Constructing Us (New Adult Romance) by C.J. Lake

her son.  “Are you cooking ?”  When she pulled back, her dark eyes glistened.  “We missed you,” she added, touching a hand to Tragan’s roughened cheek. 
    “Son,” Jack Barrett said, coming up behind Mari, who stepped aside so they could say hello.  Jack reached for a strong handshake, clapping Tragan’s bicep heartily with his other hand.  “Good to see you.” 
    “You, too,” Tragan told them, mea ning it.  It had only been a couple weeks since he’d seen them, and though he hadn’t given it much thought, now that they were here, his parents were inevitably a comforting sight.  His mom was short and pillowy, with black hair and dimples in her cheeks.  She was definitely the more dominant personality of the two--whereas Tragan’s dad, Jack, was quieter, more reserved, and despite being retired, still looked the part of the big, robust Irish fisherman.
    “Is it my imagination,” Jack added as they walked into the living room, “or is this place a lot neater than the last time I was here?”  Before Tragan could respond, Andy emerged from the kitchen and began walking toward them.  “Oh--we didn’t realize you had a new girlfriend,” Jack nearly whispered, exchanging a surprised expression with his wife.
    “Girlfriend?” Mari said, intrigued, when Tragan interrupted.
    “No, no, this is my roommate,” he told them, as Andy joined the group and gave a small, friendly wave. 
    “Hi, I’m Andy.  Just the roommate,” she threw in lightly. 
    “Yeah, see, Ethan bailed on the lease out of nowhere and--” Tragan began, when Andy politely interjected.
    “He got accepted into a graduate program in England so he had to go,” she explained.  “We’ve been friends for years, so he asked me if I wanted to take over the lease for him.  That way Tragan wouldn’t be stranded, and I was looking for an apartment anyway.”
    “Oh,” Mari said, nodding almost vigorously, “well, then that worked out.  Tragan, why didn’t you tell us all this?”
    “It just happened…pretty much.”
    “ Are you hungry, by chance?” Andy asked Jack and Mari. 
    “Starving,” Jack admitted.
    “But I’m too tired to go to a restaurant,” Mari said , looking pointedly at her husband as though they’d been through this discussion already.  “We’ll just wait till we get home.”
    “No, please, eat with us.  I was about to put out Spanakopita.”
    “Everything Andy makes is awesome,” Tragan said truthfully.  She smiled at him.
    “Mmm, is that what that smell is?” Jack asked, sniffing the air.
    “ Great, have some,” Andy insisted.  “There’s a ton.  I’m just going to set the table--”
    Politely, Mari demurred.  “No, really.  Thanks so much--it smells delicious--but we couldn’t take your food,” she said, making it clear this was a matter of principle, and not a bias against spinach pie.
    “Why not?” Tragan said.  “I take her food all the time.”
    At that, Mari shot her son a disapproving glance.  Then remarked: “Andy, I hope Tragan is being easy to live with.”
    With a wave of her hand, she assured her, “He’s fine.  Come on…”
    Ultimately Jack, Mari, and Tragan followed Andy’s lead to the kitchen, and ten minutes later, they were all seated around the table with filled plates and glasses, and a fragrant basket of garlic bread as their centerpiece.
    “So, Andy, what do you do?” Jack asked casually as he passed the bread to his wife. 
    “Well, right now I’m in transition,” Andy admitted.  “I just graduated from college in Decem ber.  And at the moment, I’m actually participating in a drug study at St. Catherine’s.  That should end in another six weeks.  After that, I’ll be able to really focus on a career.”
    Instead of asking her what her major was or what her career might be, Tragan’s mom was stuck on the first part of what Andy said.  “Drug study?” she echoed cautiously.  “That sounds dangerous, no?”
    “ Um, not this