“Jake, sweetie!” 

A very short Asian lady popped out of the front door, her dark hair pulled into a neat bun, and suddenly some of his features made sense. Her smile lit up her face as she gave Jake a tight hug.

“Hi, Mom.” Jake leaned down to wrap his arm around her shoulders.  

“And you must be Damien!” 

She pulled me in for a hug before I could even respond. 

“We’ve heard so much about you! Come in! Make yourself at home!” 

I shot a bewildered look over to Jake who had stepped back with a smirk and was letting this happen. This tiny woman practically dragged me into the house behind her, not letting go of my wrist and talking the whole time.

“Do you boys want anything to drink? How was the trip? Was there any traffic? If you want, I can make you a snack. Dinner won’t be ready for another hour or so.”

Feeling entirely helpless, I cast a look towards Jake for help. 

“I think we’re good for right now, Mom. Thanks, though. I’m gonna show Damien around the house but we can come help with dinner after that,” Jake responded, smoothly extracting us from the conversation. 

“Oh, goodness! That’s fine! Take your time, boys!” 

Jake motioned to the doorway with his head. I quickly followed him out of the kitchen, back through the living room I’d been pulled through, and up the stairs. I hesitated in the upstairs hallway, finding a goldmine of family pictures. 

A few steps ahead, Jake groaned when he realized I’d stopped. “Please, no.” 

Standing in front of a picture that had to be Jake in about second grade, I laughed a little at his expression. “This is prime blackmail material, though.” It was a little weird to see him with both arms. I shook the thought away but it was true. 

Jake face-palmed, then winced a bit. 

My eyes narrowed. “I thought your nose was better?” 

He shifted guiltily, glancing away. “It’s fine.” He paused, eyes darting up to catch mine. “Don’t tell my mom.” 

I watched him uneasily. This was a different sort of tension than what he carried back at the school but it didn’t make me feel better about it. However, I wasn’t about to share anything he wasn’t okay with. 

Closing the space between us, I bumped my shoulder into his. “Course. It’s not mine to tell.” 

The look of gratitude on his face was enough to make me melt. 

“Thanks.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear, then pointed toward the various doors in the hallway. “So, that’s Liz’s old room, now my Dad’s home office. The bathroom. My parents' room. And my room.” 

He pushed open the last door, letting me walk in first. 

“Wait”—I paused as I realized the numbers didn’t add up—“where’s your brother?” 

Jake snorted. “The gremlin lives in the basement.”

Laughing at his tone, I peered around his room. It was surprisingly… bare. It wasn’t exactly empty, there just wasn’t anything on most of the walls. There was a tall bookshelf, double stacked with books. That was definitely expected. A row of shelves by the window was holding a pretty solid stash of CDs. Tucked into the far corner, a few trophies were almost hidden. I squinted at them, trying to figure out what they were for without asking. 

“I used to play baseball,” Jake said, turning to drop his backpack on the floor. His voice was flat. Like he’d been hoping it wouldn’t come up. 

I winced, sucking in a sharp breath. Maybe someday I would stop being oblivious and insensitive. 

Throwing his arm over his eyes, Jake flopped down on his bed, legs hanging off the side. “It’s fine. I just... miss it some days.” 

What was I supposed to say? Hesitantly, I sat down next to him, gently placing my hand on his knee. I might not have the right words, but I could let him know I was here for him. 

“I don’t know how I’m still tired,” he finally said, sounding a bit forced.

“Probably because you never sleep at school,” I mumbled. 

Jake sat up abruptly. “So, you can either sleep in here or on the floor in the office if you want some privacy.” 

“Here’s fine,” I replied, probably too quickly. Staying in other people’s houses was kind of weird sometimes. The bed looked like a double, but I didn’t mind sleeping on the floor, either. “Hey, shouldn’t we go help your mom?” 

Laughing, Jake shook his head. “Not yet. We should give her another fifteen minutes. Otherwise we’ll just be in the way. She gets a little particular about how stuff is done.” 

“She’s really short.” 

“Whatever you do, don’t tell her that. Guest or not, she will beat you with a wooden spoon.” 

“Noted.” I grinned at his obvious amusement. “I, umm, didn’t realize you were part... Japanese?” I took a stab in the dark, feeling proud of myself when he nodded. 

“I’ve been told it’s not super noticeable in me before. All the Asian genes went to my siblings, apparently.”

“This is probably a horribly cringy question, but your mom doesn’t really give off the typical ‘Asian mom’ vibe?” Man, I really needed to stop talking. 

Jake huffed out a quiet laugh. “My mom was adopted so she didn’t have the stereotypical upbringing.” 

“Makes sense.” One more piece to add to the Jake puzzle. “You know you can tell me to shut up any time, right? I keep saying really stupid stuff.” 

“What are you talking about?” Jake gave me a lopsided smile, his cheeks heating slightly. “You can always ask me whatever you want.” 

Relief swept through me. I really didn’t want to upset him or cross a line. 

Standing up, Jake stretched his back. “We should probably head down soon. It’s not like Josh is gonna help.”