Lee could tell where this was going, and going quickly, as Kevin explained about Tarin’s powers. Josh’s eyebrows raising were an obvious sign.

Josh hadn’t really known anything about his brother’s powers in their teens beyond the fact that he claimed to see ghosts, but there had been a few in depth conversations that had explained them more than well enough. And while there were some differences between the two men’s powers, those were not something that either Josh or Kevin were going to find out details about.

”What’s Tarin’s last name?”

”Brooks.”

Lee took a deep breath as she bit the inside of her cheek. There it was.

Lee saw Josh just nod at first. Then her former brother-in-law told Kevin to go check his bags. Again.

”Do I have to, mum?” Kevin asked, turning to Lee. ”I’ve already checked them six times since you made me do it last night.”

Kevin was probably only exaggerating slightly.

”You’re uncle has a point, Kev,” Lee replied. ”You’re not going to be riding if you don’t have jeans. Without holes. And your aunt and uncle will not be taking you shopping if you don’t have jeans or your bathing suit, so go check.”

Kevin grumbled a bit, but he got up and made his way to his room. Once she could tell that he was there, Lee turned back to Josh. ”I was going to talk to you about this tonight, bringing it up a lot more tactfully, except the damn refrigeration unit at the bar had other ideas apparently.”

Kevin reluctantly got up, probably more thanks to Lee than anything Josh had said and as he watched Kevin walking down the hall, Josh gathered his thoughts.

Lee beat him to the punch verbally and Josh shook his head a little bit when she started to say that she’d planned on explaining everything in a more tactful manner. He had to smile a bit, secrets and kids were not really ever compatible.

”Honestly Lee, it’s none of my business.” Josh said evenly, but by this point he liked to think that he and Lee were old friends even outside of her relationship with his brother.

”It is a bit of a tough pill to swallow though, if I’m being honest…” Josh said, running his hand through hair that was finally starting to gray a bit. ”So he’s the one who took over the shop after…everything happened”

”Maybe not,” Lee agreed softly. ”But even if you didn’t find out tonight, Kevin’s going to talk while he’s down there.

“And I understand, Josh,” Lee continued, giving the older man a small smile. ”It’s weird for him, too. That was the other reason he wasn’t supposed to be here tonight. But yeah, when the rift to that other world closed, he was stuck here and your brother must have gotten stuck on the other side.”

Lee paused, looking at Josh to try and see how he was taking everything before continuing. ”It turned out that he had actually had his own shop in the exact same place. And it’s not like me and Kevin had a use for it ourselves other than for memories, and New York is too expensive to do something like that. So it made the most sense to me to let him take the shop over. Plus, I thought that would make the spirit at the Empire State Building happy.

“But other than having the same name and similar powers, Tarin and your brother are completely different people.”

Josh nodded when Lee pointed out that one way or another this whole fiasco was going to become at least a little bit of his business. It had taken Kevin about fifteen seconds to reveal Tarin’s name and only a few minutes to give enough details for Josh to put two and two together.

It was weird for “Tarin” was it? At first, Josh wanted to lash out a bit, because of course it would be weird, inserting yourself into a life that wasn’t yours. That wasn’t fair though, and Josh was self aware enough to know that it wouldn’t be fair or right to take it out on Lee. It had been six years, but it still hurt a bit knowing that his brother was out there somewhere. They just hadn’t had enough time.

The story went as expected though, and as Josh had thought before, Lee had mentioned turning over the shop.

That last statement though, Josh nodded as Lee said it, ”They’d have to be, wouldn’t they?” he said, not unkindly, ”He the one Mom’s been going on about with you? With the pie?”

Even though they had spent well over half of their lives living apart, not even talking over the phone, some of Josh’s expressions were similar enough to his brother’s that Lee could see a little flash of anger as she was talking about how it was weird for Tarin as well.

But as Josh didn’t voice anything about that, Lee let it go. There were going to be emotions, a lot of different emotions, about this situation. Especially from Josh and Adele. Lee had known one would almost certainly be anger.

Lee didn’t have to manage and deal with their emotions, though. She just needed to explain things and hope that they could understand.

”She’s been talking about that?” Lee asked. ”I didn’t tell her I was seeing anyone. And to be fair, I don’t really know anyone else who bakes and had just called to ask how I didn’t burn my second attempt. I was planning on using canned filling.”

Josh just nodded when Lee asked about his Mother. ”Yeah, she’s been really happy for you.” he said for clarification.

The baking wasn’t important, neither was the fact that Lee was seeing someone. In fact, Josh had been happy for Lee too when his Mom had brought up her suspicions. From what both Lee and Tarin had told them about the divorce, it had been as amicable as something like that could be. They’d coparented well, and they’d all stayed involved in each other’s lives. Moving on was part of life.

”It was probably a really good pie then.” Josh said.

There would be a limit to what Lee was willing to share and to what he could say, but Josh decided if there was a time to push his luck, this was it.

”What makes you think it’ll work this time?” he asked, ”I know it’s not my place, but just seems like a lot of trouble and heartache just to try again.” .

Lee smiled when Josh made the comment about the pid being really good. ”It was,” Lee confirmed with a smile. ”Even Kevin said that it was good.”

But then Josh went on. Asking about this time. And trying again.

Had he really just asked it that way? Like she was trying to have a do-over?

”First of all, as I said, they are completely different people,” Lee replied after a moment, a slight hardness to her voice. ”Secondly, for the first year or more with your brother, a large part of me was just waiting for him to leave because of my powers. It took forever for me to fully believe it might ‘work’ with him. Third-”

Lee stopped talking suddenly as she realized that she was feeling Kevin moving back toward the living room. Turning toward the hall to the bedrooms, Lee smiled as her son came around the corner. ”You’ve got everything packed? Jeans? Swim suit? Everything’s back in the suitcase?”

Well. He had taken things a bit too far Josh realized as Lee started talking and that steel backbone of hers started to creep into her words. It was one of the things that Josh has always admired about the woman and he had a feeling that he was about to get a piece of her mind.

It was only fair. Josh had known he was pushing it and he was about to start making his apologies when Lee stopped reading him the riot act and started talking to Kevin, who was making his way back down the hall.

”Your Mom’s right. We aren’t gonna be making any shopping trips if you forgot stuff.”

”Yes, they were already packed, mum,” Kevin said as he made his way back to the couch. But he stopped before he sat down, looking back and forth between their faces for a moment. He had heard his mum talking, but she’d stopped as soon as he had gotten close.

”What were you talking about?”

”Nothing very interesting,” Lee said with a shrug. ”Just going over some details of your trip.”

Kevin just looked at his mum for a moment, then turned to look at his uncle. ”Oh my god...” Kevin said, rolling his eyes. ”Is this about Tarin again? He’s not my dad! You won’t talk about it when I’m around like I’m a little kid. But then why do I get it and no one else can understand that?”

Kevin was apparently sure that he had all of the things he needed for the trip. That was well and good because now that he’d said they couldn’t go shopping for anything he left behind Josh was going to have to stick to his word…even if the errand had been more to get Kevin out of the room for a few minutes than anything else.

Kevin wasn’t dumb though, no, in fact the was showing a ton of intuition as he laid into both his Mom and his Uncle about the conversation they had been having, and had changed when Kevin had re-entered the room.

Apparently this wasn’t the first time that something like this had come up either. Josh was curious, but he also wasn’t dumb and after what he’d stepped into right before Kevin came back into the room he wasn’t going to ask.

It seemed like Kevin wanted to be part of the conversation though, and Josh mulled over the fact for a few minutes before he nodded.

”Alright then Kev. Man to man.” Josh said, Leaning forward and looking Kevin in the eye.

”Are y’all happy?” he said, asking Kevin directly, hoping Lee would be alright with letting the teen answer, ”He treating your Mom and you the way you deserve to be treated?”

Kevin knew exactly what they had been talking about. No, not just that, Kevin knew that Lee had had to have very similar conversations a number of other times, with other people.

And was not very happy about the fact that she’d been actively avoiding having these conversations with him around.

Though Kevin did have a bit of a point. He, a 13 year old, understood that Tarin was not his father, despite having the same name and powers. He’d never had any confusion about any of this, and other than the initial awkwardness when Tarin had first moved in as he and Kevin got to know each other, Lee didn't think that Kevin had ever been upset about the situation at all.

”You’re right, Kevin,” Lee agreed. Right about how others should be able to understand since a 13 year old did. Right about how she probably shouldn’t have worked so hard to keep these conversations from him. Right about how Tarin wasn’t his dad, and wouldn’t try to be.

But Lee didn’t specify any of that.

And then Josh was leaning forward, asking Kevin if they were happy and if Tarin was treating them right. Immediately followed by a knock at the door.

”That’s dinner. I’ll be right back,” Lee said, getting up and making her way to the door. This really couldn’t have worked out better. With her out of the room getting the food, there was no way there could be the accusation that she’d somehow influenced what Kevin said about Tarin. Not that she would have been able to; Kevin had too much of the stubbornness from both of his parents for that.

”Tarin is great, Uncle Josh,” Kevin told him sincerely. ”It was a little weird when he first moved in. But mum said that she was helping Tarin with his powers, and it’s been just me and mum here since Aunt Rachel moved out. But Tarin’s pretty cool.

“And, I don’t think I’m supposed to know this,” Kevin continued, his voice dropping slightly. ”But since mum’s started sleeping in Tarin’s room, she’s been a lot more awake, and happier in the mornings.”

Lee went to get the food and Josh settled in and waited to hear what Kevin had to say.

As Kevin spoke, Josh had to admit that he was impressed with the young man. Kevin was admitting that things had been weird early on, but he seemed sincere when he said that Tarin was great.

He kept talking and Josh’s eyes widened a bit as Kevin pointed out another liked thing he’d noticed and Josh cleared his throat a little.

”Well if you’re happy and
Your Mom is happy, then I guess that has to be enough for me.” he said, then leaned back to see if Lee was coming back.

”And between you and me, if you did forget anything you know your aunt and grandma will take you to the store.”

When Keivn saw his uncle’s eyes widen because of what he had said, Kevin made a face. ”Gross. Ew, no,” he said. ”Don’t you know how mum’s powers work? Mum is normally a zombie in the mornings. But she actually has energy in the mornings because she’s close to Tarin when they sleep.”

---

It didn’t take too long for Lee to pay for the food and come back to the living room with the Chinese food.

In time for her to hear a very unexpected comment from her son. ”Uh, why don’t you go get us some plates, Kev?” she asked as she set the food down on the table.

After waiting for Kevin to head to the kitchen, Lee sat and looked over at Josh. ”Do I even want to know what you two were talking about ‘man to man’?”

Well. Josh supposed he had that one coming and as Kevin continued, Josh found himself nodding again, ”I know enough Kevin, I was just surprised you’re so observant. That’s all… Maybe leave that part out when you talk to your Grandma and cousins though.” Josh was sure Lee wouldn’t want her…sleeping habits blasted all over Texas.

It did make Josh think though, about what Lee had said before Kevin had exited his room and about what Kevin was saying now. The way Josh was starting to see it, he had two options. He could make this a thing and risk alienating both Kevin and Lee, or he could feel the way he felt about it and move on.

Lee was quickly back with the food and sent Kevin off to get them plates. How much had she heard?

”You’ve got a very observant son Lee.” Josh said, scrubbing his hand over his face, then chuckling before getting more serious.

”He said you’re happy.” Josh said, ”Both of you. That’s what matters, isn’t it?”

”So I did hear what I thought I heard,” Lee said, shaking her head. ”I’m really not sure when that started, but it definitely has not made it easier for him to find things he’s misplaced.”

But as Josh continued speaking, a smile grew on Lee’s face. ”It definitely wasn’t something I ever expected to happen, even after we had run into each other again, but yeah, I am happy. And Kevin seems to really like him, too.”

Kevin returned at that point with three plates and set them down. ”If we’re still talking about this, can it not be about mum’s relationship?” Kevin asked as he started pulling containers out of the bag.

Apparently the boy was hungry tonight, Lee thought. ”Did you want to tell your uncle more about your powers, Kev?”