Aaron climbed through Adam's bedroom window at 1:30 in the morning.
Adam came in a few seconds later.
Neither turned on any lights.
They took off the darker outer layers they had worn while watching the party, dropped them into the laundry basket, and changed into clean clothes. Aaron shook several leaves from his back like a dog, looked at the mess he had made on the floor, and decided it could wait until later.
"You still think we shouldn't have stepped in?"
Adam closed the window, latched it, and pulled the curtains shut. "Nothing happened."
"That's not how I saw it. That guy was touching her."
"Her shoulder. With his finger."
"Still touching."
"Touching does not harm Lena, Aaron."
"Bah... Still, we should've given him a lesson as he drove out."
Adam shrugged. The scary part was that Aaron would've done it if Adam had given the order.
But he hadn't. Lena hadn't been harmed.
"You know I would've done it myself if he'd hurt Lena. Besides, I know the guy. They're classmates. Lena's pretty close with him."
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."
"Tenets 1 and 20, Aaron."
"Protect your family and their interests," both boys recited in the same practiced cadence.
"Protect your identity unless it becomes necessary."
Aaron chuckled as he stretched his arms and sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes drifted toward Adam's hand. A plastic card rested between his fingers.
"What's that?"
Daryl Leone's face stared back from the ID card.
"Daryl dropped it earlier. I'll hand it back to him tomorrow when I see him."
Aaron shrugged. "Alright then. I'm gonna head down and make sandwiches. Want some?"
"No."
Aaron headed for the door. "Suit yourself."
Almost 4 years with this family, and this barely registered as strange anymore.
The daily training. Settling into "normal" family activities. The camping trips.
The camping trips. That's what Grigori called them.
At the end of every year, usually during school break, Grigori took them somewhere to use what they had learned.
An exam.
Tenet 1. Protect your family and their interests.
Aaron clung to that and to the other Tenets Grigori had taught them. It was structure. A set of instructions to follow.
And a way to thank the man who saved him.
He moved silently downstairs, his footsteps making almost no sound. At the bottom, he stopped to listen for a few seconds before stepping fully into the living room.
Coat rack in the corner. TV off. Couch empty and neatly arranged.
Nothing stood out.
At the hallway connecting the kitchen and living room, he checked the doors. The downstairs bathroom stood slightly ajar, with no light coming from inside.
Normal?
He thought so.
He moved.
Once in the kitchen, he made himself at least 5 sandwiches. Lettuce, ham, the works.
"Late night snack?"
Aaron went pale. The hair on his arms stood up. Instinctively, he snatched up the butter knife in a reverse grip and turned, ready to strike.
Then he recognized the voice and relaxed.
"Sir."
Grigori chuckled. "Relax, son. We need to work on your observational skills."
"Where were you?"
"Hallway bathroom."
Aaron mentally chided himself. He had assumed no one was in there.
"You have a bathroom in your room, sir."
"Ah. About that… toilet's fucked. That's why I used the downstairs bathroom."
"Lights?"
"I don't need lights to move around in my own home, son."
Aaron never knew how to feel when Grigori called him son. Grigori called almost anyone younger than him that. Aaron knew that. Still, some part of him wanted to know whether Grigori meant it differently when he said it to him.
Grigori leaned over the counter and grabbed one of Aaron's sandwiches. "Mm. Needs a bit more mayo."
They ate in silence for a while.
"Lena made it home safe, I presume?" Grigori asked, breaking the silence.
Aaron nodded.
Grigori smiled slightly. "Good. Thank you."
Another bite.
Then another.
Neither knew what to say.
"After you eat, get some sleep. We still have training later."
"Understood, sir."
Grigori opened his mouth as if to say something. He always got that look whenever Aaron called him "sir."
Grigori stopped himself, then nodded. "Alright, son. Enjoy your sandwiches." He patted Aaron on the shoulder before moving silently back toward the master bedroom.
It never stopped impressing Aaron how a man Grigori's size could move without making a sound.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aaron stared at the ceiling as he lay in bed. He had eaten 4 sandwiches, but he still didn't feel full.
He never really felt full. Not for years.
He always had the feeling that every meal might be the last. That it could all disappear in a snap.
He knew it wouldn't. His mind didn't always agree.
"You're not good enough."
"You're going to get thrown out if you underperform."
Aaron shook himself from the thoughts.
He thought back to earlier and chuckled.
He remembered Adam's face sometime around 12 am, when Hannah Martin appeared at the party.
Nothing suspicious had happened, but Hannah kept trying to get Lena alone and almost looked desperate. Aaron tracked them as they moved from window to window at Scott's party.
After a while, Hannah gave up and stared straight toward the tree where the boys were hiding. Or at least, that was what it looked like.
"Aaron."
Adam's voice had been barely above a whisper through the earpiece.
"Yeah?"
"I think she saw me."
"Who?"
"Hannah."
"The girl that tried to talk to Lena?"
"Yes."
Aaron glanced sideways and followed Hannah's gaze. He looked up.
The moon.
Hannah took out a phone and snapped a picture.
Aaron had to stop Adam from jumping down the tree to change positions.
It was funny. At least to Aaron. It wasn't every day he got to see Adam's judgment be that wrong.
Then that feeling came back again.
"Adam was better."
Fighting. Marksmanship. Surveillance.
In truth, Adam scared him.
Not in the conventional sense.
The way Adam broke everything into doctrine and objectives. Precise judgment. Immediate decisions. Almost no assumptions.
The way he hid his emotions.
The way he could change masks in a second.
Aaron had tried. Grigori had taught him how. He just couldn't do it the same way.
Was that why he found Adam's mistake funny? Because, for once, he had seen him fail at something?
Aaron shook his head, rolled onto his side, and tried to sleep.
Training was in about 2 hours.
He could get maybe 1 and a half hours of sleep.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aaron's alarm shook him from his sleep.
4 am.
He rubbed his eyes as he glanced outside his window.
The sun was still down. Greenery swayed outside, condensation beading on the glass. He opened the window and breathed in. The smell of rain never got old.
Good day for a run.
As he moved quietly downstairs, Adam and Grigori were already in the front hall, tying their shoes in matching tracksuits.
"Ready?" Grigori asked.
"Yes, Dad," Adam responded.
"Just need to tie my shoes first, sir."
Adam let out a smile. "Need help?"
Aaron chuckled. "Will you?"
"No, of course not."
Both boys laughed.
Aaron didn't hear Adam laugh often. This was one of the rare times.
Their mornings usually started like this. Run at 4. Home by 6.
Training in between. What kind depended on Grigori.
Sometimes it was CQC.
Sometimes it was recon.
Sometimes they went to Grigori's shack for marksmanship practice.
Today was different. Grigori kept his eyes ahead as he led the boys jogging through the neighborhood. No lecture, no questions, just silence.
He usually started with a lecture. What worked. What didn't. What people might be thinking when you caught them in the middle of something horrible.
"What's the agenda today?" Aaron finally asked.
"What do you want to do?"
Aaron and Adam looked at each other.
"Is this a test?" Adam asked.
Grigori chuckled.
"No, not at all. I figured I'd let you two choose today."
Both boys shared a strange look.
"Can we run near the docks, then?" Aaron suggested after a moment.
Grigori glanced at him. "Why the docks?"
"The smell's nice."
"Good thing we're in Pinewood then. You would not like the smell of other docks."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
By the time they headed toward the docks, the suburbs had begun to wake.
Neighbors waved at Grigori as they passed.
Mrs. Powell called after him, reminding him that she wanted her package delivered by noon.
Jerry and his wife waved them over and offered them a glass of milk.
To anyone watching, Grigori looked like the perfect family man. A postman.
The boys knew better. Just not entirely.
They knew Grigori had another job. What it was, they could only speculate.
What mattered was that the government didn't train ordinary postmen to do what Grigori could do.
They crossed another intersection and entered the industrial side of Pinewood. The docks came into view beyond the next block.
It was the one part of the otherwise picturesque city that broke the pattern of greenery.
Gray concrete buildings. Graffiti. Abandoned warehouses.
The people were the same, though. They smiled and waved when Grigori nodded at them.
Simple hellos and good mornings.
The smell didn't match the view. The sea was close enough for salt air to cut through the concrete and exhaust.
When they finally reached the docks, none of them were winded.
Aaron leaned over the railing and enjoyed the breeze.
Adam stood stiffly like a statue and began assessing the area.
Grigori pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled toward the water. Then he grunted.
"I'm leaving in 2 days."
Both boys looked.
"Why?"
"How long?"
They both asked at the same time.
"Training mailmen down in Texas," Grigori responded, his expression hard to read.
"Mailmen need training?"
"Of course they do, Aaron. We don't just grab parcels and deliver 'em willy-nilly. There's a procedure."
"Why you?"
"Because I have the most experience."
"Lena doesn't like it when you leave," Adam said.
Grigori's smile faded. "I know. That's why I'm telling you first. I plan to tell your mom and your sister by dinner."
"Mom also doesn't like it when you leave."
That one landed harder.
After that, none of them filled the silence. They stood near the edge, watching the water and yachts move past.
Aaron didn't know what to feel. Sad? Relieved?
Whenever Grigori left for an assignment, Aaron had more freedom. He could explore trails, wander to high ground, stay out longer. Still, the thought of Grigori leaving made his grip tighten around the railing.
He glanced at Adam. He still had that same blank expression.
But as Aaron's eyes drifted downward, he saw Adam's fist clenched tight at his side.
That's what I thought.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The group walked home a little after 6.
It surprised Aaron how easily the three of them agreed that staring at the water in silence counted as a good use of time. Just doing nothing.
Not that he would've complained. It had been his idea. Still, he smiled when he realized the 2 beside him enjoyed the same thing. It was one way to connect.
If only they talked.
School started at 8, but Adam seemed in no hurry.
Neither was Grigori.
So Aaron matched their pace.
When they reached their neighborhood, a car slowed and stopped beside them. Aaron looked at Adam first.
No reaction.
His eyes drifted to Grigori.
A slight reaction. Recognition.
The car's windows rolled down.
Then he saw Grigori smile.
"Neil!" Grigori called, his Bosnian accent thickening slightly.
A man smiled inside the driver's seat. "Costanza."
Neil was thin and neatly dressed in a suit and tie. Beside him sat a boy about their age, equally neat. Both wore rectangular glasses secured by straps behind their necks.
Neil exited the car and gave Grigori a hug.
"You're back," Grigori said, patting the man's back.
"Hopefully permanently this time."
"How long has it been?"
"4 years," Adam interrupted.
Grigori chuckled and nodded. "Oh yeah, that's right, 4 years."
"Haven't changed a bit, Adam," Neil said, then turned toward the car. "Jack, say hello. You remember Adam, right?"
Aaron glanced in the car.
"Hello," Jack said flatly.
Adam only nodded.
Neil's eyes then fell to Aaron. "Who's this?"
"Oh, this is Aaron, my other son."
Neil's brows rose. "I don't see the resemblance."
"I adopted him."
Neil nodded. "Got it. Nice to meet you, Aaron. I'm Neil Bernard, and that's my son, Jack. Looks like we'll be neighbors."
Aaron nodded awkwardly. "Sir."
"Polite, isn't he?"
"That he is," Grigori said, patting Aaron's shoulder. "Neil, since you're back, why don't you join us for dinner tonight? Bring Jack, too."
"That'd be great, Grigori. Just like old times, huh?"
"Like old times. Care to give us a ride home since you're here?"
Neil chuckled. "My pleasure."
The three of them climbed into Neil's car for the 2-minute drive home.
Aaron gave Grigori a questioning look.
Grigori returned one that seemed to say, You'll know soon.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sarah's shriek was unmistakable. The laughter that followed told Aaron it wasn't alarm. She rushed forward, hugged Neil, and even kissed Jack on the cheek.
Aaron stood by Adam watching everything unfold.
"It's been too long, you two. How was Alaska?" Sarah asked, fussing over them.
"Cold," Jack answered flatly, taking out his phone.
Sarah chuckled. "Oh, Jack. You haven't changed a bit."
Neil smiled. "Just dropping by to say hello, Sarah."
"You should've told me they were coming." Sarah turned to Grigori. "I could've had breakfast ready."
Grigori raised his hands in defense. "Dear, I didn't even know they were back in town."
"We just got in, actually. Our stuff is still coming by truck," Neil added.
Footsteps sounded from behind Sarah.
"Who visits this early- Uncle Neil?!" Lena shrieked, rushing forward to hug him. "Oh, and hi, Jack."
"Hey," Jack responded, eyes glued to the phone.
"Long time no see, young lady. You've grown a lot." Neil patted her hair affectionately, much the way Grigori did.
"You're both coming to dinner tonight. No excuses. We have 4 years to catch up on," Sarah said.
"We will."
Jack glanced at his father with a strange look. Neil shrugged and told him to get back in the car.
"We should get moving. I still have paperwork to sort out, and apparently I have a new job to start."
"You have work already? Of course you do." Grigori chuckled.
Neil smiled. "Librarian."
"Doesn't that pay a lot less than banking?" Sarah asked.
"I don't mind. It's less stressful than banking."
Both Costanzas nodded.
"I guess so. Alright, then. See you at dinner, okay?" Sarah called after them.
Once the Bernards pulled away, Sarah ushered Adam and Aaron back inside and immediately hugged each of them and kissed them on the cheek.
"Adam, go get ready for school. Aaron, make your bed and get your reading done."
"Yes, mom."
"Yes, ma'am."
During breakfast, Grigori explained Neil's connection to the family. Sarah filled in the parts Grigori skipped.
Neil had been a military communications officer who worked with Grigori back in his army days, long before Adam was born. After Neil's wife died, he and Jack moved into the neighborhood, and Neil sometimes looked after Adam and Lena when they were young.
Then, 4 years ago, the Bernards left for Alaska because of Neil's banking job.
Aaron didn't think much of the history itself, but he appreciated that the Costanzas took the time to explain it so he wouldn't feel left out.
One part of the interaction stayed with him: Grigori had introduced Aaron as his son.
He smiled to himself. Maybe he wasn't an outsider after all.
Grigori left for work, already wearing his postman uniform. Adam and Lena followed soon after.
Now it was just him and Sarah.
It didn't feel awkward with just the two of them. Most days, it was just them anyway.
But throughout the morning, Sarah looked like she had something to ask him.
While she did the dishes, she kept glancing his way with a worried look.
Same thing while she did laundry.
"What is it, ma'am?"
"Aaron... you should stop calling me that. You're making me feel old."
"I... didn't mean any disrespect."
"I've been meaning to ask. When are you enrolling in high school?"
Aaron stopped and closed his eyes.
So that's what this is about. Again.
"I'm not interested in that."
"Aaron, we can't keep having this same conversation."
"Then we should stop it. I'd rather do jobs around town."
"You're 17. You shouldn't be planning your life around fixing somebody's fence for a few bucks."
Aaron sighed. "I can work."
"That's not the point, young man. You need an education. A real one. A diploma. You need to experience being a normal teenager. Make friends."
Aaron's brow twitched. "I have you guys."
"Sweetie, that's not the same. We're your family."
Aaron froze. For a moment, emotion threatened to spill out before he could stop it.
"Right... I'm sorry."
Tenet 6. Separate yourself from emotions while on a mission.
Rather than break down in front of her, he focused on why he found high school so repulsive.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Too many people. Too many doors. Too many rooms where someone else decided what you're going to do.
Bells telling you when to sit. Bells telling you when to move.
He pushed the images away before they became memories.
"Sorry, ma'am... I just don't like schools."
Sarah studied him. Aaron could tell she knew there was more to it.
She sighed and let it go. She didn't push it, at least for today.
"Fine," she said at last. "Then you can help me around the house if you're done with your reading."
"Yes, ma'am."
Aaron took the broom and began sweeping the living room. Afterward, he would head downtown and help out at the garage.
From the kitchen, Sarah had already started talking about what she would make for dinner. Neil and Jack would be coming over later.
Aaron stopped sweeping for a moment.
Grigori had said he would tell Sarah and Lena then.
2 days.
Then he would be gone.