how it could be

 "I can understand how your brother feels," Sal said to Jared, letting him get a feel of the place. "He's been the head of the household when nobody wasn't."

Sal didn't smile though and neither did Jared as he unloaded his backpack on Sal's couch. Naturally, Jared looked to the room just off the livingroom.

"Not that room," Sal looked to the empty loft above the kitchen. There was a futon there. It was  a space just outside Sal's room. "You can sleep there." Sal pointed. He told Jared the guestroom was his daughter's when she visited. It was off-limits.

Jared gave him a nod. Sal went to put on the kettle. Maybe they could both use some Sleepytime tea.

"So how is your brother these days?" Sal asked once he brought two cups of hot tea to the dining table and scrounged up some leftover cookies in a tin from the kitchen counter.

"Guess, OK," Jared shrugged. He mentioned Jay's job at the car dealership and he was now married to Amanda.

"Yeah, I remember now," Sal grinned. "Amanda's the one your mother is hoping will give her a grandchild soon."

"Yeah, she bugs them about it all the time," Jared practically laughed.

"Oh, she's worried about you, too." Sal shot Jared a look as if he was nothing but trouble. Sal wanted to know if he was working.

"I guess, but they don't give me as many hours as I need," Jared said it was hardly part-time.

"Well, then, you can help me," Sal didn't really have a plan, but if he could get Jared interested in making pizza at the bar it might let things ease up for Sal and he could do more writing, but he didn't really share this with Jared. Instead, he said, "I bet we can find something for you to do, between your mom and me."

"Yeah, whatever," Jared scratched the back of his head. Sal didn't take that as a bad attitude. He could see the boy was tired and needed a real home. Maybe Sal needed someone here too. It wasn't that Ari came home very often. But he wasn't used to having a roommate either.

He told Jared that he couldn't slack off. "I'm not your maid."

Jared wolved down the rest of the chocolate chip cookies and nodded. He also got up and cleaned his cup and Sal's too.