‘Got to find a job first. Can’t save thin air, can I?’
She’d forgotten cockiness was a personality trait of seventeen-year-old boys and Kyle hadn’t missed out on that part of his personal resume.
‘You could always continue your studies,’ she suggested as they made their way towards the AirTrain that would take them from JFK to Jamaica Station, where they would connect to another train to whisk them to Manhattan.
‘I’d rather have the money.’
‘Take it from someone who knows, career isn’t always instantaneous, think of the bigger picture.’
He reverted to grunts and shrugs as they boarded the air train.
‘I can help you, you know.’ She rested her bag on top of her case as she held on to the nearest pole for support when the train began to move.
‘That’s because you’re a do-gooder.’
She was about to get defensive but perhaps Kyle remembered some of the special times they’d had over the years, because he was grinning when he said it. When he was ten she’d taken him to a theme park and ridden all the roller-coasters his mum was too afraid to try; before Connie relocated them to Cornwall they’d gone bowling each week or to the movies or for pizza, anything to keep him chatting and try to keep him in the present. And when he started getting into a lot of trouble, rather than shutting him out Amelia had done her best to be there as an outlet if he needed to talk – he certainly hadn’t been talking to his mum at the time.
‘I’m not a do-gooder, but I do care.’ She left it at that. They didn’t talk much for the rest of the journey although the second they reached Penn Station, Kyle became more animated. She wanted to take him back to England remade. Perhaps that was a little hopeful, given she only had four weeks, but even if he had a hint of direction after this trip, it would be a start. She’d wondered as their plane climbed higher in the air to cruise above thirty-five thousand feet whether she was treating him like another work project, but one she could be very vocal with when it came to her opinions on how his parent treated him. That kind of behaviour hadn’t gone down so well with one of her most recent cases and when she returned she’d have to remember to maintain a professional distance or she might not get away with being sent on an enforced holiday; if she wasn’t careful it could end up being a more permanent arrangement.
They hauled their luggage off the train at Penn Station, wheeled it towards the escalators and headed up to the bustling streets of New York City. Iconic yellow taxis honked their horns as they moved the best they could in the traffic, a cyclist courier zipped dangerously in and out of vehicles, crowds filled the pavement and having suitcases in tow was an instant disadvantage. Amelia couldn’t wait for it to be dark later, to venture out into Manhattan to see the Christmas lights. She wanted to see Central Park, the Rockefeller Center, The Plaza hotel, Times Square, Madison Avenue…everything. She wanted to squeal with excitement at all the possibilities in a city that already made her feel as though they’d stepped onto a film set, but she knew Kyle wouldn’t appreciate it.
‘Don’t we get the subway or something?’ Kyle asked when she got out her map to check the route to the apartment.
‘I’d rather see the city.’
‘So do I, but I don’t want to drag my case around with me.’
‘Come on, it’s an adventure. This way.’
He reluctantly followed on, daylight beginning to fade unlike Amelia’s energy. By her estimations it would only take about half an hour to walk to the apartment on East 24th Street, not far from Madison Square Park.
‘At least it’s not raining,’ Kyle conceded.
‘The power of positivity.’
‘Bloody freezing though.’
She shook her head. Hopefully by the end of their stay he’d be glass-half-full, talkative and more like his old self, the Kyle she loved dearly rather than this sullen teen with a big, angry chip on his shoulder.
When Kyle expressed an interest in a refreshment at a nearby doughnut stall, she urged him to carry on walking. ‘Madison Square Park is right near the apartment and I’ve heard they do great burgers at the Shake Shack. We could grab a takeout to eat al fresco.’
He harrumphed and on they went, manhandling their luggage up and down curbs, across roads, and finally, as the sun began to set and darkness descended, they reached the park.
A smile spread across Amelia’s face. ‘Look at the tree.’
‘It’s massive.’
High praise indeed. There in Madison Square Park, with the famous Flatiron Building in the background, was the most impressive Norway spruce lit up with hundreds of soft white lights. ‘First Christmas tree I’ve seen this year,’ said Amelia.
‘You’ll probably be fed up of them after this trip. And I saw three on the way here.’
‘Why didn’t you point them out to me?’ She’d been too focused on not losing her way on the unfamiliar streets, worried in case Kyle wandered off like a toddler rather than the near-adult he really was. It was why she knew she’d have to tread carefully. Push him too much and he’d take off – he’d done it to her sister enough times.
‘I’m starving.’ His eyes had already drifted away from the tree and towards the Shake Shack and when they joined the queue they debated whether they’d be able to find anywhere to sit in the park tonight given how busy it was. Picnic-style tables and chairs were plentiful, but not a single one was empty.
They were handed menus and Amelia soon decided on a burger with bacon and peppers, Kyle of course wanted a double and chose the cheeseburger, and they ordered a couple of portions of fries too.
‘Quick, grab that table.’ She spotted a young couple standing up about to leave one of the many busy tables right next to a flowerbed. ‘You take the cases, I’ll wait here for the order and bring it over.’
