The Harkness
Rio's back pressed against the cold concrete of the wall as she once again brought the cigarette to her lips. It had been an especially difficult workday, and the only thing that could calm her was this moment of the day. She desperately wished the break would last another fifteen minutes. She played a game of guessing the owners of the cars in the parking lot: red convertible—Alysha, minivan—Tony, motorcycle—Ethan.
Later, she would confirm if she was right, but she had a feeling she was. On the one hand, she's always been incredibly lucky (the kind of person who buys a scratch-off ticket and actually wins). On the other hand, she's been good at making deductions and reading people since she was little. Maybe it's because she's naturally quiet, so she usually takes her time observing before joining a conversation. Most of the time she could understand, at least a little, what people truly felt.
She's smiling as he picks at the cuticle of his thumb. And you can't ignore that she seems capable of only responding with "great" and "okay." God, just tell him you don't want to go for coffee!
But there was one person with whom everything was different...challenging. Agatha Harkness. From the very first moment, she surprised Rio with her sarcastic and witty attitude. Rio didn't back down, responding with equal intensity. In this way, for the past few months, a kind of power game charged with sexual tension had developed between them. She's almost certain they're flirting, but as she said, with Agatha, you can never be sure. Rio sometimes thinks Agatha actually hates her.
Three people approached the building from the opposite side, a teenager, a preteen, and a child. "Great, Boy Scouts," she rolled her eyes. At that moment, the woman who made her blood boil with anger and lust appeared. Her bright hair looked a little messy, and her cheeks were flushed. Rio remembered that she must have taken the stairs because the elevator was out of service. The sarcastic comment about her terrible physical condition remained on the tip of her tongue as Agatha walked right past her, heading straight for the Boy Scouts.
"Are you alright?"
She gently cradled the faces of the children, looking for any injuries. Finding none, she sighed and hugged them.
"I was so worried..." she kissed each of their heads. The oldest pulled away slightly, his cheeks flushed as he saw Rio.
"It was a false alarm, Mom. Some boys had the brilliant idea of making a bomb threat as a joke."
Her expression hardened, resembling the ones Rio was used to seeing. Even so, it wasn't even close to how terrifying she could be in court. Her hands were on her hips, and one eyebrow was raised—the classic "mom scolding" stance.
"Don't parents teach respect these days? How is it possible that they make fun of such sensitive topics?" She took the oldest child's right hand and the middle child's left. "I need you to promise me right now that you will never be that insensitive."
"God, Mom, this isn't necessary. You know..."
"Promise it," she said, allowing no room for argument. Both swallowed hard.
"We promise," they said in unison.
They held their mother's intense gaze for a few seconds until she broke the contact. Agatha smiled sweetly and whispered, wrapping them in a hug once more:
"I'm so proud of you, my babies. I love you."
Rio knew the right thing to do was to leave them a moment of privacy. But her feet seemed glued to the floor and her gaze fixed on the family. She scanned the dark-haired woman's face; her brow was unfurrowed, her eyes were closed. "This is... new," she thought, taking a drag from her cigarette.
"And who is that young lady?" Nicky asked cautiously, just noticing the woman.
The four Harknesses turned to look at her. Rio threw her cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it with her shoe.
"Young Lady? I like you, kid." She winked playfully. The youngest immediately blushed and hid his face in his mother's belly.
Rio laughed and commented:
"Just like his mother." Agatha rolled her eyes.
"Boys, this is Rio, my coworker. Rio, these are William, Thomas, and Nicholas."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rio," they said in chorus.
"They are very well-behaved. Knowing Agatha as I do at work, it's not surprising that she's a strict mother. Like a Sergeant"
She responded to the greeting with a nod, unwrapping a lollipop.
"That's quite a collection you have there," she pointed with her candy at Billy, who was holding a stack of Blu-rays.
"Yes, these are..."
"Studio Ghibli," she finished.
His eyes lit up.
"You're kidding, you know it?"
"I literally went to Japan to visit the museum three years ago. But even I don't have a collection as complete as that."
"Yeah, it's really cool...right? I just bought them on the way here with...you know...lunch money."
Rio raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the dark-haired woman.
"Did you go shopping?"
"Yes, Billy bought me this!" Tommy held up a video game CD.
"Another movie? Why so many?"
The brothers sighed and rolled their eyes. "They are definitely her sons" thought Rio.
"First of all, mine are more than just movies. It's research for my work, so I can one day get into a good university. Being an animator isn't easy, Mom."
Agatha's heart ached a little hearing her son talk about his future. In a few years, he would leave the nest, leaving his boyhood behind to become a young man. Without noticing his mother's feelings, Tommy continued:
"And second, mine isn't a movie. It's a video game, 'The Last of Us.' The latest version for PlayStation 5."
Agatha didn't know much about consoles, but she knew hers was a PlayStation 3. Thinking the boy had made a mistake, she said:
"And how do you plan to play it without a PlayStation 5?"
"Rony Addam got one for his birthday. Everyone can play whenever they want if they buy a video game. And this" he kissed the CD. "Is my entry pass."
The woman's face flushed again, and she pointed at the boy with her finger.
"You are definitely not going to that house."
"What? Why not?" he yelled.
"Because what that boy does is disgusting. When we invite your friends over, they play with your console, I buy pizzas, and I even take them home, and we never ask for anything. And now you have to pay for an afternoon of games."
"We're talking about Rony Addam, he's a year older than me and one of the basketball team's stars! Of course, I have to give something to hang out with him!" He turned his face away and pursed his lips.
"Is all of this because he has that stupid thing?" her voice broke. "Or—or is there something else?"
Silence.
"Thomas, look at me when I'm talking to you."
He looked at her intently, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"You know why."
The woman didn't answer, but it wasn't necessary. A wave of anxious pheromones washed over them. Billy kept his gaze downcast and his fists clenched. "Mommy," the youngest whispered, taking his mother's hand.
Rio felt the overwhelming urge to intervene.
"Hey champ, your mom's right. That kid's a jerk," the boy looked at her seriously, expecting a scolding. "When I arrived in this country, I met a lot of 'Ronys' who bullied me for being a scrawny Latina Alpha. Back then, I would have given anything to be part of...and I did." She reached for her wallet in her coat. "It didn't end well."
She handed him a business card with "Rio Vidal" printed in black letters. The boy frowned. "'Why would I need a lawyer?'... 'She wants me to sue Rony!'"
"There's a number and an address on the back," she said, pointing at the card. "You're naive, but you seem like a good kid. If your mom gives you permission, you can come play at my place. What do you say?"
Both looked at the other woman. Agatha ran a hand through her hair, considering her answer. Rio was right; Tommy was generally a good son, even if things had been tense between them lately.
"Rio, you don't have to do this..."
"Seriously, it's no problem. I should admit I'm a bit of a nerd; I have a whole room dedicated to my consoles and video games. A gaming buddy wouldn't hurt."
Agatha looked at her son, who was giving her his best puppy-dog eyes. And although she would never admit it in front of her children, she could never refuse that face anything.
"Okay. Now thank Río."
Rio extended her hand, and the boy grasped it firmly.
"Thank you, Miss Rio. I promise to behave at our meeting."
The woman bit her lip, amused by the child's seriousness.
"I'll expect it, Saturday at five. Is that alright, little man?"
"Yes, I'll be there," Agatha coughed. "if mom's okay with that of course." She hastened to add.
"Saturday is fine, I suppose… I'll have to call Mrs. Hart to watch you two." She said looking at BIlly and Nicky.
The oldest protested:
"Both of us? I want to come too, Mom, please!"
"We've already bothered Rio enough. Besides, you don't really like that stuff."
"I'm not as addicted as Tommy, but I really want to try the PlayStation 5." He clasped his hands as if praying while looking at Rio.
"No problem. The more the merrier."
"Can I bring my boyfriend?"
"William!" She glared at him, and he shrugged.
"Oh man, she is scary" the Latina thought before speaking.
"He can come too. We'll be an even number, perfect for teams." She made an "OK" sign with her thumb and index finger.
She was pleased to see the omega relax a little at her carefree attitude. "Another family conflict avoided. I'm getting good at this."
She felt someone tugging gently at her pants. The young Harkness was looking at her with flushed cheeks.
"W-we're five, that's n-not an even number." He looked at her with bright, tear-filled eyes. "A-am I invited too?"
"Darn it, I almost made the baby cry. To be fair, what kind of seven-year-old knows what an even number is?"
She knelt to be at his height and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder.
"Of course you're invited." She leaned in close to his ear. "Actually, as soon as we started talking about teams, I knew I wanted you on mine."
She extended her pinky finger, and the little boy intertwined his with hers to seal their "secret," although everyone present heard the conversation. Agatha's wolfishness at the cute scene caused her to let out a purr, which she quickly disguised with a cough. It was convincing enough to fool all but the teenage Omega who was left confused.
"Kids, say goodbye to Rio; I need to get back to work."
They said their goodbyes and thanked her again. As they were about to do the same with their mother, Rio suggested:
"Go home with them. You had a rough morning, I'll handle the paperwork."
Agatha looked surprised. They usually fiercely compete to get and resolve the best cases. There were no unfair games, but neither was this type of camaraderie.
"And what will you tell the supervisor?"
"You already told her you got an emergency call from your children's school, I don't think I need to give further explanations."
"I-I don't know; the Harold case is a bit complicated and..." she started.
"You're lucky to have the best lawyer at the firm on your side." She smiled sideways.
"There you are again." She smiled shyly; she wasn't used to being friendly at work, even less so with Rio.
The brown-haired woman softened at that awkward smile. Agatha seemed more innocent and honest than usual.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Te veo."