The workday went like any other. An emergency or two and creative engineering to patch various machines and equipment to keep production levels up. At the end of his shift, Robert sat in the locker room, relaxing for a moment before changing when Philip walked in.

“Hey Robert, you got a second?”

“Yeah, what do you need?”

Philip looked uncomfortable as he crossed the room. “Well, do you mind if I come over tonight? It’s been a long time since I visited and I haven’t seen your mother in a while. We talk via the link and sometimes meet up in the Nexus, but it’s not a substitute for visiting in person. At least it isn’t to me.”

Robert smiled from his perch on the bench and said, “You’re always welcome. Did you want to catch the rapid with me, or are you heading in later?”

“I’ve got one or two things left to do, so I’ll probably be an hour behind you.”

“Sounds good. I have some stuff to do in the Nexus tonight, but we can have dinner before I log in. How does that sound?”

Philip perked up, obviously happy, and replied, “That sounds great. I’ll see you in a while then.”

“See ya.”

Robert quickly got changed and made his way back to Berkeley to get ready for their dinner guest. It had been a long time since Robert visited, and it would be good for his mom to get a visitor. Robert had always thought there was something deeper between them, but he never wanted to ask.

If Robert was right, Philip had a bit of a crush on his mom. Usually, that wouldn’t be a big issue, but Philip was his father’s best friend growing up. He probably felt conflicted.

As Robert walked into the lobby of his building, he recognized the woman behind the desk and did something entirely out of character and said, “Hello Melissa. How’s it going?”

Melissa looked up from the monitor she was working at and smiled. “Hello… Rob, right? Sorry, I’m not great with names, and it’s been a crazy first full week.”

“Close enough. Juno and my mom are the only ones who call me Rob. It’s Robert.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Not a problem. It looks like you’re busy, and I just wanted to say hello.”

Melissa leaned back into her chair and stretched. “I should probably take a break. I’ve been at it for a few hours. I’m trying to read all the manuals and get ahead of the work orders. Who knew in this day and age that there would be so many repair requests. My family lives in a newer tower, so I’m just not used to things breaking all the time.”

Robert leaned forward, resting his elbow on the edge of the chest-high counter and said, “Yeah, these older buildings have a few issues here and there. The equipment at my work is constantly breaking down, so I guess I thought it was normal.”

“Oh, where do you work?” She asked, brightening up a bit.

“I work in Napa at one of the grow facilities. My title is Grow House Production Assistant, but that just means I fix everything and anything that breaks. I’m a glorified mechanic.”

“Nothing wrong with that. My father is a rapid line engineer. He maintains the trains. He worked mostly evenings until recently, but he just got a big promotion to lead engineer.”

“That’s cool. I can’t imagine how long it would take to get to work without the rapid. Anyway, I have to get going. We have a dinner guest coming.” He stood back up from his leaning and said, “Oh, that reminds me. I’m not sure if he is on the list, but the guest is Philip Martin. He’s like an uncle to me. Can I add him to the approved access list for the apartment?”

She leaned forward and pulled up a menu on the computer. “What unit are you in?”

“Unit 1714.”

“Ok, I just added him. When he enters the building and scans his data band, he’ll be confirmed and added.”

Robert turned towards the door and said, “Thank you, Melissa. Have a good rest of your shift.”

She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and replied, “Thanks, have a nice night.”

He took the lift to his level and was soon entering his apartment. “Hey, mom, I’m home.”

From further in, he heard her reply, “Oh, welcome home. I just got a message from Philip that he’s coming over for dinner. I wish you would have given me some more notice. I would have cleaned up.”

Robert looked around at the spotless apartment. “Mom, I think we’ll be fine. Did you need me to order something or place an order with the grocery store?”

“No, I already took care of it. The delivery should be here soon. Can you let me know when it gets here, and I’ll start cooking.” She said as she walked slowly across the living room towards the bathroom. “I’m going to freshen up.”

Robert watched her walk, noticing the effort it took to look smooth. She was definitely losing strength, but she was putting on a good front.

“Oh, Robert. Why don’t you invite Juno?”

Robert thought about it for a moment. “I’m not sure if she’s free, but I’ll ask.”

Robert pulled up his data band and found Juno in his contact records. He punched in a quick message letting her know that his mother had invited her to dinner if she was interested.

A few minutes later, he felt the vibration notice on his wrist, letting him know that she would join them. She also let him know that she’d gone through the character creation and basic tutorial, and she wanted to tell him all about it.

Robert went to his room to straighten up. He had expected no one else going into his room. The state of it was somewhere between a biohazard zone and a junkyard. Ever since leaving school, he’d just not had the motivation to keep it clean as usual. If her guilt hadn’t gotten in the way, his mother would have probably forced him to clean it a long time ago.

Over the next hour, Robert was able to clean up his room, accept the grocery delivery, and help his mother get set for their guests. She insisted on cooking her famous synth-beef stroganoff. It was Robert’s favorite meal and one she hadn’t made in a very long time. Robert took care of the heavy lifting and cutting while she took care of directing him and putting the finishing touches on the meal.

Eventually, she ran out of energy and needed to sit down, so Robert helped her back to her chair in the living room and finished the main dish. At about the same time, the doorbell rang, and his data band let him know that Philip was at the front door.

“I got it, mom. It’s Philip.” He said.

“Hey Philip, glad you could make it. Come on in.”

Philip stepped past Robert and entered the small entryway. “I brought this.” He added while holding out a small plastic bag.

Robert looked inside to see a six-pack of dark brown bottles. “Oh, cool. Is this your home-brew?”

Philip nodded, kicking off his shoes. “Yeah, that batch should be good to drink.” He continued into the living room and said, “Patricia, it’s so good to see you again. You look lovely as always.”

Robert could see his mom blush slightly from across the room. “It’s great to see you too. It’s been so long since you came by.”

“Sorry about that. Things have been crazy with work, and when they promoted me, I got a free apartment in Napa at the company campus. I sometimes miss the city, but it’s kind of refreshing to see the sky.”

“That sounds nice. I must visit sometime.”

Philip brightened and said, “That would be wonderful.”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Robert moved to the door to escape the awkward conversation and let Juno in. When he opened the door, she was waiting on the other side with her hands held together in front of her waist. She had changed from her regular jeans and t-shirt to a knee-length dress and cardigan.

Robert realized he was staring and said, “Oh, sorry... please come in.”

“Thank you for inviting me. I wasn’t sure if this was something I should dress up for, so I wore this.” She motioned towards her dress.

“You look great. Uncle Philip just got here, and dinner is just about ready, so you are right on time.”

She walked past him, sliding off her shoes before entering the living room. Robert hadn’t seen her in a dress since high school graduation, and he was happy she wore it. Looking down, he realized how underdressed he was in comparison.

“Mom, Juno is here. I have to do something real quick. I’ll be right back.” He said as he brought Juno to his mother.

“Oh, Juno, thank you for coming. You look lovely.”

Blushing and hiding her hands behind her back, Juno responded, “Thank you, Mrs. Stanis. Uh, thank you for inviting me.”

Robert walked away, back into his room as they continued to talk. He quickly rummaged through his drawers and found what he was looking for. A few minutes later, he finished up and rejoined everyone in the living room.

“Robert, you look very nice.” His mother said.

Spinning to face him, Juno looked surprised, “You didn’t have to change. I just wanted to wear this.”

“I just wanted you to feel more comfortable. No big deal. It’s the first time in a long time that you’ve come over for dinner. What was it? Two or three years ago.”

His mother added, “Oh, I remember. It was when you had both received your scholarships. I was so proud of you both.” As she finished talking, she looked down at the floor. Robert thought she was probably thinking about their situation and how it had changed recently.

Philip noticed the change in the conversation and said, “Well, this is the first time that all four of us have gotten together. Let’s grab a seat. I’m starved.”

For the next few hours, they ate, talked, and enjoyed each other’s company.