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But despite being angry at her, I couldn’t fault her. And part of my heart clenched at knowing there’d be a time soon I’d have to close off most of my life to her—already had in some ways. We were in two different worlds with just a single email.

Fortunately, just as the humiliating silence grew to a breaking point, my father bustled in the front door and held aloft a bottle of wine. He whisked out the little capsule cutter right away and twisted it over the tip of the wine bottle as all three of us looked away.

Mother’s face pinkened, Zeke’s became ruddier, and I fought a laugh that burst through with a snort. “Dad, you have great timing.”

“I do?” He glanced up, corkscrew in hand, as he gave it a final twist.

As if just then noticing Zeke’s presence, his expression brightened to that of delight. “Ezekiel? I’ve heard good things. How are you at board games?”

Dad flailed his elbow a little as he wrestled his way into the bottle. He’d had a long life programming and engineering at a computer—specializing in machine milling equipment development. It’d given him weak wrists and a terrible pickleball game.

My mother had been a homemaker, primarily, but she wrote articles for different Jewish organizations, short stories, and some poetry. A children’s library group had commissioned her to write a book and illustrate it herself. A lifetime of household chores, volunteer work, and beating my dad’s ass at pickleball twice a week since retirement had made her a far better candidate for bottle opening. So, she puttered by and alleviated his struggle with a quick tug and handoff.

“I’m decent at checkers.” He stared at my father. “But Lex has warned me that you will lure me into the garage and try to rope me into a rousing lesson on space dwarves.”

“Ah! Not just space dwarves. There are space elves and a space king that—” He waved his hand dismissively before finishing the pull on the corkscrew like he’d done it all on his own.

I pursed my lips and glanced away as my father brushed a hand through steely, textured hair. His slightly full build from years of a sedentary lifestyle had caught up with him in retirement. Pickleball wasn’t enough, but he’d made it to sixty before he lost his wiry frame. “Anyway!” He poured a few glasses of wine, doled them out—one to each of us—and stole away with Zeke, a playful grin stretching his lips.

“So, what were you all chatting about when I popped in? Looked serious.” Dad made it a few steps away with Zeke.

“Fore—” Zeke coughed and cleared his throat as my mother took a sharp breath, cheeks pinkening. “Foreclosures in the area. Apparently, they’re going up.”

“Huh? Go figure. Hadn’t heard anything about it.” Dad shuffled off and in only a few seconds, they’d descended into my father’s garage, his lair, as it were.

“Well, they’ll be there until dinner.” Mom sipped her wine and turned to check the oven as I tipped my glass discreetly into her old jade plant. It’d been in a perpetual state of dying for as long as I was a kid, so a glass of wine wouldn’t hurt it. Likely.

I brought the empty glass to my lips for a sip of the last few drops as my mother turned back with a foil-wrapped brisket in a dish. Cabbage was somewhere in the mix, too, and I breathed through my mouth to not smell it. Something about the odor turned my stomach—but at the same time, I wanted it dearly.

“Mh… How’s the wine? Your father always picks strange things. Don’t know if I like this one.” She glanced at the label of the bottle and frowned.

“Better than talking to your mom about your partner’s foreskin.” I snorted and earned a flustered huff.

“You are being careful, aren’t you?” She gave me a look.

I nodded and didn’t offer details. “You weren’t alive back then. I remember the epidemic…”

“I know! Mom, you’re a broken record. I’m a good boy!” I grumbled.

“Always wearing a condom?” She gave me a look.

Me wearing one?

“Condoms are present at every event, I promise.” I didn’t mention they lived in my nightstand and that there was honestly no point in them… A light jab to my ribs from my little one reminded me as I sat up straighter.

She petered about the kitchen, a smile on her face before she caught my face and frowned. “Your allergies flaring up?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Must be all the time in that dusty old library.” She huffed and rummaged in a drawer before pulling out an overstuffed plastic sandwich bag full of prescription pills. She found a random white one and slid it across the counter to me. “Your nose is all puffed up.”

I rubbed at it and pulled my phone out to look at my reflection. Maybe it was a little swollen.

“Last time my nose puffed up like that, I was pregnant with you.” She sighed as if the memory brought back fond memories. “It feels like it was only yesterday, you know?”

“I’m kinda feeling nostalgic.” I cleared my throat. “Wanna break out my baby book?”

I was heading into all of this without a clue in the world… But maybe home was a good place to start.