CRYSTAL AVENUE. 5:00 pm.
Hands held on his head; Stephen slouched on his office chair. On the monitor, stock charts crawled in restless lines. Akirá slept nearby in his pram while the radio tuned in the background.
'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen—my name is Darren, and welcome to the Five-Nights Channel. I'll be covering today's main headlines. Firstly… reports confirm that famed singer Jerald Dre and his family will be laid to rest this coming weekend. Authorities have stated that one suspect has been taken into custody. By the name of Cody Michelson, but that's all the information released so far. So stay tuned for further updates later on. This has been Evening Reports. I'm Darren Schumpeter, and you're listening to Five-Nights Live.' The radio crackled with rock music. "God bless them all." Stephen murmured. He rose to his feet, then he gently pushed the pram out of the office. They ambled their way to the kitchen, where Mila laughed at the television. Her energy was contagious. He stopped Akirá beside the kitchen island. He flopped onto the couch and played peek-a-boo with Mila. She stared at him—confused, delighted, and locked in. "Peek-a-boo." Stephan cooed. She laughed blissfully. "My little girl… you're growing so fast." he rubbed her nose against his. Hastily, he blew raspberries against her tummy; her laughter filled the room. Suddenly, the sound of the main gate cut through it all.
Stephen went to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of wine from the cupboard; he set two glasses beside it, and he filled them carefully. From the refrigerator, he took out a slab of chocolate, then he scattered a bouquet across the counter like confetti.
Moments later, exhaustion was written across her face as soon as she entered. She closed the door behind her… Stephen stood across the living room, a glass of wine in his hand. "Evening, Hun." he greeted. "Aw—baby?" she sauntered toward him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled her closer, careful not to spill the wine still in his hand. "I missed you." she said. "Not as much as I missed you." Their kiss was tender, familiar. Katherine took a sip from his wine glass. He stared at her adoringly. Then Akirá sobbed. Mila joined. Katherine laid her head against Stephen's chest. "Looks like it's your turn." he said. "What? Please—I just got home." She swirled the wine in the glass. "I need this little moment of peace."
"Valid. Though you are going to spend that little moment with your loving, pretty husband, aren't you?" he teased. She shut his lips. "Yes. Now do us this favor, while your loving wife waits for you." she whispered in his ear. Stephen took a slow sip of his wine, then he gathered both of his kids in his arms. He hummed a soft lullaby as he carried them upstairs; their cries faded with each step. Katherine remained by the kitchen counter, her eyes shut. The doctor's tone replayed in her mind… but Antonio's unresolved words. Her thoughts looped endlessly. She stood suspended between moments, wondering which step would cost her once she did it.
Oceanic Bay. 5:27 pm.
Shorelane Avenue.
Lucas sat at a small café table outside Mug & Diner, a cup of coffee held in his hand as he scrolled through his phone. Inside the restaurant, laughter and chatter spilled out onto the street. Waves rattled softly against the shore, and a salty breeze drifted inland. The sun was sinking fast, barely kept lit by the sky's orange haze. A waiter set a saucer of cheesecake, with chocolate drip along the side. While Lucas doom-scrolled, a woman watched him from across the street. Adriana. She kept her stride until she reached the restaurant; she pulled out her phone and dialed. It rang once… Twice… "LJ." she answered. "Mama, What's going on? where are you?" Lucas asked. "What are you doing at the Mug & Diner? Don't you know how expensive that place is?" she whined. "Ma, relax. What are you talking about?" he asked. "Just come meet me outside." she said. "Mamá, por favor, cálmate. Okay? We're just here to talk—not buy the whole menu. Besides, you don't have to worry. I'll cover the snacks… or whatever you want." he assured. "Fine."
The restaurant hummed when she went in. She found Lucas across the room. "Aw… my baby boy doesn't even see me. Tell me… is that phone worth more than your own mother?" she said. Lucas stared deep into her eyes. "I missed you too… Ma." he scoffed. She wrapped her arms around him. "My baby boy." she cooed. She held him as if she would never let go. "Ma! You're embarrassing me." he whispered. Then she let go. "Ouch… is that how you feel about me?" she whimpered. "Come on, Ma… you know I didn't mean that." he shrugged.Fake tears welled in her eyes. "Ah! I'm an embarrassment to my baby boy!" she wailed.Lucas buried his face in his palms. "Okay, Mama… now you're embarrassing us for real." he mumbled. "Relax, eres como una niña—" she laughed. "¿Qué?" he gasped. They laughed together before they settled down. A waiter appeared. "Good evening. What would you like to order?" he asked. "A cocktail for me." she requested. "And what can I get you, sir?" he asked. "Let me get uh… half a dozen donuts. With hot chocolate, please?" he ordered. The waiter wrote their orders, then he left. Adriana hung over the table. "So… how've you been? How's the family?" she asked. Lucas nibbled on the bread. "Uh… they're alright, I guess. I haven't been since last summer." he said. "You're such a lousy big brother. You have to be there for your family… ain't nothing better than that. Lucas, Family is everything." she stated. "Don't worry about them. Tokyo… she's loud—smart. She can handle herself." he replied. "Aw… my poor Tokyo." she sighed. "Now that everything's serious, there's something I need to talk to you about." he confessed. "What is it?" She asked. "It's… uh… about… uh…" He stuttered. "It's about… what?" she insisted. "There's this girl I like—and I want this to last. But I've never been in a… moment like this before; I never liked—loved— someone like this before. And I really don't want to mess this up. My past high school relationships hadn't felt like this before; back then I was quick to lose interest; it was just stupid games. But this time it's different… this time I don't want to lose this feeling, so—would you be able to help me, Mama?" he asked. "I could tell you to give her attention or gifts. But really… understand her for who she really is. They always say, 'love is a two-way street'; love only makes sense when you don't want any of it to screw up. So, love her when she's around, her impurities, flaws; it's where love is most appreciated." she advised. "Whoa." he muttered. The waiter appeared, then set two plates with drinks before them. She thanked the waiter as he rushed back to the kitchen. "LJ… a relationship isn't just fun. It's sacred. Some ladies these days… they're in it for assets, not love."
"I can't decide if I'm impressed by your philosophy… or your sobriety." he complimented.Their laughter clung to the restaurant's hum. "I'll tell you everything you need to know." she said. "Thanks for coming, Mama." he said. The city lights ignited as car lights sliced through the darkness. Side by side, mother and son found their rhythm once more.
352. Sinister road. 5:51 pm.
Planet Skate Park.
Tokyo and her crew lounged on a bench, posted across from the skate pit's battered obstacles. Palm trees loomed overhead, the sunset barely held on to the horizon. Teens drifted in loose clusters, and somewhere nearby a DJ worked the crowd; his bass thumped through the park. "I'm dead ass tired. My eyelids won't listen to me." Michael yawned. "You're just high, fool." Marcel said. Tokyo twirled a lock of hair. "Y'all boys need to grow up. And fast." she said. "Whatever, Queen. Have you even seen your eyes right now?" he gestured at his own eyes. "Brighter than your tomorrow." she smirked. The DJ's beat crawled through the railings. Tokyo rose to her feet and stretched like a bear. "Guess I've gotta go." she checked the time. "Why do you always have to pull stunts like this?" Michael asked. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked. "I mean… whenever the day's at its peak, you just decide to dip randomly." Michael moaned. "That's because I can." she said. Tokyo walked away. "This girl—this girl is something else; she's on a planet of her own, bro." Marcel joked. Michael's eyes followed her. "Yeah… she is." he said. Tokyo left the skate park, then jumped into a taxi, and they drove off; the taillights faded in the dusk.