"Nicky! Hurry up, your mama's gonna be here in five minutes!" Agatha yelled, dragging their suitcases outside the house.
Nicky will be thirteen tomorrow, and to celebrate, they were going to Massachusetts (specifically his mom's childhood hometown) so he could enjoy summer at another place and hopefully have fun exploring it. His parents had been divorced for almost half a decade now, and they were co-parenting. Rio has her busy life at the hospital and Agatha is content at home, writing novels that turn into movies in less than a year.
He can't remember the last time they lived in the same household. But thanks to his birthday being on the first day of summer vacation, they were able to celebrate it by going on a trip.
"Coming, Mom!" He said in his pitchy voice, his throat kind of hurt because of his Adam's apple forming.
He packed Señor Scratchy's carrot plushie and his bunny plushie, alongside his journal, colored pencils, stickers, and books. He looked at himself in the mirror before wearing his green locket with a hint of purple flowers. Rio had it custom-made for him as a gift for his tenth birthday.
His friends often thought it looked dumb, but he didn't care. Inside the locket was something dear to him, a picture of the three of them.
Together.
He was still a baby in this one and Agatha held him so dearly, with Rio leaning on her shoulder. It was in black and white, but every time he looked at it, all he saw was a colorful life he wished to have again.
He went down the stairs with his blue backpack on his shoulders. His hair was tied in a half-up half-down because he insisted on not cutting it. Agatha made a subtly degrading comment about it a month ago that made both of his mothers laugh, and maybe that was one of the reasons he didn't want to.
Rio gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the head when she saw him. Agatha placed their cases on the back of the car, letting her have some privacy with their son.
"Hey, bud." Rio pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace. "Mama missed you. Happy Advanced Birthday." She opened the door of the passenger seat and on it was a stack of books and a brown leather notebook that seemed to be an old journal, wrapped in a blue ribbon.
Nicky's smile grew wider when he saw the complete collection of Percy Jackson. "Thank you, Mama!" He went back from peeking in the passenger seat to kiss his mother on the cheek. "I love you. We'll still celebrate tomorrow, anyway." He undid the ribbon and pulled out the leather notebook. "But what's this?"
Rio smiled and ruffled his hair that he just fixed before going downstairs. "Read it when you feel like it." She then turned to Agatha; her demeanor steady yet fazed. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, everything's set." She had just placed Senor Scratchy on the backseat and placed a carrot inside. "Let's get going."
🔮 (i'm so sorry this is supposed to be in the center i hate my laptop)
The ride to Salem, Massachusetts was an estimated five hours from Westview. Although she would never say it aloud, Agatha couldn't be more than thankful that Rio bought a neck pillow because she left hers at home.
"'Everything's set'" Rio mocked with a smug smirk on her face. The sunglasses displayed on her face made her look more excruciatingly hot.
Agatha looked at Nicky in the backseat who had his blue headphones in while playing with Señor Scratchy before muttering a quick "fuck you" and a hit on her arm.
Rio had let Agatha play some music on the screen. She chose to play Blackbird by The Beatles, a special song that she sang for her a lot back in college. Rio had gotten her a guitar for her birthday, and this was the first song she learned. It was perfect for setting the atmosphere. She occasionally turned her head to the backseat to see how Nicky was doing, and he was either asleep, playing with the rabbit, or typing something on his phone all while his headphones were in.
She took the moment to talk to Rio. "So... good thing they let you off for the a month." She tried to make small talk, not wanting to make things awkward.
Their last "conversation" ended up in a make out session and a heated argument. It was horrid.
Rio scoffed, taking her glasses off. "It's the least they could do for their soon-to-be hospital director." Agatha would usually roll her eyes every time her wife—ex-wife, gave her a smug smile, but she let her have it. Just this once.
"I mean, you deserve it." She shrugged, toying with the brooch on the chest. "You're an exceptional doctor. You deserve some recognition for all the birthdays you missed and all the Christmasses you didn't come to." She didn't mean to sound so resentful, but it seemed like that's what it came out as when Rio went silent. "I—shit—I didn't mean to—"
"No, Agatha. You're right." Rio sighed, stopping at the red light, and momentarily looked at Agatha.
There was this spark of yearning... and regret.
"Rio, no," Agatha argued. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean to come off as accusatory." She gulped, reaching for the other woman's hand. "I mean—I know I didn't mean to say that in such a way but if it hurt you then... I'm sorry." Her bottom lip quivered in panic. "I didn't intend to."
Rio was silenced.
Agatha rarely apologized. She only does when she's either aware that she did something very fucked up that hurt somebody's feelings or she's drunk from several glasses of bourbon.
But this? It was as if she's hearing the angels sing.
"Mama?" Nicky took off his headphones and ate the carrot Señor Scratchy was supposed to eat. "Can we get drive-thru at Wendy's?"
Rio was taken aback, clearing her throat. "Sure, buddy." Though her eyes still never left Agatha's, and she hasn't pulled her hand away yet either.
Until a name on the screen appeared, stopping the music that was playing. She immediately let go of Agatha's hand to answer the call.
"Maria?"
It seemed like the world stopped for Agatha even if the car was moving as the light went green.
Her shoulders slumped as she turned to focus on the flock of birds in the sky, finding their way home. I have no right to feel like this. She thought, hating herself.
While Nicky, on the other hand, was pumped. "Maria?"
"Hey, sweet boy! Happy birthday!" The woman said sweetly, Agatha hated it. Mostly because she's bitter. Partly because she just hates her.
Maria was Rio's girlfriend. They've been together since the divorce. Well, months after it. And she loathed it. Despised all of it.
She hated how it made her feel so easily replaceable. How Rio somehow proved to her that her mother's words were right—that everything she touches will rot and that's why everyone in her life will leave.
But what she hated most was that Maria was an amazing woman and that she could never truly hate her. She was perfect. Flawless. Everything she isn't but everything she yearns to be.
Maria had a soft spot for Nicky and vice versa. The fact that Nicky talks about her a lot when he comes home from his Mama's place already proves that she's nothing short of perfect and it's starting to make her doubt if she was even a good mother because it seemed like Nicky would do just fine and perhaps even better if he was with Maria.
She was gonna be sick. Why is my mind like this?
Nicky noticed the shift in the atmosphere when Agatha moved to the backseat to cuddle him and Señor Scratchy. It was as if she was seeking emotional support from the two as Rio had her conversation with Maria. The boy subtly answered the woman's questions on the phone as he felt concerned for his mom who looked so... bothered.
"Are you okay, mom?" He asked with a whisper, not wanting Rio to hear. He knew how his mom kept on trying to seem unaffected by Rio's presence, especially Maria's, but he could see right through her.
Agatha gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair, not really wanting to talk about it. "Mom's fine, baby boy."
The next few hours were... bearable. Agatha went back to the passenger seat because Nicky wanted to sleep. He didn't ask her to move, but she did either way. Now it was only the two of them listening to whatever Agatha put on and staring at the sun setting.
"I'm breaking up with Maria." She looked at her briefly. "After our trip, when I see her again."
It was so out of topic.
They didn't even have a topic in the first place.
Somehow that statement calmed Agatha's thoughts that had been eating her alive for an hour. "...Okay." She acted like she didn't care, but considering that Nicky inherited some of her genes, she saw right through her like he did.
"Agatha..." Rio called her, voice gentle as ever, and she savored it. "Can we... try again?"
Agatha panicked.
"You know we can't."
And they might have not noticed it, but Nicky was fake-sleeping. He did it on purpose to listen to their conversation. He loved seeing his mothers together, whether they were angry at each other, happy, laughing together, holding hands, literally anything as long as they were together.
It was a once-in-a-blue moon sight. And he'll most likely be present every time something like this happens.
Maybe he does it to annoy one of his mothers. Maybe he just misses the three of them together, living in the same house.
"Why can't we?" Rio practically begged, her hand looking for Agatha's as she drove.
They tried to keep their voices down, but it was getting hard not to raise them. "Because it all becomes horrid when you least expect it. It'll all go back to square one and it's going to be a total disaster." She looked away, staring at the sunset ahead of them. "You know how I am, Rio. And in all times, in all possibilities, I always end up hurting either of us. Especially you." She sighed, letting go of her hand. "I don't want that."
Rio was silent, but she kept on driving. Her hand remained on Agatha's lap because the woman forced their hands apart and she couldn't bear putting it back on the wheel just yet, at least not without their fingers entwined one way or another.
"I don't want to damage you with my thoughts, words, or anything I would possibly do to intentionally or unintentionally hurt you again. I've done that countless before and look where that got us."
Nicky listened to their conversation without a word. He kept his eyes closed and hugged his pet rabbit on his chest. His heart hurt knowing that his mom was going through something so complicated. And he doesn't hope anymore that they'll go past that complication. He stopped hoping when he was six.
A part of him died the day his parents had a divorce. Although both women would never cease assuring and reassuring him that they loved him unconditionally and that their separation had nothing to do with him, it seemed like nothing would be enough to fill the empty void in his heart.
"Rio, let's just stop. Okay?"
There was a deafening silence in the car after Agatha's pleading voice begged Rio. Nicky shed a tear but quickly wiped it. They spent the next few minutes in total silence as it started to rain so suddenly.
His Mama's gift to him was on the floor of the car, so he picked it up and decided to read it, hoping it would stop him from replaying what just happened.
para ser llenado con mi corazón derramado.
(to be filled with my outpoured heart.)
The first page was filled with pictures of what looked like his mother as a teenager. She had braces, short hair, and glasses too. But the other pictures looked like she was partying, vomiting, and making out with someone.
And that someone looked like her mom. Even with messy hair and ruined makeup, she looked amazing. Maybe that's where he got his "charisma" from.
He laughed at his own pitiful joke.
Haha. Rizz.
Nicky's fingers flipped the page and saw a journal entry.
December 30, 1999
Dear diary...
Wow. That felt horrible to write. I'm never doing that again.
So, life's been horrible. As usual. Everyone's either a total asshole or a complete jerk. I'm so glad I decided to hate on people since high school started.
And I'm more psyched that I only have one more year left of high school. Fuck school. Who even created it?
I've been growing some azaleas in our garden. Mom would water them for me when I forgot to. I love my mommy. Even when I'm horrible to her sometimes. Or most of the time.
Some of them are pink but mostly purple. Though I'm kinda bummed that I'll have to wait till March before they bloom. Sucks, but worth it. If there's anything gardening and plants taught me, it's that beautiful things take time. And I can't believe I just wrote that down. I'm a fucking genius.
Dad's been... hornier than usual. I still remember the disgusting sounds they made on Christmas night. I should drink the rat poison under the sink or cut my ears off then eat and vomit them. I'm curious though, what's the fastest way to die?
Under that was a doodle of a stick man hanging. It was... dark. As Nicky would say.
Based on Rio's stories about her childhood, it seems like she had fun. But she didn't mention this... completely opposite side of her stories.
He glanced at his mothers who were still silent. The only thing making a sound was the raindrops on the car roof and the soft music on the radio. Lana Del Rey's voice mixed so well with the rain and it created a calm, comforting atmosphere, even if there was tension among the two people in the front seat.
Nicky continued to read.
Anyway, the only thing interesting that happened this week (besides the corpse they found on Daffodil Street, which was cool.) was the new neighbors across the street. That ugly mansion was finally inhabited by humans.
One of them was pretty though.
It looks like they moved from the city to here. The brunette girl was with an older woman who seemed like her mom. The only thing I could say to her is my condolences. From a distance I could already tell that living with a person like that is unfortunate. I'm genuinely so sorry for her.
Mom? Nicky thought. I knew they've known each other for a long time now! He smiled at his confirmed suspicions hugged his bunny plushie and scratched his pet's head as it ate some carrots.
December 31, 1999
I can't believe the first number of the years is turning into two. That's crazy. And it's crazy how this will be my last journal entry for the year.
What the fuck? It's like.... five minutes till midnight. Everybody in the neighborhood is still firing up some fireworks and party poppers. I hate them. I hope they explode. This has been going on for almost the whole day with their cheers and karaoke. Ugh, I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE karaoke.
Mom and Dad are currently slow dancing to a song on the record player. As sweet as they look, I still very much want to vomit. Love them, though.
Some relatives are down there too. They're filling the whole place and that's why I'm hiding in my room, watching things blast and explode in the air.
That girl across the street keeps on staring at the sky. I could see her from my window since our bedrooms were literally right in front of each other across the street. It's disturbing but at the same time comforting. Does that make sense?
I'm sitting here in my room, peering out the window at the party across the street. I feel like a super spy. (A hot one.) Or a really good but creepy stalker. I love it. Everyone's celebrating the arrival of the new millennium, while I'm stuck here alone, watching the festivities from a distance. It's not that I'm complaining, though. I love being alone.
I'm looking at the girl across the street in her room again.
She looks radiant in her pretty red dress and ribbon around her neck. She's laying her chin on both her arms and looks up at the sky as if it's the only thing that matters. Everyone else downstairs in her house was cheering and clapping, drinking their hearts out with disgusting cheap beverages, while she was there, enjoying the comfort of silence.
Fascinating.
She's so... breathtaking to look at. It's unfair.
January 1, 2000
Holy shit. The year has three zeroes now. That's amazing.
I feel the New Year Spirit getting to me. It's kinda fun.
Or maybe I'm just high from mushrooms that I drank from our backyard because there is no way in hell I'd say or write that down.
Anyway, we spoke earlier. Through writing down on a piece of paper with a thick marker and huge but horrible writing.
Her name is Agatha. It suits her beautifully.
She's the same age as me, but I'm about two months older.
Her birthday is on February 14th.
They moved here because unfortunately, her father divorced her mother for another man at work. Can't blame him, I don't know her mom yet though I already feel like she's a horrible, God-awful woman.
And she ran out of paper so we decided to talk face-to-face.
It was five minutes after midnight, and we decided to hang out on my roof to watch fireworks and talk.
I don't recall how she got here, but I don't really care.
She smelt so amazing. Like daisies and lemons.
And when she opens her mouth to say something the world goes quiet and all I hear is her blabbering nonsense with weird cheesy music in the background and her hair is just so perfect like it's being blown away by the wind.
Oh my god.
Ugh. I don't care anymore.
I just wanna get down on my knees and worship her.
What the fuck?
Nicky's eyes widened at that, a smile forming on his lips. The car went to a stop because of the traffic lights. He then turned his gaze to the two women in the front seats and saw his mama trying to put a neck pillow on his mom's neck. Agatha fell asleep and through the mirror of the car visor, he could see that she was drooling.
But Rio didn't give a damn and wiped it for her using her hand.
How... disgustingly romantic. The boy thought as he laughed silently. He loved how in love his parents used to be.
Used to be. The thought that they may never be that in love again saddened him. But still, he's happy that they loved each other. He knows and he can see that they still do, but he knew by his stubbornness that he had inherited from both his mothers that they would probably spend most of the time denying it. They were impossible.
"We're here," Rio announced with a smile as she looked at him. "Go get Señor Scratchy in his cage and fix your stuff for me." She noticed he was holding her old journal, and she smiled. "Have fun reading, buddy. I left you a note on the last page. Promise me you'll read every page, okay?"
Nicky smiled and sat up, head a little dizzy. "I promise. Thank you again, mama." He leaned forward to kiss his mother on the cheek. While he fixed his things in his bag, he quietly watched as Rio contemplated to wake Agatha up.
"Agatha, sweetheart?" Rio's voice dripped with honey. Her hand gently reached for the woman's face and cleared it of the hairs falling as the other caressed her cheek with tenderness. "Baby, we're here."
He smiled at them as he gathered Señor Scratchy's carrots, putting them in a container as his mama continued to wake the groaning woman up. "Baby...."
"Mhm... five more minutes." They both laughed silently as Agatha groaned like a teenager, covering her eyes as she gripped Rio's hand.
But who were they to resist this lovely woman's charms? "Fine." Rio allowed, enjoying the way her wi—ex-wife, clutched at her hand as if she was terrified to let go. "Nicky, can you take our stuff out of the trunk and put them outside? Just while wait for five minutes to be up." She kissed Agatha's cheek, not even batting him an eye.
He smiled and gladly obliged. Seeing his two favorite people in the world get along every once in a while hits the spot and puts him in a good mood. Now he's got that cheeky smile that will probably stay in his mouth for a few hours or so.
He glanced at the window before carrying Señor Scratchy's cage and carrying outside along with his things. He looked around and saw the beautiful house in front of him. I can't believe my mom used to live here. He thought.
The house looked elegant, but at the same time cozy. It was surrounded by violets, lavenders, azaleas, and all the pretty flowers he had ever seen in his life. Just as he was emptying the trunk of their things—a guitar, a purple suitcase, a green suitcase, another purple suitcase, a blue suitcase, a ukelele, a huge ass umbrella that he decided to put back, a small leather bag, a bigger leather bag, a first aid kit, a basket of foods and fruits, and a lot more stuff—a woman came out of the house and smiled at them.
Nicky kindly smiled back and waved. That must be Mrs. Davis. He closed the trunk and through the rear window, he saw his mom on his mama's lap and they were cuddling. Rio caressed Agatha's hair and kissed her forehead as he could see her whisper things that were most likely sweet nothings. Nicky couldn't stop his smile from- forming.
But he yelped when a voice spoke from behind him.
"Hey."
"Ah!"
"Woah, chill." The other boy's arms raised, showing surrender. "I'm not like a thief or anything."
Mrs. Sharon, standing on the porch, spoke and waved at the boy in front of him. "Billy! Your back! Did you get those vegetables I asked you to get?"
The boy named Billy smiled and raised the basket he was holding filled with a variety of vegetables. "Fresh from the market."
Nicky was amazed. This boy looked amazing even when drenched in rain. Then, he spoke. And he didn't know what to do.
"I'm Billy. Billy Maximoff." He smiled brightly and offered his hand. "You must be Nicholas? Mrs. Sharon told me a lot about you and your family."
Nicky automatically took his hand and stuttered. "I—uh—yeah, I'm Nicky." He shook his head and tried to focus. "Uhm, are those for Mrs. Davis? I can take it to her." He tried to reach for the basket but Billy wouldn't let him.
"Ah, it's fine. I'm headed inside anyway." He saw how Nicky shot him a confused look and clarified before he even began to ask any questions. "I'm working here, as an errand boy. Great way to make extra cash since it's summer." He tried to say sarcastically, but the way he had a big smile on his face only made him seem like he was pumped about it, so Nicky laughed.
"Oh, uh, cool." Cool? COOL? Nicky wanted the ground to eat him alive. Although it was still a bit cold and breezy because of the rain that had just stopped, he felt warm for his hand was still touching Billy's.
He had this... weird unexplainable feeling inside him and he felt the need to run away from it, so he let go and kept his hands from behind.
Billy cleared his throat and nodded, raising the basket a bit before announcing his leave. "I'll take this inside now. Mrs. Davis and I are gonna cook some dinner. Hope you like stew."
And then he left. And just as he was walking away, the sky cleared up and the sun came out, shining brightly as it was almost setting. The sun rays hit his face so perfectly and Nicky thought this boy came straight out of a movie.
Ethereal. Was what Nicky would describe him.
"Nicky, let's get going," Rio said, carrying Agatha in her right arm (yes, with one hand) like a child. His thoughts of Billy disappeared and carried their luggage inside with ease. Rio helped him with the guitar and Señor Scratchy's cage as her ex-wife whined.
His mom, not minding if she sounded like a toddler, threw a tantrum. "Rio, I swear to god if you don't bring me down this instant I will choke you."
The taller woman smirked and whispered something in her ear that made Agatha flush into a light red color and she resorted to hitting her arm multiple times. "I hope you fall down the staircase."
"Aww, how sweet." Rio proceeded to kiss her on the forehead as they stepped on the porch. Mrs Davis welcomed them and laughed at the sight of Agatha, and all of them cackled at how she looked.
🌱
Mrs. Davis turned out to be the house's caretaker for as long as Agatha had lived. She was the girl her mother bullied in school, and somehow, she still manages to bully her to this day by being their housetaker. But she didn't mind. Sharon actually loved her job, and Agatha not being anything like her mother helped with that.
Now, Mrs. Davis had gone home. Which was just across the street because she needed to drink her medicine and go to bed.
Billy was still cleaning the dining table after the small feast they just had. He knew Agatha way back because she was friends with Wanda, his mother. Who coincidentally (not really) lived just around the corner of the neighborhood.
Some old neighbors found out Agatha and Rio were back along with their son. And now, Jennifer, Lilia, Alice, and even Wanda came to celebrate with them accompanied by a bottle of red wine and grape juice for Nicky.
"Can I try?" Nicky asked, sipping on his grape juice as he sat on the living room floor. Billy quietly watched him with a smile as he wiped the tables and fixed the placemats.
"NO!" Every adult except Jennifer said, and they threw daggers alongside laughs at her.
"Oh, come on! Don't act like you bitches never did underage drinking." She rolled her eyes and drank her wine, sitting comfortably on the leather reclining chair.
"Language," Lilia warned, narrowing her eyes. "There are children in this room." She fixed the strands that fell out of her hair before she spoke again. "Why don't we introduce ourselves to the boy?"
"Bleugh," Agatha's face went sour as she was reminded of something. "Flashbacks from the first day of class in every excruciating year of school. I feel like barfing—"
Before the woman could even finish her sentence, Rio laughed knowingly, her tongue darting to the inside of her cheek as she put on a smug smile, childishly imitating Agatha's tone. "I'm Agatha Harkness! Sixteen. I like purple, rabbits, books, actually good movies that don't make you rethink your life choices, and coffee because who the hell needs sleep? And I'm pretty good at writing and socializing. I think. Ask my dad. Oh, never mind, I don't know where he is." The woman could go all day long, not minding how hard Agatha was burying her nails in the skin of her hand.
"And as much as possible, please NEVER, and I mean NEVER EVER, talk to me. Because if there's one thing I absolutely cannot stand, it’s having to endure conversations I couldn’t care less about like someone opening their mouth to tell me how their stoned mommy left them. Seriously, I’d rather be trapped in a room with a murderer killing me with a fork than be stuck with one of you—"
"Rio." Agatha's tone was deadly. Everyone in the room burst with laughter as Rio sweetly brought her hand to her lips and kissed it. "Fuck you," she whispered, but Nicky could hear it crystal clear as he giggled. Yet when he saw Billy looking at him with a smile that he was unsure how to feel about, he abruptly stopped.
"So thankful Rio's got super memory or something—" Jen commented.
"Hyperthymesia," she corrected, scratching down at Nicky's head.
"—so we could bits and pieces of every embarrassing moment Agatha ever had in her life." She smirked and raised a brow at the woman who covered her son's eyes and gave her the finger, mouthing the words "eat my ass." "Ew, Rio could do that for you if you're into that." Nicky had no idea what was happening, he could feel Agatha behind him moving so erratically. He could hear everyone in the room laughing but before he could remove Agatha's hand on his eyes, Jen spoke. "I'm Jennifer, call me Jen. I've hated your mom ever since. And if you're ever interested in modeling—" she took out a business card and handed it to him. "—give me a call."
"He's not even a teenager, Jen," Rio said as the boy took the card with a shy smile, muttering a soft 'thank you.'
"Perfect timing if you'd ask me," the woman shrugged, getting a grape from the table and eating it.
The woman who sat on the floor rolled her eyes and ate some crackers, offering Nicky some as he gladly accepted it. "I'm Alice. College dropout. Go study, kid. If you don't want to live in a trailer like me."
"You don't even have a house, you live with me!" Jennifer argued, smacking her shoulders a bit.
"Not the point. So go study." She shrugged and drank her wine. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Nicky thought about it before looking up to answer her. "I think I want to be a writer like my mom." He looked up at Agatha, smiling brightly. "Or maybe a director."
"Ambitious," Lilia commented, closing the magazine she was reading. "Lilia, dear. If you ever need some directions in life, you know who to call." She gave him a wink.
"By directions in life, you mean tarot?" Agatha snarkily commented as Rio smacked her thigh lightly, serving as a reprimand.
"You're just bitter you get the Three of Swords every time I give you a reading." The woman raised a brow. "But I could see that this boy has a bright future ahead of him."
Lilia continued to give a short story about how things went every single time she gave Agatha a reading. She'd either cry or completely lash out. Maybe she's going through a lot of things. Or maybe every time she asked for a reading it was when Rio and her had a horrible break up for the nth time.= and everyone burst out laughing.
It was as if everything was okay. At least for now.
Until Wanda spoke. "I guess it's my turn to introduce myself." She smiled as she put her glass on the table and got some crackers from the charcuterie. "I'm Wanda. I used to be your mom's best friend. You're lucky to have her as her mom." She gave Agatha a sweet smile before continuing.
Rio's hand gripped Agatha's thigh. Wanda and her ex-wife used to like each other. And Agatha was hung up on her for quite some time and she hated how she cried for a girl that didn't see her value like she did. Or perhaps she was just jealous at the time.
Nicky could sense that there was a deeper meaning behind Wanda's words as he eyed his moms behind him. I hope this is in the diary. This has got to be good.
They were all around the living room. Agatha and Rio were on the loveseat, Alice on the carpeted floor below from where Jen sat, Lilia on the ottoman, and Wanda on the lounger. Billy had joined them once he was finished and sat beside his mother, giving them all a small smile.
"How old are you, Billy?" Rio asked, trying not to hold Agatha's hand but failing so fashionably. Billy took a glass and poured some juice himself, the same one as Nicky's. "Just turned fourteen yesterday."
"Oh!" Agatha lit up, not minding that Rio was intertwining their fingers together. "Nicky here's turning thirteen tomorrow!"
The whole topic became about Nicky once again, and he didn't mind. He kind of liked it. But the way Billy looked at him with those big, soft eyes was making him conscious to the point that he was stuttering at questions like what subject he loved the most or if he liked school at all.
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked at Rio before looking back at him. "I just realized how similar you look to Rio. That's amazing." She smiled, fixing her earrings.
"I know," Agatha smiled, looking at her ex-wife and Nicky. It was a bittersweet thing. She could never fully hate Rio because every time she looked at her—their—son, all she saw was what their love had created.
And it created something so damn beautiful.
She couldn't be more than grateful for technology.
Nicky smiled at what his mom said as she caressed his cheek. And he was thankful that Billy had fallen asleep on Wanda's lap like the little boy that he is, but still, his heart raced. How could somebody be that cute? That should be illegal. He cringed at how silly his thoughts were and hated how they were so loud.
So he settled for getting closer to Agatha and lying his head on her lap like the other boy did, trying to divert his thoughts to falling asleep.
And thankfully, with the help of both his mothers caressing his hair, he did. The last thing he felt before fully dozing off was his mom kissing his forehead.
🔮
The next morning, he woke up in a room he didn't recognize. It was purple all over. From the walls to the sheets on the bed he was lying on.
There were at least three shelves in the room filled with books journals, lamps, some figurines, toys, and pictures. His eyes were a bit blurry because he didn't have his glasses on, but he could clearly see that it was his mom's posing weirdly as they looked goofy.
He woke up to the smell of something sweet just outside the door, so he curiously sat up. But just as he was getting up, the door opened and revealed his two mothers, carrying a cake as the other one was blowing the smoke away. "Happy birthday to you..." they started to sing and approach him.
As they got closer, his smile widened and widened as Rio snapped pictures through a digital camera that looked very expensive. He remembered how Agatha had asked him to buy a camera with her for his mama's fortieth birthday. He loved how she still put effort into giving her gifts even when they were not together anymore.
"Happy birthday to you..." All of them chuckled as Agatha asked him: "make a wish, my sweet boy."
I wish for you two to get back together so we can all live in one house and celebrate every holiday and occasion together. He wished silently and sadly before blowing his candles. And for the Hunger Games book set.And a new friend for Señor Scratchy.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he did was laugh at the cake.
It was blue at the top, green in the middle, and purple at the bottom. It had chocolate icing all over, his favorite, and white chocolate pearls along it. It was also topped with his favorite flowers—daisies, and carnations—all in white and different shades of blue.
What made it funny was that there were pictures of fictional characters he said he would "smash," like the boy Riley had a crush on from inside out, Riley herself, Simon and Brittany from Alvin and the Chipmunks, human Shrek, Nick Wilde, Woody and Wendy from toy story, and even the girl from Smurfs.
It was silly, but it was perfect.
"Hey!" Agatha touched her chest as if she was offended. "That's my five hours of hard work you're laughing at!"
Rio and he were laughing as his mama leaned in, a hand on his mom's waist. "Don't worry, bud. I helped."
That statement made Agatha frown more and their laughs became louder, they swore the whole town could hear.
"Thank you, Mama." He kissed Rio on the cheek so tenderly as the woman kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Mom." He then gave Agatha one, and she ruffled his hair. "I love you both. You're the best mom I could ever ask for." He smiled widely that both women were convinced it would reach the stars.
"I love you too, mi amor." Rio kissed his cheek once more as both women sat on the bed beside him.
Agatha brought out three forks from her pocket that were still warm and freshly washed. Their birthday tradition included them taking bites of whatever age the person turned to. So they'll need to eat the cake thirteen times.
Nicky just loves moments like this.
He realized how lucky he was in this life. With two amazing women as his mothers who love him more than anything in the world.
Agatha snarkily laughed as she took a bite. "You still say I love you to your mothers? Ha-ha-ha!" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and teasing. "I love you both. You're the best mom I could ever ask for." The way he imitated Nicky's voice in a tiny tone was even more hilarious.
Rio can't believe she chose to love someone like Agatha and Nicky can't believe he has her as his mother.
The teenager and the other woman laughed as they took a finger full of icing and painted Agatha's face with it. She feigned an offended, disgusted gasp and even clutched her chest.
"You insolents dare to destroy my art?!" Agatha toned her voice into a villain that felt mocked at the same time offended. "Imbeciles! Get down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness!"
After their thirteenth bite, Nicky gave both his mothers a kiss on the cheek. "Can we explore the town today? That's what I want to find for today."
Rio smiled, ruffling his hair. "Sure, bud. You wanna go for a swim after? We'll show you that lake your mom and I always went to." That sentence made Nicky bustling.
"Yes, please!" He practically jumped on the bed. "Can we bring Señor Scratchy too?"
Agatha smiled and scrunched her nose, making Rio go out of focus. "As long as you're carrying him."
🌱
"Wow!" Nicky gripped the railings as he looked over the town. They were at an overlooking café that just looked so mesmerizing in the morning. It was barely seven, and the sun was still rising. He loved sunrises more than sunsets because, to him, they represented new beginnings. His mom taught him that.
Agatha followed beside him as Rio made their orders. This was the café they often went to have their dates back then. This was where Rio asked her to be her girlfriend, the place where they went out to study and mostly flirt, the place where they created so many bittersweet memories.
She closed her eyes for a bit, inhaling as the air went into her lungs, and exhaled with a soft smile before turning to their beautiful boy. "Happy birthday, my baby boy."
"You've greeted me three times in the past hour now." Nicky laughed as he hugged his mom with one arm. Soon enough, Rio had joined them. "Mama, mom's being clingy again."
"Oh, shush. You'll crave this when you leave for college in a few years." She defended Agatha. "That's where we're gonna go mountain gliding on later." She pointed to the tall mountain not far from here, as he squealed like a little mouse.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" All he felt at the moment was pure joy. He's not even sure if this is reality or a good dream where everything is alright for once.
He had always dreamed of going mountain gliding from a really really high mountain. And he had dreamed for the past few years to see his parents eating together again (or just waiting for their orders sat in a table together.)
Best birthday ever indeed.
Nicky had borrowed Rio's camera to snap some pictures of the town, some trees, flowers, and his parents while both women ate dessert. Agatha's favourite—Crème brûlée.
Nicky quietly snapped pictures of them from afar as he watched them.
Rio noticed Agatha wasn't eating a lot and took smaller bites of food than she usually does.
"Come on, eat more. You barely ate anything yesterday."
"I already ate enough today. Thirteen bites of cake is a lot of calories, you know." She shrugged, putting her fork down. To her surprise, Rio took another fork full of the dessert and made a small show of flying it around like an airplane.
"Swooooosh," she 'flew' it up and down, left and right, stopping exactly in front of Agatha's mouth. "Here comes the airplane!"
Agatha wanted to laugh at how childish Rio sounded. She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth and took a bite as Rio cheered like a five-year-old girl. "Yay!" She even clapped her hands which made both of them laugh.
"You should've worked as a kindergarten teacher." Agatha tried to be mean, but the sweetness of the Crème brûlée only made her close her eyes and moan. "Fuck, so good." She muttered lowly, hoping Nicky didn't hear it.
"I miss hearing you say that." The way Rio pouted made Agatha hit her shoulder a little too hard. "Ow!" They both laughed as she winced in pain. "But jokes aside, eat more. There's nothing wrong with enjoying food every once in a while. You deserve to eat."
Agatha scrunched her nose in disagreement. "Eh. Not a fan. I don't wanna die fat and ugly with all those saturated fats and calories." She took her fork and ate the salad on her left. "I mean, for other people, sure. Let them eat what they want to eat. But you know me, as much as possible I'm trying to maintain my figure."
Rio went silent, studying the words the other woman had just said. She observed her quietly as she ate her food before speaking. "Is that why Nicky's been telling me that you barely eat at home?"
"He told you that?" Agatha remained unfazed. But even she knew that her ex-wife could see through the mask she was putting up.
"He did." She said gently, holding her hand. "You don't need to punish yourself to meet those unrealistic standards, my love." Her thumb caressed the back of Agatha's hand, and that comforted her in the way she always yearned for and would continue to yearn for. "You're beautiful the way you are. You're radiant no matter what you do or what you look like. That's a fact I've known about you for as long as I've loved you."
Click. Nicky took a photo from afar. Although he couldn't hear what they were talking about, he could tell that it was a sensitive topic. Like his mama, he could see right through every mask his mom puts up and everyone else around him.
He saw through the camera that there was tension between them so he decided to go back to their table with Señor Scratchy in his hand.
A few moments later, they (Rio) paid for their food and left the café. They were all hand in hand. Nicky is in the middle of the two women with them holding his hands. Agatha was carrying Señor Scratchy to regain her composure since her proximity with her ex-wife earlier shook her and held Nicky's hand tightly.
This is his first birthday in three years that Rio's been present. Ever since she was promoted to Medical Director, the amount of work she has to do has been doubled. She's already barely surviving as a neurosurgeon, and the responsibility that came with her promotion made her life busier in the worst way possible.
She barely has time for family or even has him over during weekends at her place because of her hectic work schedule and occasional emergency patients that require urgent attention. Rio loves her job, don't get her wrong, but she loves her family more than anything in the world. And she despises the way things are where she needs to either compromise on every occasion or not do anything at all.
"I'm glad you're here, mama." Nicky smiled at Rio as the woman kissed his head.
"Me too, bud." Nicky may be a teenager now, but he's still shorter than both his mothers. She hoped he'd stay like that forever.
Rio eyed Agatha who was calming down from whatever happened earlier, and she smirked at that. It's rare to see her flustered and bothered like this.
The day went on as Nicky kept running around the park. They got lunch, went mountain gliding (that was scary and exciting, they loved it), swam at the old lake, and went camping in the woods not that far from the city.
As nighttime came, he kissed his moms on the cheek and closed their tent with a lamp in his hand before going into his blue tent. Good thing he had brought his mama's journal with him for him to read when he got bored. But unfortunately, there was not one moment in this day that he got bored of spending it with his mothers. He only had smiles and laughs coming out from him the whole time.
He got in his sleeping bag opened the journal and turned on the book light before reading. Here we go again.
January 18, 2000
It's currently six am. I'm waiting for breakfast to be done so I'm writing. Can't believe I have to go back to school. I hate this.
It's still cold outside and the snow's still clearing up, might have to wear that fur jacket Dad gave me. It smells like booze and my mom. Thank fuck the principal doesn't do any smell tests. That would be disgusting and creepy.
I'm walking with Agatha to school. It's her first day in Salem High (jail). Hope she survives.
We've been hanging out at my place for the past few weeks every single day. I loved it. I love being with her.
She's so... obnoxious but at the same time oblivious to it. Funny things just come out of her mouth and she doesn't even notice it. She's so genuine.
We threw snowballs at each other yesterday and just laid in the snow. It was cold, but having her beside me making snow angels made me feel warm. Is that even possible?
She told me about how her old school wasn't any better when I told her stories about Salem's only high school in town. Girls used to call her a witch because of her 'stringy hair' and 'ugly nose.' Bet those bitches will become homeless in two years. Hope they go to hell. Sorry, not sorry.
But I've seen the way her mother treats her. I am now convinced that she's the most horrible woman in the world. She called Agatha evil when she saw us laughing in her room. And the number of times she comes crying to me, in my arms saying that her mother hates her for exsting and some horrible shit her mom does to her like throw a fucking PLATE at her.
Nicky's eyes widened at that.
She's got so many scars from her mom. In every aspect, you comprehend it to be. It hurts my heart to see her cry her heart out but at the same time, it heals something inside me that she's letting me see her being vulnerable. That's a level of intimacy I never knew I'd experience with someone.
Today, I kissed my mom good morning. Maybe because Agatha inspired me too. She told me she has always wanted her mother to show some affection when she does. Just realized I'm lucky to have a mother who cares and cooks for me every day not because of responsibility but out of love.
I'm grateful she made me see that.
Nicky frowned with tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Like his mama's journal entry, he never realized how lucky he got with mothers like them who love him so unconditionally more than anything in the whole universe. He's convinced that in every universe that he exists in, his mothers will always be there, showering him with the love that they never got.
I love my moms. He wrote down with a blue pen on the side of the page. He was annotating these pages with blue pens, highlighters, and different shades of blue tabs. Light blue meant light, funny entries. Sky blue meant serious topics. Dark blue meant moments when he realized and learned things. While green meant the entries that he loved the most.
This is a green. He thought as he put on the tab and flipped the page.
January 19, 2000
We held hands. Holy shit.
I can't stop thinking about it.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Fuck. What the fuck. Motherfucker.
I can't stop smiling what the fuck. I feel like a creepy old man who's been touched for the first time.
Nicky put a light blue tab on this one.
Her hand was so warm. And soft. She intertwined our fingers together and I swear to god it fits perfectly. It was as if we were made to complement and... complete each other.
Shit. I'm so screwed.
This is so fucking scary. What the fuck.
The smile Nicky had on his face was so wide.
He felt like he was reading Harry Styles and Liam Payne fanfic on whatever fanfiction website he could find and stayed up until morning.
Except this time, it was real. He was reading something his parents had a long time ago and he'd like to believe they still have it until now, just in denial.
January 25, 2000
A new girl came last week, I forgot to write that down.
Wanda was her name. Or was it Wendy?
I don't usually care about the new kids in town. (Except Agatha.) But what the fuck. I think Agatha's got a crush on her.
It bothered me how her eyes FUCKING TWINKLED when she passed down the hallways or when they have classes together. I hate the way she looked at her like there was nothing else better to look at other than her.
Why am I acting like this?
I need help.
Dark blue. Nicky thought as he wrote down—now I know the jealousy she has runs in her blood. Let's hope I don't have it in me. Nonetheless, she sounds so cute being confused and frustrated about this—and turned to the next page.
January 30, 2000
We're at the lake right now. Can't believe this is the first time she has seen the lake in westview! like how is it possible to miss this this is like so huge (im huger. if that even is a word)
Did I just fucking use an exclamation mark on whatever this is? Oh my god, I'm turning into a cheesy teenage girl. What the fuck.
But anyway, I'm drying off and ate the sandwiches she made for us and she's still swimming. Scratch that, floating.
Her eyes were closed, but I could still see how her lashes fluttered so slowly. The slow breaths she's creating somehow calm me, even at a distance. And she looks so majestic doing it. I feel like I'm watching a siren and letting her seduce me.
She's so... unreal. I'm speechless.
I feel like I'm unlocking a whole new level of intimacy every time she lets me see things she usually doesn't let other people see. Like her being calm as she is right now or the times she just lets go and be herself.
But what I love most is when we just lay beside each other and talk about anything for hours. Whether it may be about love, life, or death, I don't really care. As long as she's looking at me with that beautiful smile and not caring about anything else.
Holy shit, wait, she asked me to join her again.
Nicky marked this one green.
The next page had very bad handwriting though. Not too different from the rest of the pages, but this one seemed... shaky.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.
What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck.
I'm gonna die. WHAT THE HECK. FUCK. SHIT. KILL ME.
WE FUCKING KISSED. Well, I kissed her, and she kissed back, but we still kissed. WHAT THE HELL. OH MY GOD.
I don't know if I'm happy about it or disturbed because the whole ride home she couldn't look at me. Fuck.
But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. I know she's still not over Wanda (fuck that bitch. She didn't do anything wrong, but I just don't like her because Aggie likes her.) having a boyfriend, and it's probably a wrong move to kiss her, but it just felt right at the moment. S
She called my name in the sweetest way you could ever imagine. Her voice was dripping with honey and excitement. How is that even possible? I swore I would've died on the spot the moment she opened her mouth.
And when we just floated on the water for god knows how long, laughing about the stupidest things ever, I just wanted to crash my mouth on hers.
Who am I kidding? I've been wanting to do that for a long time.
But maybe I messed things up. I should have let her process her feelings about Wanda first before I made a move.
Fuck. What happened to taking it slow with her? This wasn't part of my plan... oh yeah, I don't even have one.
Fuck. I'm so screwed. I can't stop saying fuck.
I need to apologize to her and take it back, at least for now. I don't think it's the right time for this. I don't wanna rush things and ruin our friendship as well.
This is the first time in my life I want to take someone seriously. Chivalrous gestures, cheesy dates, getting to know each other better, and all that.
Agatha is different. She deserves all those things and more. I want to be the one to give her that and show her what she deserves.
I don't care anymore about what people would think about me afterward. Screw everyone else. Except her.
I am severely fucked. How did she do this to me?
Nicky smiled at what he read, highlighting some sentences in blue and underlining a few. "Oh, yes you are. Up until now." He turned to the next page and saw a sketch. He always knew his mama had been into art one way or another. She always talked about historical paintings, Bob Ross, and going to art galleries to look at sculptures, and even had some pieces of her own.
It was a sketch of his mom.
Rio's style at the time was chicken scratch, a lot different than the cleaner style she's using right now.
She could see the light freckles on his mom's face. How her smile made lines on her cheek that showed how much she's been smiling. Her eyes glinted like they were looking at the stars and her hair was free, like the teenage girl he saw in the photo of them in his mom's room.
She looked so perfect.
Somewhere below he saw his mama scribbled 'I can never accurately capture her beauty. At least not in this lifetime. I'm not mad, though. Her beauty isn't something anyone could capture perfectly for she is immaculate. ♡
P.S. Agatha's turning me into Shakespeare.
He smiled, tabbing this one green, and drew a small heart before moving on to the next page.
Nicky read each page as he witnessed through every page how his mama fell in love with his mom day by day. It was slow, exhilarating, and scary all at the same time. He loved every second of it. Although he hated rom-coms and slow burn, his mothers were slowly changing his opinion of them. Maybe I'd try reading those more.
February 14, 2000
It's been a while since I last wrote down here. Wow.
Life status: dead. Dying. Stage 27 cancer. Downing. Choking. Cardiac arrest. (Yes, I have been reading medical books.)
Cause of death: Agatha's kiss.
The boy's brows perked up as he smirked.
She kissed me. On her birthday. And Valentine's Day. I need at least a week to process this if I'm dreaming or having a stroke. It's been an hour since I last saw her and I've been staring at the ceiling the whole time.
We've been making out a lot the last few weeks. But this one... is a little more intense.
We drank a bit of wine and got a little tipsy... maybe that's why we got a BIT carried away and her mom saw us on my roof. In our defense, she gave us wine to drink because she was too lazy to buy a gift for her daughter.
Underneath this was a drawing of a middle finger and harsh, thick writing that said "FUCK EVANORA" Nicky never got to meet his grandparents from his mom's side. He knew through this journal that his mom never met her father so the chances of him getting to meet his grandpa were low. But his grandma... he never really heard his mom telling stories from her childhood that included her. His mama often looked pissed by the mere mention of her, and now that he knows why, he isn't bothered one bit.
She had hurt his mom. And he vowed to himself the day he saw his parents break up, anyone who hurt his mothers (except themselves) would be dead. He'd make sure of it.
Her mom is so religious. Like, the unhealthy amount. If that's even a thing. She saw us reading books beside each other while lying on her bed and she glared and us and said "If I catch you doing any funny business, I expect your room the be cleared out and you out of my house, Agatha" who the hell even tells that to their own child??? Who the hell kicks out their kid for being themselves??? People like this godforsaken woman should go fuck themselves.
I know I should be courting her mom for approval or whatever but if her mom's name is Evanora Harkness I'd rather ask for the approval of a dead toenail that's been rotting for years.
But... I love Agatha. (That's a future topic to discuss because I fear that I'd take up at least ten pages by just describing her alone and words will never be enough to describe her cosmic existence.) As my friend and as someone... special. And I know that she loves her mom too, even after all the abuse and hatred she's been put through by that evil hag. I want to respect that and actually try making Evanora like me because who knows? Maybe Agatha would finally tell me she has feelings for me. (Because I don't wanna say it first. It's fucking terrifying.)
This is my journal and no one would read it anyway besides me. So fuck it.
We've been making out a lot. Maybe around two weeks. And this is the highest I've ever been.
Every time our lips touch, it's like fireworks from the day we first talked to each other are in my stomach and exploding in my heart. I can't hear anything else, I can't see anything else, I can't feel anything else.
Everything just becomes... her.
I probably make no sense right now, but again, with her, everything I say is most probably nonsense.
I can't focus on anything else but the way her fingers find their way to my hair and play with my scalp as our lips move in sync together. I was sure every time we kissed I would've died. But I didn't.
Her kisses would be the cause of my death and the reason why I would be revived over and over again. And it's not just the heat that I feel when we kiss, it's the passion. The intensity of it just takes up my mind the whole time. It's making me crave for it in a very... insane way.
Fuck. This is the longest entry I've ever written so far.
Am I down bad? Probably.
But I don't think I'm ready to name whatever this is that I'm feeling. I'm still freaked out by how things escalated so quickly. I'll figure it out. I'll be okay. With her, I ways will be.
Dear Lord. I know I'm an atheist, but please guide me through this. I thought of you because people often come to you when they need help. They often claim that you reason there's good in this world. And when I think of her, I only see the reasons I have for living—the only person in this chaotic, ugly world who actually has a soul.
A beautiful one.
Nicky smiled for the nth time and it was making his cheeks hurt.
From study dates, cooking and baking dates, lazy days, sleepovers, jam sessions, camping trips, road trips, hiking trips, and unexpected adventures, Nicky had read it all.
He kept on turning page on the page until he realized there were at least a few pages left before he finished the whole thing. WHAT? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN READING? His inner thoughts screamed before he opened his phone to look at the clock.
4:57 A.M
Tuesday, March 2, 2024
💬💬💬+49 Notifications
William (wet willy)
Dudee, Jenny's asking for your number i think she's into u
+1 *** ***–****
Nicky, this is Jenny. Tell william to go eat a rock or something. I need to talk to you about...
Cassandra Hahn
NICKY ISTG IF U BROUGHT MY NINTENDO SWITCH WITH U ON UR TRIP I'M LETTING MY PIRANHAS FEAST ON YOU U TWI...
I'm so screwed. Nicky thought, smacking his head with a smile. Maybe he enjoyed reading a bit too much.
He decided that he should probably get some sleep and save the best for last. Everything had been going so smoothly and perfectly, he was convinced he was reading a good book that got turned into a movie. And so far, this has been the only thing he has read that he has given five stars.
When he woke up, it was already seven in the morning. And to his surprise, both his mothers were lying down beside him, squeezing him in between and trying to reach each other through extended arms.
I love my life. He smiled and went back to sleep.
🔮
They went home at around almost noon because they all woke up a little later than they should have. Different reasons, of course. Nicky stayed up all night reading and Agatha and Rio were... doing something else.
Nicky was still a bit groggy but he was awake enough to notice his mom was walking weirdly and her legs were wobbly.
"Mom?" Nicky asked, standing beside Agatha as she made their brunch. "Are you okay? Do you want me to take over the cooking?"
Agatha smiled at that and ruffled his already messy hair. "It's okay, sweetheart. Mom's got it. Do set ut the table for me?"
Nicky nodded and left as his mom kissed his hair. Hi mama, on the other hand, was smirking with a cup of coffee in her hand. He wasn't oblivious about these things so he settled for busying himself in preparing the table.
Oh God. He tried not to think of anything.
Mrs. Davis wasn't around today to help around the house because she had her doctor's appointment, but Billy was already here when they got home, cleaning the whole house. And through the backyard window from the kitchen, he could see him watering the azaleas and taking out some unwanted ferns.
Cute. He thought. What? Who said that?
The three of them ate together with laughs and smiled all over. Rio was telling them about a disgusting gory hospital story about how a guy lost his hand because he put it in a car's cup holder and tried to get it out using a nail clipper. "Rio, Jesus, we're eating."
"Don't act like you don't love it." She winked and Nicky swore that as much as he loved his moms, he wanted to puke at that moment considering the sounds he ignored by reading last night and purple blotches on his mom's neck.
He heard a soft kick underneath the table and he laughed. Agatha could have killed Rio on the spot if she kept this going.
"Oh, Mom, I'm almost finished with the journal," Nicky said, trying to change the subject.
Rio's eyes widened as she smirked. "That fast? How?" She glanced at Agatha and gave her a smug smile.
He scratched his head like he was sorry and embarrassed. "I spent the whole night reading it... I'm on the last five pages, I think." His statement made Agatha's brow knit together and go into mom mode.
"Nicholas Scratch." Agatha's tone made him shiver. "What time did you sleep?"
Nicky gulped before slicing his pancake. "...five a.m...?" It came off as a question that made Agatha narrow her eyes. Since she didn't want to be labeled as the "bad cop" in this family, she settled for teasing him a little before grounding him.
"You turn into a teenager and then completely ruin your sleep schedule." She sighed and drank the coffee she made for Rio. The woman didn't mind, they often shared things when they were married. "You are just like mama."
The two people beside her laughed and rolled their eyes, but the warning in her tone still made it seem serious. "But seriously, you're grounded, Nicky." She set the cup of coffee down. "No phone until Friday."
"Okay," he said, unphased. With the amount of books he received from his mama, the journal she gave him, and the amount of books he saw in his mom's room, he'll never get bored. "Can I talk about the journal with you, mama?"
Rio beamed, nodding. Her smile was purposely wide hoping that it would tease Agatha. To her satisfaction, it worked. That scowl she got from her was so worth it.
They finished their brunch with a few slices of Nicky's cake that Agatha had made for him. She looked so proud every time she took a bite. For once in her life, she made a cake that tasted... edible. It may be a tad bit too sweet, but the smile on Nicky's face made all her worries go away.
Señor Scratchy was being cuddled by Agatha on the floor. On lazy days, she would usually just lay on the floor and do all of her business there. She hated getting up to do something, so she made Nicky lay down beside her as he opened the journal his mama wrote. A perk of having kids is that you can boss them to do whatever you want wherever and whenever you want. It's sweet.
"Mom?"
"Hm?" Agatha hummed, her eyes closed as she sniffed the rabbit's fur, caressing it with her fingers. Rio was peacefully washing the dishes and even hummed
"You used to be so in love with mama...." he tried to say softly, not aiming to push any buttons. But the mere usage of the word "used to" felt like a punch to her gut, forcing her to open her eyes. "... I've been reading her journal from the moment you guys met. She talks about you like you're the world." He looked at his mom. "Can I ask what happened?"
Agatha froze.
What did happen?
Agatha gulped harshly once more before averting her gaze to somewhere else—then it landed on Rio. Doing dished as she looked at her and gave her a cheeky smile that made her heart race.
"Sometimes... you're scared of hurting people that love you the most." She averted her gaze. "And that fear never leaves, Nicky. You're forever scared of hurting them again like you did back then because you're a horrible, damaged person who thought could be better but can't. Your past will forever haunt you and the scars that you thought you'd healed from will be open wounds again and it just gets deeper. It never heals."
She wished she had said that.
But instead, she said nothing and closed her eyes.