"Honey, can I ask you something? You don't have to answer, but I am curious."

Roman set down a plate of fresh, homemade pumpkin muffins on the table, taking a seat beside his aunt. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Well..." Mikayla reached for a muffin, appreciating the warmth felt against her palms. "I really am glad that you called me to help you with the situation concerning Rachel. Still, I've been wondering why you didn't reach out to Jack first. She always made it seem like you guys were close. I'm sure he would've been open to helping you. At least, I'd like to believe he would."

Roman sighed. He didn't take offense to Mikayla's questioning, seeing as she wasn't trying to prod for the sake of being nosy. It was the mention of his father which made Roman's irritation, something he'd been trying to ignore all morning, heighten again.

"My dad is only available when he wants to be. Take today, for example. He called me during our first family dinner, and it's taken this long for him to actually commit to our plans. It's not new for him to be flakey." Roman crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I'll admit, he tries more than that woman ever did. He's always proved that I'm more of a passing thought in comparison to his other kids, though. Had I reached out to him, I wouldn't've heard from him until, like, several weeks later. Maybe."

While Jack was a bit more involved when it came to being there for his son, that didn't mean he was a good parent. His greatest deed was meeting the monthly child support payments until Roman turned twenty. The money given hadn't ever been the court-mandated amount, though, only being enough for Roman to keep from starving after Rachel took everything else. Any possessions of value accumulated over the years - like clothes, books, electronics, etc. - all came from Roman's own pockets when he started working as a teenager.

Aside from going out for lunch together once every month, Jack was an absent parent. His blatant disregard for his son's well-being became even more apparent after Roman turned eighteen. Monthly meetings switched to every two months; then every six months; until, finally, Jack and Roman only inhabited the same space, at most, three times a year.

Roman knew better than to expect anything out of his father.

"It is what it is." He shrugged, uncaring. "I'm actually kind of glad he kept putting off getting lunch together. It gave me time to really get comfortable with being here."

Mikayla shielded her smile behind her muffin. "I guess we should thank Jay for that. He's been keeping you pretty busy."

Roman mimicked his aunt's gesture.

The past two months had been...something else. Roman thought it would've taken longer to get used to his new life in Maple Bay. After the first family dinner, though, he found his days full of unplanned, yet not unpleasant, encounters with Jensen. 

***

Roman looked over a flimsy notepad with a basket hanging on his arm. He'd already gotten most of the snacks necessary for the twins' lunches while they were at their school's daily summer function. The only things left were some donuts for Denise's students to celebrate the end of band camp, as well as the strong, dark coffee Dorian had been scarfing down to keep up with his accelerated college courses.

Perusing the assortment in front of him, the specific brand Roman needed was seen on a higher shelf. When standing on his toes, his fingers could only graze the bottom of the crinkly packaging.

He inwardly winced at the idea of having to ask a store associate for help.

Roman jumped as a gentle hand settled on his shoulder. A second one reached past him. He looked back, only to come face to face with Jensen. 

With a smile, the coffee bag was presented for Roman to take. "Hey."

"Hi. And thanks." He cradled the small package in the crook of his arm. "I didn't expect to see you. It's only Wednesday."

"Wednesday is Basketful's big sale day. I'm usually able to get more of my grandma's favorite chocolates at a cheaper price." Jensen jostled the interior of his own basket to prove his point. "There's also a Spanish food place a few streets up that has a buy one entree, get one half off deal every Wednesday. Me and my grandma usually have lunch together when I bring her groceries."

Roman meant to give a lighthearted response. His stomach growling beat him to the punch. 

Jensen laughed, eyes shining with amusement. "You're more than welcome to join us if you're not busy."

"I don't really have much money, aside from what Kay gave me for groceries. I wouldn't want to bother you to buy me food."

"It wouldn't be a bother at all. Besides, my grandma's been meaning to have you over. She really liked the cake you whipped up last week and wanted to see if she could make one with you."

Roman supposed teaching Juniper to bake one of his specialties could act as a decent payment to reimburse Jensen for lunch. They would also get a nice dessert out of it, so the situation would be a win for everyone.

It would be pretty funny to see Jensen practically inhale his cake again too.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan."

*

"Knock knock."

Roman opened his eyes, witnessing traces of an orange and pink sky behind large clouds. He sat up from a comfortable reclined position. The open book he had pressed against his chest fell into his lap with a light thud. A blanket meant to resemble grass with sewn in flowers was wrapped a bit tighter around his shoulders to drive away a persistent chill.

Jensen walked onto the balcony and settled on another outdoor lounge chair. "Sorry to disturb you. Kay just wanted me to let you know soup's almost done."

Roman flipped his phone over to look at the time. "You're good, don't worry. I didn't mean to doze off. I just wanted to get a few pages in before finishing off our food."

"Finishing?" Jensen leaned back, crossing one leg over his knee. "Did you cook for tonight?"

"Yeah. I know I usually make dessert, but I know my way around the kitchen for other stuff too. When I told Kay about a really nice butternut squash soup recipe I found, she was really excited to try it. I...figured I'd make some for everyone."

Roman rubbed at his neck in minor embarrassment. He had a great passion for making sweets, so a level of confidence in regard to them had been built over the years. When it came to savory dishes, however, his culinary skills were a bit more unpolished. Since Rachel was known for her greed, Roman had to teach himself to cook. Because of that greed, whenever he did make something for himself, Rachel, even when putting down her son's efforts, would take his food for herself. It was why he ordered takeout so much -  to actually make sure he could eat.

Preparing dinner, especially for such a large group, was something he hadn't done in a long time.

He got nervous at the prospect of messing things up.

"Your baked stuff is always great. I'm sure your other food will be too."

Twiddling with his thumbs, Roman made eye contact.

Jensen, twirling a strand of hair near his cheek, smiled and nodded in the direction of the open doorway. "Shall we?"

*

"Roman. I, uh, need your help. It's kind of an emergency."

He set down his word search booklet onto the bed. "What's up?"

"There's a big, big issue in the bathroom."

Jensen's words were followed by the twins' squeaky yells. Dorian let out his personal version of censored swear words. They could all be seen scurrying into the hallway, away from whatever was frightening them.

"What's going on?"

"It's too crazy for me to explain. You'll need to see it for yourself."

Roman jumped out of bed. Only having socks on made him nearly slip on the polished wooden floor. Quick glances at his cousins were made to make sure no one had gotten hurt in their rush to seek safety.

As soon as his feet hit cool tile, blue eyes darted along every surface to see what the problem was. At first, he was confused when not noticing any differences. He skulked further inside with his guard still up.

Roman stopped when peering into the sink.

He turned around with a deadpan expression to face the group crowding the doorway. "It's just a long-legged spider."

"What do you mean 'just'? That thing is a demon!" Jensen shivered in disgust. "He's vicious! We tried to get it down the drain, and it flipped out!"

"You probably spooked the little guy."

Chuckling, Roman carefully scooped the spider into his hand. He covered it with his other one to make sure the small arachnid wouldn't escape.

Jensen backed up. "I thought you said you didn't like bugs."

"I don't like flying bugs. Buzzing noises aggravate me. Creepy crawlies aren't so bothersome, though. Here, take a look."

Roman only needed to take two steps for everyone else to scream and run away from him.

*

"How well do Juniper's concoctions work?" Roman asked, taking hold of a mug filled with some sort of hot green liquid.

 Jensen shook his head with a quiet laugh, scooting a box of tissues over. "She made homemade veggie broth to make sure you're staying hydrated. She also used vegetables which are supposed to help reduce inflammation since you said your throat was bothering you."

Sniffling, Roman took a test sip. Although he couldn't taste much because of his stuffy nose, he enjoyed a savory tinge which danced across his tongue. The broth's warmth soothed a sharp pain in his throat. Swallowing didn't hurt as much as when he first woke from his nap. Heat traveled all the way down to his stomach, helping to soothe his cold, trembling limbs. 

Roman didn't shy away from delicate fingers when they wove into his hair to massage his scalp.

"Your head still hurting?"

"A little. The pain meds helped. It's just a dull throb at this point."

"Mm. Come here."

Roman allowed himself to be pulled closer. His head was guided to rest on Jensen's shoulder. Together, they watched an old silent film with rain acting as quiet background noise.

***

Although he was still closed off about certain things pertaining to his past, Roman could admit his unplanned companionship was a breath of fresh air. Being in Jensen's presence came easily. Talking to each other happened naturally. It was nice to just be in each other's company, spending their days by meeting up for lunch, shopping together, going on relaxing walks, listening to music, etc. 

Roman was...he didn't want to say happy because he didn't want to risk things falling apart again. Content worked as a way to describe his mental and emotional state, though. Life's uncontrollable changes could finally be seen as...okay. Positive, even. 

Still, no matter how many good adjustments happened, Roman's upcoming lunch with his father reminded him he couldn't run from everything.

*

He kept his eyes locked onto a small container of fries to ignore a penetrating stare from across the table.

Jack hadn't changed much since they last saw each other nine months ago. Gray wisps in his short black hair became more visible. Delicate crows feet and laugh lines were a bit more pronounced. Miniscule amounts of facial hair had grown out into a heavily graying goatee. Dark brown eyes were still just as expressive as always.

It was the first feature Roman took note of when he rejected Jack's hug, the older man's disappointment showing clear as day.

Aside from talking to each other about what they wanted to eat, neither of them struck up a conversation. Roman had no interest in talking about himself, nor did he have any desire to know how his step mother and siblings were doing.

The only reason he accepted a request to meetup was so he wouldn't have to worry about it again until, more than likely, next year.

The only annoying task to suffer through was an awkward lunch. Roman could do so for half an hour.

Jack took a bite out of his burger. "So, um, how's Mikayla?"

"She's fine."

"I haven't seen her in so many years. Is she still with Derrick-"

"Her name is Denise now. And, yes, they're still together." Roman nibbled on a fry dipped in honey mustard. "The oldest goes by Dorian now too, and there are twin five year old girls."

"Oh. I- I see. That's nice. I remember when Kay, me, and your mom were still in high school, Kay always said she'd love to have a big family one day. I'm glad to know she's doing well."

Roman hummed noncommittally. He didn't react when a series of text messages lit up Jack's phone.

The older man glanced through them, his smile lengthening with each passage read.

"Rosabell just sent me some pictures."

"Mm."

Jack picked up his phone to start texting back. "She went with James to a museum field trip. Now that October's come around, Reese and Andrea have been really getting into their sports again. Reese got his new cheer outfit a few weeks ago, and he performed at one of Andrea's basketball games. They've been transitioning really well to high school-"

"As great as that sounds, with all respect to them, I didn't ask."

Roman took a sip of his beverage. He put the cup down hard enough for several droplets to leak out of the straw slot. His box of fries was finished off, getting tossed into a paper bag containing empty ketchup packets.

Jack put down his food, wiping his face with a napkin. "Come on now, don't be like that. They're your siblings."

"I don't even know them."

"Well, yeah, I guess. You'd be a little more familiar with them if you reached out, though. They're your family, and-"

Right. The family card. Jack's default response for whenever Roman had any complaints about a relative. It was always Jack's answer to problems concerning Rachel. It was also his way of subtly guilt tripping Roman into pursuing an unwelcomed relationship with his younger half-siblings.

He didn't really have issues with Jack and Rosabell's kids. They were just regarded as strangers in Roman's eyes. They'd only met a handful of times. Much like Jack, his wife and their children didn't go out of their way to talk to Roman, even if he'd been constantly pressured to initiate correspondence first.

When it came to his new family, Jack desired to make sure their lives were perfect. Roman was the one outlier he could never change.

Jack's habit of putting his new family on a higher pedestal, and completely ignoring his old one, acted as a constant reminder on how he never regretted leaving them.

Rachel had been Jack's wife, but he didn't have any issues divorcing her while with a baby he didn't want. Roman was their first born, but Jack had no qualms in abandoning him with a woman who very clearly didn't want her son either.

Roman came to terms with that a long time ago. The one thing he could never ignore, however, was the disappointment he felt when truly seeing how much his father acted like he cared when he truly didn't.

Roman had to divulge what had happened with Rachel so Jack would understand why they needed to meet in Maple Bay for lunch. Instead of asking how everything was or making sure his son was actually okay, Jack took the first opportunity he could to brag about his other children's accomplishments.

In terms of the annual father-son bonding time, that meeting took the cake for being their worst.

"...I'm so sorry I'm not happy about all the amazing things happening with your family when mine has gone to shit. I'm so sorry I have my own problems to deal with which are getting in the way of me worrying about people who hardly even remember my existence. I suppose you'll be asking me to bottle up my emotions for the sake of keeping the peace again, right?"

"I..." Jack fiddled with the sleeve of his jacket. "You kept saying you and your mom didn't get along. I figured you leaving would be a good thing-"

"I didn't leave. I was kicked out. Then again, you've never bothered to remember the specifics when it comes to me. Why would you now?"

"Roman, really- this is unnecessary-"

"Yeah, you're right. Meeting up with you just to have you make me feel like garbage was unnecessary. Instead of dragging this out any longer, I think I'm going to spare myself a worse headache by going home now. Thanks for wasting my time."

Roman didn't wait for a reply. He got up from his seat, tossed his trash in the appropriate bins, and made his way toward the exit. He didn't bother stopping when his name was called, or when rushed footsteps trailed after him.

Frigid air caressed his skin when getting outside. In need of a distraction, Roman scoured the surrounding area to find something else to focus on.

He almost stopped completely when catching sight of familiar honey-brown eyes at a nearby trolley stop.

"Jensen?"