Page 40 of Waggs

“No, she moved here with AJ. The never actually lived together officially. With him away a lot, he stayed at home but slept over at her apartment, although mostly they were at our place anyway.”

“So, no ghosts here.”

Waggs shook his head. “No, not really. Aaron never seems to leave me, but I don’t look around and see him and Willow together at every turn.”

“AJ must be a big reminder though.”

“Not really. I never saw Aaron with him either and looking at him is like seeing Aaron but also me as a kid, so it’s not as hard as it was.”

Decker stood. “Must be nice, to have that reminder of someone you loved.”

“What do you have, Deck?” Waggs walked with him to the door wanting to know more about his friend’s pain that he hid behind layers of designer suits.

“Memories.”

“Is it enough?” Waggs knew grief and pain and could see that whatever his friend hid was eating him up.

“It has to be.”

Decker walked away and Waggs watched him get in the car and head to do whatever he needed. He shook off his concern for his friend and went to find Willow. She and AJ might as well come with him to his mom’s rather than stay here with Bebe and Laverne. He didn’t know much about the French woman, but she was like the rest of the Zenobi women, beautiful and slightly terrifying.

An hour later he pulled up outside his parents’ home and smiled. It was getting easier and easier to be in this place without the weight of expectation and grief weighing him down.

He knocked and walked through the door, Willow’s hand in his, and AJ holding his other hand. “Mom, Dad.”

“Through here, honey.” Amy Wagner popped her head out of the kitchen and smiled wide when she saw them holding hands. He felt his chest relax with relief. He’d believed Willow when she said his mom was fine with them being together. His mother had never been one to mince her words, and would’ve said if she wasn’t, but seeing it was much better.

They moved through to the kitchen as AJ let go and flew toward the den where his toy box sat in the corner. The box was actually one his dad had built for him and his brother to keep their toys in when they were kids, and he loved the idea that AJ now used it.

His mother pulled him into a hug, and he let her, hugging her back and knowing how lucky he was to have her as a parent. “Look at you two!”

“I’m glad you approve, Mom.”

“Well of course I do. I love this girl is if she were my own.”

Willow blushed and let go of his hand to hug Amy. “Now, why don’t you go do what you need to, and Willow and I can catch up. I have some ideas for AJ’s birthday I want to run past you.”

“It’s not for months yet, Mom.”

“Six weeks actually. And I know he likes his cake. That boy was so tiny when he was born but he’s made up for it.”

“He was? Wasn’t he overdue?”

“Nearly three weeks but he mustn’t have taken after his father for that one. He was tiny.”

“Hmm.” Waggs hadn’t really known a lot about that time, still too caught up in grief and running from the pain he was in to want to hear it. He glanced at Willow who was eyeing him and then his mom, the colour in her cheeks gone.

Willow looked spooked by the conversation, so he took her hand and pulled her toward him, pushing her hair from her face. “You okay?” He wondered if remembering that time when she was alone upset her.

“Yes, of course, why?”

“You just looked a little green, that’s all.”

“No, no, all fine here. Go do what you need to do and then we can have lunch.”

Waggs eyed her, not quite believing her but putting it down to tiredness. He dropped a light kiss on her lips not feeling any of the awkwardness he’d expected.

“Have fun.” He winked at her and smiled at his mom who was watching them with a glow of happiness he hadn’t seen in a long time. The heavy stoop of her shoulders had gone, making his mother look younger.