As Justin wiped the counter for the third time in fifteen minutes, the bell above the door of the ice cream shop jingled softly. The sun was saying goodbye to the skyline on a calm Monday night, the kind that blanketed the city in a lazy orange glow. The children had left for home. Usually, couples came in for cones, but they had other plans. Behind the counter, there was only the faint hum of the freezer and his thoughts.
That morning, as sunlight filtered through the frosted windows of Sweet Whirls Ice Cream Shop, the bell above the glass door jingled for the fourth time. The air was filled with the comforting aroma of melted caramel, waffle cones, and vanilla. Justin stepped back behind the counter, wiped his hands on his apron, and forced a weary smile.
"Good morning, Justin!" An elderly woman pushing her walker up to the glass display case gave a warm greeting.
In spite of the darkness under his hazel eyes, he said, "Good morning, Mrs. K." The typical? What about two pistachio scoops with chocolate drizzle?
"Young man, you know me too well." Her eyes glistened as she laughed.
Justin thought about his mother, who was in a hospital bed at home, while he scooped the pale green ice cream into a waffle cone. The only family he had ever known. Her voice had previously been a scratchy whisper, her body shrivelled by illness and time, but now her laughter filled their tiny flat.
He gave her the cone and gently shook his head, declining the money she offered. "Here you go, Mrs. K," he said. "On the house." The day is lovely.
She tapped her slender fingers on his hand. "Your mother raised you correctly. It's fortunate that she has you.
He nodded. I'm the fortunate one.
The store became quiet after she left. Leaning over the counter, Justin took a quick look at the clock. He had just two hours left in his shift. Then, as he did each day, he could return home, cook, and sit next to his mother. He didn't mind that his life had been limited to that routine. She had raised him alone, giving up everything for him, and only ever mentioned his father once, saying, "He's not someone you need to know.
He occasionally questioned the identity of the man. A criminal? A junkie? Just a coward, perhaps. Regardless of the truth, his mother had made every effort to shield him from both it and him.
Once more, the bell rang. It was Rico, his coworker and sometimes flatmate, this time. Hey, J-man. I returned with the stock of waffle cones. With a sigh he dropped two heavy boxes onto the counter after carrying them.
"Thanks," Justin said, helping him to unpack.
"Your mom doing okay?"
Justin paused, gripping the box with tighter fingers. She skipped meals yesterday. These days, she hardly speaks. We can only afford the medications to keep her comfortable.
Rico fell silent. "Have you ever considered...finding your dad?"
Justin shook his head. That is not what she would want. Besides, I don't really have a name. I just know that he used to own a club in the city, could be anybody.
Rico shook his head. "But, dude. "Blood is blood."
Justin felt sick to his stomach.
"Forget it," Justin whispered.
The sun was high in the sky by the end of his shift. The grocery bag weighed heavily on his hand as he walked the twenty minutes to their apartment after changing out of his uniform. There was a lot of energy in the streets, with cars honking at intersections, passing teenagers laughing, and music from local clubs. But there was always silence in his world.
He unlocked the door and walked into silence as he ascended the narrow stairs to their third-floor apartment.
Dropping his keys, he called softly, "Mom?"
From the bedroom came the faint sound of her voice. "Baby, I'm here."
Her eyes were closed, her breathing was shallow, and she was leaning against a pile of pillows when Justin entered. The woman who had been vivacious and had fire in her veins was now fading and pale. But when she heard his footsteps, she grinned.
"I brought your favourite with me. He pulled a tray closer and said, "Soft bread and tomato soup."
She gave a feeble laugh. "Sweetheart, I don't feel very hungry."
"You still need to make an effort."
Using a serviette to wipe the corners of her mouth, he fed her slowly and carefully. Neither of them spoke much. An unspoken understanding existed between them. They both knew that time was running out, and every day was a borrowed gift.
He sat next to her bed and held her hand after cleaning up.
"I had a dream," she said in a whisper.
He raised his head. "Yes?"
"You were standing in front of a large, towering, glass skyscraper with lights all over it. People paid attention when you spoke, and you were dressed in a suit.
Justin giggled. "That sounds nothing like me."
"It will be," she said in a hushed tone. "Justin, you are more than that.
There is more for you.
Soon after, he saw her drift off to sleep, her breathing fragile and slow.
The words replayed in Justin's mind as he lay awake on the couch that night. You are more than that.
Everything changed the following morning.
---
While he was setting up the ice cream business, their neighbour called, and that's when it all began. He hurried home, dropping everything, his hands shaking. Voices in the corridor, nurses, sirens, and everything else appeared to blend into a haze of sound and movement.
She didn't make it through the morning.
He was struck by the loss. He was unable to move for hours. was unable to cry. unable to think. Her voice, her possessions, and her aroma hung like ghost.
A day later, he discovered a photograph hidden inside an old shoebox while going through her drawer.
Standing next to a neon-lit club was a man wearing a black leather jacket. He had a grin on his face. Justin's younger mother was giggling as he put his arm around her. It said, in faded writing, "Me and Huggies" on the back. "One last evening before I went running ".
The name caught Justin's attention, "Huggies". Abruptly, he recalled what Rico had said.
Blood is blood.
And he experienced something new for the first time in his life: fury, curiosity, fire.
He pulled out his phone and searched the name.
Billionaire investor Bahd Huggies is the founder of the Huggies Clubhouse and the Empire of Nightlife.
His heart raced.
His mother had tried to hide him from that world. From that man.
But now she was gone.
And Justin was alone.
His eyes narrowed at the screen.
"I'm coming to get answers."