the kitchen.

"This is my mother," introduced Aron. "Mum, this is…"

"Lachlan, am I right?" She came up to me and looked me up and down. "I remember you visiting a few times when you and Karl were in high school."

I nodded.

Fine lines sat at the corners of her eyes and they crinkled as she smiled. I could see grey roots peaking out below her dyed hair. She was older than I remembered.

A lump lodged in my throat.

Was my own mother this old now?

Aron's mother's attention moved and landed on Millie.

"Are you my grandchild?" she asked kindly.

"Mum!" protested Aron.

"I'm sorry to report that I am not related to either of these two fine gentlemen," reported Millie.

Fine gentlemen, huh? First, I've heard of them.

"Mum," said Aron, taking his mother gently by the shoulders and turning her around. "Millie is a child Lachlan's helping to look after temporarily."

"Right," I piped up. "Aron's been helping me a lot with that."

Aron's mother's intelligent eyes fixed on me then looked between me and her son. "Well, if you ever change your mind," she said to Millie, "let me know."

I had no idea what she was going on about.

"Alright, let's get everyone inside properly," said Aron as he ushered us all into the living room.

But as we did, there was a scraping and a click and the front door opened again.

"Lachlan! In the flesh!" exclaimed the newcomer.

A man with slicked back hair and a briefcase wearing a suit stood in the door way. He had both arms held out.

"Karl?" My stomach dropped.

Karl, not noticing my reaction, came forward and gave me a big hug. "Lachlan!" He repeated before letting me go.

"What are you doing?" asked Aron. There was a sharpness in his tone that told me Aron hadn't invited him. Odd. Hadn't Aron said before that Karl would be coming? Or… I thought back to that conversation, or perhaps he'd sensed how I felt about it and decided to uninvite him. Did Aron know me that well?

"He's here being a supportive brother," said their mother. Ah, so she'd been the one to invite him.

"I'm here to cause mischief and eat food," said Karl. I was sure he spoke the truth.

"You haven't changed at all," I said.

"Why thank you."

"He means you haven't grown up at all…" Aron muttered.

"You see?" Karl said, pointing an accusing finger at his little brother. "You see how he wounds me? No gratitude at all."

"What's there to be grateful for?"

Karl seemed to take great issue with that and gesticulated wildly, mostly pointing at me.

"That's not…" Aron glanced at me then looked away. "I need to check the stove," he said then quickly left, but not before I spotted a light pink on his cheeks.

"Ha! Big brother one, little brother zero," Karl announced.

"Are you two related?" Millie asked him.

Karl, hands on his hips, looked downt at the little girl, just now noticing her.

"I am indeed and who might you be?" Karl asked, adopting a slightly playful tone. "My niece?"

Millie gave me a look that seemed to say what's with this family? but I just shook my head with a half-smile.

"She's just someone I'm looking after for a bit," I said.

Karl looked at me then shrugged. "Well, come in then," he said and led the way to the living room.

Not a lot had changed since I'd last been here. The sofa and armchair set was different but in the same place as the old one and there were more pictures on the wall. In the display cabinet by the windows there were also more trophies and awards.

I wandered over and read the names. As I'd thought, a few of them were Aron's though not many. Most of them were Karl's.

Karl collapsed into the armchair, dropping his briefcase on the coffee table. Millie sat in the middle of the sofa and started to acquaint herself with the biscuits and wafers set in the centre of the table.

"Don't eat too much-" I began.

"Or it'll ruin my apetite, I know," she finished. She popped a green wafer in her mouth.

Karl watched Millie curiously then turned his attention to me. "So. Lachlan Look. Where the hell have you been?"

I fiddled with the corner of the display case then finally went to sit on the sofa putting Millie between me and Karl.

"Living. Working. Normal stuff," I replied.

I picked up one of the pink wafers but Millie snatched it from me.

"Hey…"

… And replaced it with a green one. "You'll like this one better," she said.

I eyed her then the green wafer then took a bite. It was a tasty matcha flavour. I popped the rest into my mouth and sneaked a glance at Karl. He had a look in his eye that I didn't like.

"I'll just check if Aron needs any help…" I said, getting up.

"Aron!" Karl suddenly yelled. "Lachlan's abandoning me!"

Aron stuck his head out from the kitchen.

"What?"

"Do you need some help in the kitchen?" I asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"I'm good," he said with a grin. "You just stay there."

His mother stepped out of the kitchen, shaking her head. "It's best if you don't go in there right now," she said.

"Mum…" Aron said reproachfully.

"I'm only telling the truth," his mother replied, patting him on the cheek. "You've only been practicing the cooking part so far, not the cleaning.

She walked into the living room and took a seat on the other side of Millie. "You should have seen the state of my kitchen the first time he turned up and wanted to cook." She sighed. "I should have taken pictures."

"When did he start practicing?" Millie asked. Her voice was muffled by wafer.

"Hmm… It must have been at least a week ago…"

"Twelve days, counting today," said Karl. "Remember? You called me."

"You're right, I did do that," his mother replied with a wizened nod.

"Why is it such a big deal?" asked Millie, mouth now clear. "Lachlan cooks all the time."

Karl raised an eyebrow. "Do you now?"

"Not everyone can afford your lavish lunches," I said.

Karl crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air. I do not buy lavish lunches," he said. "I have a lavish wife."

"Does this lavish wife make lavish lunches?"

"Naturally."

Aron's mother sighed as she nibbled on a brown wafer. "I treasure my daughter-in-law, but I honestly don't know what she sees in him."

"Mum!" Karl said reproachfully.