Mark & Alex

ex'

t the house to

stralia. A man whose name appears in business news the way rain appears in weather forecasts co

estate so immaculate it looked unreal. Trimmed hedges. A driveway wide enough to l

wall

lightly from the driver's seat

nervous,

mile that meant she knew b

a suitcase, without the excuse of a short visit. Graduation was over. Job appli

find your footi

or: I'm worried about

. The one staff used. Mum parked neatly

me. "You're my son, not his employee. B

t argue,

ised an

te passi

ing over to squeeze

warm, her cooking, probably. The floors gleamed. Everythi

fully to Mum as we passed. She greeted them by name. They

st thing that mad

um fi

rhythm. The way she moved like this space was an extension of her body. Pots a

your room later," she said

" I asked au

, then smil

memory kicking in. Chopping. Stirring.

l it

" a voice said

alm. Co

fro

ecause something in that voice

rned

risp white shirt rolled to his forearms, dark hair perfectly

some but commanding. The kind of man who didn't need to

ly, because my brain

Mark, this is

e shifte

tayed

. Just long enough for my

d. "You're th

head," I replie

ed softly

idn't loo

sm

ul. It was brief but it was real

ly meet you," h

rward and exte

ron before shaking his. His gr

g passed

t it was, but I fe

ng," he said,

I answered. "I

then back to me. "You're f

am

d heavier than

g something I didn't yet understand. "Alex, why

s setti

a look. Sh

er, peering into t

ot to pois

itched. "Hig

. "I was ra

oftly. "That

ment in his tone.

hy that mattered

of the table, composed, attentive. He asked me about un

d honestly

at one point, meeting his gaze.

readable cros

ct that,"

was watching a play she a

rk stood. "I'll

looked at me agai

o the

o the

t we

eps faded, Mum

"That went better

ounter, heart still rac

softly. "H

hy that sentence

it

into the ground-floor room that would

r hadn't jus

d se

knew my life had just shifted quietly, irr