My Mom Meets Ryan Reynolds In A Deli

It was evening, the sky having since gone dark after the busy day. Kaname finds himself letting out a big deep breath, his shoulders feeling tight alongside his neck. He leans back against the headboard of his bed, wincing slightly at the pain in his back.

“Jesus christ..” He mutters under his breath, closing his eyes. His hand slides from the edge of his bed, up and onto his thigh to rest. He opens his eyes again, scanning around the messy room. From his cluttered desk to the heaps of clothes on his floor, he just exhales for a good bit and frowns. His eyes flick down to the sheets of his bed, blue comforter with white bedsheets, and he wonders how hard it would be to wash them with a sore back. He should’ve done that last week. And it’s not like the soreness wasn’t common, he just hated carrying out these—very much necessary—tasks, when in a tired and pained state. He glances at his desk again before shutting his eyes again fully. He was too damn distracted to focus on chores or schoolwork.

He lays down fully in bed––on his side––, his head resting comfortably on his pillow, arm bending at the elbow to rest his hand on the side of his own waist. It felt more snug than any other way, like a comfortable heap. Cozy, warm, and a pleasant environment with nothing in particular eating away at him for the time being.

Suddenly, the sound of the garage door rumbles and Kaname quickly snaps his eyes open, breaking his moment of relaxation. He sits up fully in his bed, his attention now fully on the door.

A voice calls out from the kitchen of the family-sized home, that regularly housed hardly enough people to call a family. “Kaname, I’m home!” The voice is mature and tired, from Kaname’s incredibly overworked, fourty-year-old mother.

“Welcome back Ida.” He calls back, walking out from his room to yell down the stairs. “How was your..thing?”

Ida walks up the stairs, her heels clacking loudly over the floors. “Meeting,” She corrects, “and it was alright. New grantees calling for a trust fund, but we’re unsure whether to agree or disagree. At this point, that damn company just wants the foundation’s money.” She looks over the banister of the stairs that she just came up. “I need a drink.”

Kaname gives a polite smile. It was custom with his mother, and she liked it because it made her son seem less standoffish to her. Which, in her mind, is the most important trait one can have, much unlike her husband. “I can do that, if it helps.” He offers.

Her face brightens slightly before softening into a sweet grin. “That would be great.” She pats him on the shoulder. “Why don’t we sit on the roof and chat a bit? You can get something from the fridge for yourself as well.”

Kaname nods. The air felt kinder today, and he wondered if maybe she had met another guy. He tramps down the steps to the kitchen, opening the mini-fridge built into the island. He peers into it for a second or two before pulling out a bottle of prosecco and a cherry blossom soda and shutting the door again. He takes a champagne glass from a separate cabinet before going up the three floors to the roof, where he sees his mother sitting in the late afternoon sun, just smiling.

He sets down the champagne glass beside her. “You’re looking happier than usual.” He comments, opening the prosecco for her and pouring it.

She laughs softly, then hums in reply. “I had the best interaction in a deli today.” Kaname nods for her to continue as he re-corks the bottle before opening his own can of soda, taking a sip. “I was driving back, you know, all that jazz, and I realize, ‘oh fuck, i haven’t eaten in a day and a half’! I’m starving, so I pull over to a nearby deli market and step out of the car. I go in, and who do I see but Ryan fucking Reynolds!” Ida looks delighted. “I was stunned and asked for a photo, which I got,” She pulls out her iPhone 4, clicking obsessively on the photos app. “And my god, he was so sweet! I told him I had a son who swims and that you’re a really talented kid who I’m really proud of, and that you had that really great competition yesterday!”

Kaname looks embarrassed, but also rather shocked and grateful. “You talked to Ryan Reynolds about..me? I would’ve thought you’d have been more fangirl than that.” He smiles slightly.

“Oh pish. You’re better than I was at that age. Back when I was younger,” Ida stops herself, shaking her head. “He said you sounded like a nice boy. How was that competition anyways? And school too, sorry I’ve been so busy lately.” She sighs as she asks, taking a long drink of her prosecco.

Kaname shakes his head. “Don’t apologize. At least you come home,” He says, his voice quieting slightly at the last bit. “I won. First place, which was surprising considering they have that Ayashiko Rin guy. And school’s okay. Endo introduced me to a new person, his name’s Watanabe. He’s..cool,” Kaname feels his cheeks heat up slightly. Had the outside breeze gotten warm or something?

Ida nods. “I’m glad you’re making new friends. I worry about you, you know? Your teachers always talk about how quiet you are in class. You rarely raise your hand, your head is down sometimes… Kaname, are things okay?”

Kaname glances at the sun that is slowly beginning its descent into the sea before looking back at his mother. “Yea. It’s okay, just a little busy.” He replies, his voice going softer. “I’m just tired.”

Ida offers a small smile and another pat on the back in sympathy as she downs the rest of her prosecco. “It’ll be okay, I believe in you. It only gets worse as you get older. You’re a strong kid.”

“Yeah.” is all Kaname can manage. He drinks his soda, which is slowly losing its fizz, but he doesn’t really care. ‘Sometimes,’ he thinks. ‘Somethimes I wish it was always like this. Warm, calm, and caring. And my mom loves me.’ He lets out a silent exhale into the wind.

The sun sets more directly now and the wind is picking up its pace. “Let’s go back inside, I can start dinner.” Ida speaks aloud, standing up from her spot on the roof.

“Yeah.” Kaname says again, getting up from his own space and following her back into the house. He could feel his stomach rumbling.