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It wasn’t the first time Nico had seen Naomi Will’s mom.
But it was the first time he was going to spend more than a few minutes with her. She had invited them to stay for a few days, and Will, upon hearing the suggestion, immediately declared it a great idea. He was absolutely thrilled at the thought of showing Nico his home state of Texas.
The house they stood in front of was an old one on the outskirts of Austin, a wide, sun-washed building with a creaking porch that Naomi had inherited from her mother. The bright Texas sun reflected off the faded wooden panels, and from nearby trees came the steady hum of cicadas.
They stepped onto the porch, and Will knocked. The door opened almost instantly, revealing a beaming Naomi. Once again Nico was struck by how much Will resembled his mother the same warmth in the eyes, the same easy smile. Even though he had seen them side by side many times, the resemblance still hit him every time.
Naomi hugged Will, then surprisingly pulled Nico into a warm embrace as well. Nico stiffened in surprise, and the cocoa puffs perched on his shoulder seemed just as startled as he was.
“I'm so glad you boys came!” she said with a bright grin.
“We’re glad too, Mom,” Will replied.
They stepped inside. The house was unmistakably Naomi’s every wall held framed photographs, most of them showing little Will in various adorable stages of chaos: in an astronaut costume, holding a dog, covered in chocolate. The living room housed a massive shelf full of CDs and vinyl records, arranged in a way that probably made sense only to Naomi.
They headed upstairs to Will’s old room, where they would be sleeping. Along the staircase hung even more family photos. Nico paused at the last one, hanging near the turn in the steps. It showed a young Naomi, around Will’s current age, wearing a flowing white dress with tiny flowers, cowboy boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. She sat on a fence, smiling as if the whole of Texas belonged to her.
“Your mom looks so much like you,” Nico said.
Will glanced at the picture and shrugged with mock seriousness.
“If you want, that dress is probably still somewhere around here.”
“Oh gods, Will, that’s not what I meant,” Nico groaned.
They entered the room. The place radiated Will’s energy Star Wars posters lined the walls, the shelves held comic books and thick medical textbooks, and an old sketchbook lay abandoned on the desk next to a worn-out Yoda figurine.
The evening passed peacefully. They ate the kolache Naomi had baked, watched a movie, and then headed to bed.
Nico woke in the middle of the night. He’d dreamt of his mother and Bianca not quite a nightmare, but a heavy, suffocating dream that left him feeling hollow and sad. For a moment he didn’t know where he was. Then he remembered: he was in Will’s old room, at Naomi’s house. Will slept soundly beside him, and the cocoa puffs were curled up on the armchair like a small, warm animal.
Nico slipped out of bed, trying not to wake him. Back at camp, whenever he had dreams like that, he would go sit on the porch and breathe. He wanted to do the same now. He went downstairs, but when he reached the door, he realized it was locked. He should have expected that.
As he considered what to do next, he heard footsteps. Unexpected panic clenched in his chest.
“Oh, hey, Nico,” Naomi whispered softly as she appeared in the dim hallway.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked gently, walking toward the kitchen.
Nico followed her, unsure of what else to do.
“I can get you water, tea, or some milk,” she offered as she set a chair out for him.
“Tea… is fine,” he said quietly.
Naomi filled the kettle. The soft hiss of heating water filled the kitchen. She took out two mugs one pink with flowers, the other clearly Will’s, judging by the Star Wars print. She placed tea bags inside and poured water into both.
“Do you take sugar?”
“No.”
He wasn’t sure why she was making him tea at two in the morning.
“Could I go sit on the porch?” he asked timidly.
“Of course, sweetheart. I’ll just get the keys,” she said and disappeared upstairs.
He hadn’t expected her to go with him. Yet she returned, unlocked the door, and stepped outside with him. They sat together on the porch steps, sipping tea in silence. The night air was heavy and warm, filled with the scent of wood, dust, and far-off summer fields. Cicadas droned steadily in the distance.
After a long moment, Nico finally asked:
“Why are you doing this?”
Naomi chuckled softly.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you make me tea in the middle of the night? And why are you sitting out here with me?”
She was quiet for a few seconds before answering.
“Because that’s what a mother does,” she said gently. “She takes care of a child who needs it.”
“But… I’m not your child.”
She looked at him with warm, earnest eyes.
“No. But you’re important to Will. And that makes you family.”
Nico stared into his nearly empty mug, trying to absorb her words.
“I know you had a hard childhood,” she continued softly. “And I want you to feel accepted here. Loved. I want you to know that there are adults you can trust. Adults you can talk to.”
Nico felt tears gather in his eyes. He loved Will so much, but he never expected this tenderness from his mother.
“I didn’t even say I needed help,” he whispered, sniffling.
“Oh, honey,” Naomi murmured with a smile, “I’m a mom. When someone wakes up in the middle of the night and wanders downstairs, something’s wrong. You didn’t have to tell me.”
She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a warm, grounding hug.
After a while they both stood up.
“If you’d like to stay out here a little longer, feel free. I’m heading back to bed,” she said.
“No, I’ll go too,” Nico replied.
They went inside. Naomi set the mugs in the sink, assuring him she’d clean them in the morning. They climbed the stairs. Right before Will’s room, she gently pulled Nico into another soft hug.
“If you ever want to talk or anything at all I’m here,” she said quietly.
“Can we… not tell Will about this?” Nico murmured.
“Of course. Our little secret,” she said with a playful wink.
Nico slipped into the room as quietly as he could but his effort failed. Will was already sitting up on the bed, worry in his eyes.
“Everything okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. I just went to the bathroom. Go back to sleep,” Nico said, sitting beside him and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.
Will kissed him back, then lay down again. Nico joined him, and this time, sleep came quickly.
And no sad dreams followed.