Bold Words

Day 12: Milk - Spiders - Spark

“So…”

Oh god, here it came… the telling smile was already on her lips.

“When are you gonna bring home a nice girl, Harry? Your nana’s dying for some grandbabies and with a face like yours, I don’t think I can blame her,” his mother said as she dropped her hip against the counter and sipped at her cup of coffee. It most definitely was not the nicest apartment, but it was what Harrison had known all his life. Pale shades of ugly paint, chipped glasses and plates, silverware that was actually plasticware and a TV with a dial—in the age of remotes and cellphones, his mother still had a television with a dial on it that she’d been given by her own mother—and she was fine with that, but Harrison had bigger plans. He wanted a better life for his mother and for himself.

“You know I can’t do that, ma. I’m already in a committed relationship,” Harrison said, finishing up the milk in his otherwise empty cereal bowl.

“Oh right, with your girlfriend ‘work’. How could I possibly forget?” Harrison’s mother said as she placed her glass on the counter behind her and made her way towards her boy. “You know cariño, when I was your age, I already had the biggest life change I could have ever asked for and to this day, he’s a beautiful, if not somewhat cocky, twenty-two year old. And still he’s the best thing to ever happen to me,” she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her chin lovingly into the crown of his head, leaning down just a bit more to kiss his temple before she pulled back and ruffled his short, dark locks.

“Work is a little upset that you forgot all about her,” Harrison said, pulling his head away from his mother’s fingers.

“I’ll try to offend her next time she comes for a visit then,” she chuckled as she returned to her cup of coffee on the counter. “You’re really not interested in anyone right now? No lying?”

“Are you sure it’s not just nana who wants me to bring someone home?” Harrison asked, turning to watch his mother make her way back to her coffee.

“Hey, don’t get sassy. I just wanna know if I should be seeing ladies sneak out at night.”

“It’s a sausage fest at work mom. 100% all guys, so there wouldn’t be any baby making even if I wanted it. It’s just Ace and I are— “ Harrison stopped as the tune of his cellphone began to go off. Right, he had a cellphone and his mom still had a dial television.

His dark eyes flickered over the name that flashed across the screen and he stood immediately. “Sorry ma, gotta go, it’s work,” he said, picking up his bowl and quickly taking it to the sink. He offered her a kiss on the cheek before he brought the phone to his ear, “I’ll see you tonight, ma,” he said as he made a hasty go for the exit.

“Have a good day, baby!” she called down after him.

All that he could offer his mom was a wave as he made his way out the front door. “So are we on for today?” Harrison asked.

“Well that all kind of depends,” the hesitation in Aces’ voice was worrying.

“Why?”

“I kinda need you to come get me.”

“Where are you?”

Aces pursed his lips, hesitating again. “Manhattan police department.”

Harrison stopped, his eyes widening, “What the hell? Again?”

“I saw the opportunity for a big investment and I went for it. Apparently I made a little miscalculation—“

“I’ll say,” Harrison scoffed.