** BRIAN **

I NEEDED TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. I WANTED TO invite Allan to move in with me, but first I wanted to talk to Mama Maggie about it. She was important and I wanted her to know she was. Thank God it all happened during the final week of the year, so Allan was pretty busy at work.

‘One minute!’ Maggie’s voice came from inside the house again like on Christmas eve. Then, I had thought she was expecting me, but now I started to wonder if that’s how she answered to every knock. As I waited, I allowed myself to amusingly imagine different people’s reactions to her scream.

‘Brian, my child,’ she looked surprised to see me. ‘I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon. Is everything okay? Have you forgotten something?’

‘I’m okay, thanks for asking. Forgot something? That’s a way to put it. Can I come in?’

‘Of course, my child. Of course. Come on into the kitchen, I’ll make you a nice leftover shank sandwich.’

‘Oh, sweet. Thank you.’

I sat next to her as she heated and sliced the meat Allan had cooked two nights before and I was happily listening to her small rants about the organisation of a church tea they were about to have before the year ended. However, when she placed the plate with two very well served sandwiches in front of me, she was quick to change the subject.

‘Now eat. I imagine how desperate you must be to have some alone time. I keep telling him, I do. I warn him not to go to your house that often, that forcing you to his company will only push you away, but he won’t listen!’

The only reason I let her go on talking about that was my mouth full of that awesome sandwich.

‘Mama Maggie,’ calling her like that produced the exact effect I was hoping for and she stopped talking, looking at me rather peacefully. ‘All of the times Allan has been to my flat was per my invitation,’ her expression quickly changed to one of surprise.

‘Oh. But still, my child. Missing one another is important. If only I—’ she cleared her throat, quickly fighting off the shade of darkness that had come over her eyes and opened up a smile before she continued. She did all that very fast, but for me to see the pain of her memories like that was distressful. Not only I was growing very fond of her, but she and Allan looked extremely alike and for one second, I thought I would be damned if I ever caused him to carry that look. ‘Here. Let me get you some soda.’

‘Thank you, Mama. As I was saying,’ I hoped I didn’t sound too insensitive, but I also hoped she wouldn’t think I was preying on her personal problems, ‘Allan has only been to my flat under my request and I would like that to change. I love your son very much and I want to be a bigger part of his life. I want us to start building our future together. So, for now, I would like to have your blessing and ask him to move in with me.’

She was staring blankly at me, her mouth open in the shape of an o. She didn’t even dare to blink.

‘Please, Mama,’ I said trying to prevent a storm I wasn’t quite sure would come. You never know with her. ‘Don’t think I’m trying to steal him from you. You’ll always be a huge part of our lives.’

‘Oh, I know that, my child. I know how much you love him and how much you are loved in return. I am positive you will be very happy together. Still, you can’t really judge a mother for seeing all of her moments with her child in front of her when something so big happens.’

‘Do you think he’ll accept it, Mama?’

‘I know he will. When are you asking him?’

‘I thought I’d wait for the New Year, you know. For all the symbolic flair.’

‘That sounds good!’

‘Mama, can I ask you to keep this a secret, though? I would never do it without your blessing, but I do want him to be surprised.’

‘Of course, my child. Of course.’

The rest of the morning went by in the blink of an eye and soon I was back in the flat making subtle arrangements to accommodate two people. It really wasn’t hard, though. I was never much of a spender and the flat was rather big, taking up the whole of the fourth floor of the building. I still reorganised my clothes, emptying half of the closet, and cleaned the second nightstand, which I never used, freeing it of an occasional spider web.

I made sure all of the changes were made underneath the surface, so he wouldn’t see it before I asked him.

After he said yes, I was really excited to show him all the changes and I left the closet for last.

‘What? You wanna do it in here, too?’ Allan asked when I reached for the closet door.

‘Well, now I do. But let me show you what I have in here.’

Right in front of him, sitting alone on a shelf by the otherwise empty half, lay a small flat box. I motioned for him to grab it and open it. Inside, a single silver key with the head carved to form the word ‘ours’.

‘I had mine done the same.’ I said as I pulled my keychain out of my pocket and showed him that our keys were completely identical.

All Allan could do was stare at the small piece of metal in his hand. I could see his eyes gleam, but no words came out of his mouth.

‘Brian, I— who’s there?’

I also heard the knock on the front door, but the mystery was quick to solve itself when Mama Maggie’s voice came from the other side. Allan was also quick to recognise the sound of his own mother.

‘Yoo-hoo! Boys! Are you home? Are you decent?’

Allan’s face went from confused to beet red in a second and I could feel my face hot like iron.

‘Are you sure you want that in your life? Because you won’t get rid of her.’ Allan asked groaning.

‘I’m sure. Let’s see what she wants.’

I was going for the door when I thought twice and stopped on my tracks.

‘You answer it,’ I said. ‘Our first guest.’

‘Some guest,’ he said grumpily, but I knew he was happy. He opened the door to reveal his mother standing there in the middle of nearly a dozen boxes. A little behind her, by the lift, were two men in uniforms.

‘Mother. What—?’

But Allan didn’t even have the time to complete his question. Mama Maggie entered the flat past him and came straight towards me.

‘Brian, my child. How did it go?’

‘Just like you said, Mama.’ I answered, meeting her opened arms and receiving and returning the hug and two kisses she gave me.

‘See? I told you not to worry. Boys,’ she turned to the two men. ‘Move those inside, will you? Then you’re free to go.’

They did as told and in about ten minutes they were gone. I tipped them before closing the door and they looked rather pleased. Maybe that wasn’t the only tip they got.

‘Allan, sweetheart, consider this my going away present. Brian had come to ask for my blessing and since I knew you’d say yes, I wanted to surprise you two. I hired those two, they went by the house this morning, carefully packed everything you own and made the move. Also, I got you a nice plant in one of those boxes as a new home present. Don’t worry, Brian, my child, I won’t be these mothers-in-law who arrive unannounced and give you hideous vases. That’s very sweet of you, but I can’t stay. I have to meet the church ladies. Be good to one another. Don’t forget to call me from time to time. Now come and give me a hug and a kiss, both of you.’

We hugged her tight, one from each side and as she had her hand on my cheek, I said:

‘Don’t worry, Mama. I will take excellent care of your son, you’ll see.’

‘And you, boy?’ she said to Allan. He sighed and then let out a chuckle.

‘Don’t worry, mother,’ he said in reassurance. ‘I will take excellent care of your child.’

I was touched, not going to lie.

She let go of us and left the flat as unexpectedly as she had arrived.

‘I thought she called me her child purely as an expression or force of habit,’ I said after hearing the ding of the lift.

‘Nah. She doesn’t call anyone else like that. Not even me.’

‘All right,’ I tried to change the subject so I wouldn’t get all emotional. ‘I guess we’ll be pretty busy for the next hours.’

‘Me too. But nothing can stop us from having some recreational pauses.’

He said all that while taking off his shorts and lying on the living room rug. I ignored the boxes and lay on top of him. We took almost a full day to finish unpacking, always getting side-tracked.