"Where are we, Sensei?" Yuji asks again, his back to Gojo as he twists his head and stares out the window. His stomach registers that the car is slowing down, and his hands loosen their white-knuckled grip on the leather seats.
"You'll see soon enough." Gojo replies, vibrating with excitement and a childlike delight. He spins the wheel to the right, and they drift ungracefully around a corner, earning him a grunt from Yuji as his door passes a tree with eights of an inch to spare. "We're here!"
Whatever Yuji had expected, it definitely wasn't an upscale beach house. The two-story house that sprawls along the coastline glows with a golden warmth, spilling out from every window. Lights embedded in the curving driveway glitter like a bed of stars in the gloaming, while hydrangea bushes the size of small cars burst with petals around the edges of the wide lawn.
A strong salt-tinged breeze washes over Yuji when he opens the car door, whipping his hair across his face.
"Come on!" Gojo's already out and running up the porch stairs before Yuji can unbuckle his seatbelt.
The door to the beach house opens, and Yuji stares open-mouthed at the figure silhouetted in the doorway.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
You open the front door as soon as you hear the squeal of tires and the frantic honking which usually accompanies your son whenever he drives. You still don't know who in their right mind would deem him fit for driving. You watch from the doorway as Satoru hops out of his boxy, expensive-looking sports car and takes the steps two at a time, barreling directly into your open-armed embrace and lifting you off your feet. Your laughter and his rings out through the gathering dusk.
Satoru hugs you hard around the waist and presses a kiss to your cheek. He's practically glowing. "Mom."
"Sweetheart, welcome home." You smile, and whisk your hands through his hair. You've almost forgotten how he demands your touch and attention at every opportunity. "I made cookies."
Satoru's smile widens. "The ones with the peanut butter cups?"
"Of course."
"Yes!" He peels himself away from your side, and rushes into the kitchen.
"Not too many before dinner!" You call out chidingly, but your eyes are soft and warm when they linger on his retreating figure. Then, you turn your attention to Yuji, walking slowly up the steps, his eyes wide as he takes in the expansive house. "Hello. You must be Yuji."
"It's nice to meet you!" He says brightly. "Thank you for having me!"
"You're sweet. And honey, I haven't even started taking care of you yet." Your smile is wide and warm as you pull him into your arms. No questions, no judgements, only love. "You must have been through something, huh?"
Pressed against your body, with the smell of your perfume enveloping him, something in Yuji uncoils. He clings tight, and buries his face into your shoulder.
You wonder if he's ever been held like this, by his mother before – but from the way he's holding onto you, like you're a lifeboat in a stormy sea, you already know what the answer will be.
