The notable vocals of Beyoncé are playing on the cafe's sound system, as "YA YA" is the current soundtrack within the establishment. A small crowd of customers, including Samuel and Aaliyah Gupta, sit across from one another at the table near the large window overlooking Main Street. 

 

She had been filling him in about her trip to Chicago, where she visited her boyfriend Lorenzo, whom she discovered had been seeing Phoenix, the lead singer of a neo-soul rock band Lorenzo's been on tour with. 

 

"I don't think I can think of that type of bird or Chicago the same way again," she confesses. 

 

"Well, that's going to be kind of hard since we're from there," Samuel inserts. 

 

"In all seriousness, what Lorenzo did was wrong; he should've told you when you two talked when he was traveling." 

 

Aaliyah takes a gentle sip of her chai tea while still trying to process her emotional breakup with the stress of downtown Chicago and gives a pensive nod. 

 

"I'm sure once Mommy finds out, she'll probably be elated since she always thought I was too good for Lorenzo." 

 

"Only one way to find out," 

 

Aaliyah decides to change the topic of the conversation. "Well, at least she and Daddy have worked their way to each other." 

 

"I got to admit it's good seeing the old folks back together," Samuel admits. 

 

"Any improvement on the Martha front?" Aaliyah queries 

 

Before she left, Samuel had issues with his girlfriend's child's father entering back into the picture. 

 

Instead of giving a response, her brother takes a drink of his coffee.

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Martha Saunders stands in the center of the living room of the house on Franklin Farm, holding onto her iPhone, while hearing and occasionally observing her five-year-old son playing the mostly in-tune notes on the keyboard piano.  

 

After texting a message, she reads it to herself on the screen.  

 

Hey, can we talk? 

 

The bartender then hits send, hoping she and Samuel can do whatever they need since the last time they saw each other.

 

Samuel wasn't pleased the other night when she rejected his invitation to dinner since she had spent the day with Murray and SJ at the street fair, and they hadn't talked since, which is something she wants to resolve. 

 

Mentally, she snaps back into reality when she hears the song conclude.

 

"When did you learn to play Ode to Joy?" 

 

The little boy turns around on the bench where he's sitting, playing the piano. "Dad" 

 

Martha's right eyebrow raises in surprise. "He did?" 

 

"Yeah, he helped me with my fingering." 

 

She can't help but be impressed by not just his son's advanced musicianship but also her ex's having enough patience to teach him. 

 

"Sounds good; keep at it," she says encouragingly. 

 

The familiar sound of her ringtone attracts her attention; thinking it's Samuel calling back, but another name displays on the screen.

 

"Hello," she finally answers.

 

"It's your child's father," Murray Hirsch greets her in a relaxed manner. 

 

"I know that voice from anywhere," she replies. "What's up?" 

 

"Well, since the three of us have been hanging out, how about the two of you chill at the pool here at the hotel? Whaddya say?"

 

At first, Martha is about to refute since she doesn't want to give her boyfriend anything to use as an excuse to declare she's spending more time with her ex. But then again, she realizes her son deserves memories of his father, especially since he's now on summer vacation from school. 

 

"Let me see then," 

 

She then pulls the phone from earshot. 

 

"Hey, SJ, do you want to go hang out with your dad at the hotel pool?" 

 

The little boy bobs his head enthusiastically.

 

"All right then, go upstairs and get your trunks." 

 

SJ quickly gets on his feet and races upstairs. 

 

Martha places the phone back in her ear. "We'll be your way in about twenty." she tells him. 

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"Murray is getting too close for comfort," Samuel reveals.

 

"That explains your mood, then," Aaliyah says.

 

The psychiatrist exhales as he places his hands around the hot beverage.

 

"I know in a rational sense that SJ needs his father around, but I don't know why, after all these years, Murray has come out of the woodwork, and you should see how he looks at her. I still think he wants more than a father-son reunion." 

 

"So do you think he has unresolved feelings for her?" 

 

"Oh yeah," 

 

"Please take these words as a teaching moment from your little sister. Do what you can to salvage things between you and Martha because it's not fun being on the outside looking in." 

 

Samuel realizes she's not only talking about her situation with Lorenzo but also the breakdown of her friendship with the twins after broadcasting the video of Sean and Louise making out at her and their father's engagement party last year. 

 

"Maybe they will come around," Samuel says, somewhat hopeful.

 

"I don't think so," Aaliyah proclaims. "Well, at least I have graduation to look forward to in a few weeks." 

 

Samuel takes out his phone from his pants pocket and notices a text from Martha, which he scans. 

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Guests of all ages surround the indoor pool enclosure inside the hotel as the smell of chlorine fills the air. 

 

Sitting by the pool is a shirtless Murray in his navy-blue swim shorts, revealing his well-proportioned behind. Martha sits beside him in a black one-piece bathing suit, avidly watching SJ prepare to get into the water, which he does with a cannonball. 

 

He then excitedly beams up out of the water. 

 

"Did you see that?" 

 

"We sure did, buddy," the talent manager notes.

 

The happiness remains in the boy as he swims away.

 

"Stay where we can see you, okay?" Martha calls out. 

 

"That kid... is something else, isn't he?" Martha vocalizes good-naturedly. 

 

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she responds. "I must confess something to you." 

 

Murray charismatically grins at the woman he was once involved with. "Uh oh," 

 

"No, it's nothing like that," she reacts. "I was wrong about you not deserving to be in our son's life; from what I can see, you've had a positive influence since you've been in it." 

 

Murray doesn't hide his shock at hearing that compliment about him.

 

"I know I hadn't been much of a dad," he discloses. "But getting to know SJ and seeing you again means a hell of a lot to me." 

 

Martha can spot a shade of sincerity in his voice and on his face, seeing what made her fall for him all those years ago. 

 

"So when do you need to get back to LA?" 

 

"Try to get rid of me already, huh?" he asks half-jokingly.

 

Martha runs her hair through her tapered brown hair. "Just asking, that's all." 

 

"I can take more time off," he informs her. "But some of my newer acts are going on a small tour, which I need to be at to make sure stuff doesn't go down with it being their first taste of the spotlight, but I wouldn't take off without letting you know." 

 

Martha receptively nods. 

 

"Hey mom, get in!" SJ yells to his mother from the water.

 

Murray looks at her. "You don't want to keep Aqualad waiting." 

 

Martha gets out of the chair. "We don't want that now, don't we?" 

 

The permanent brunette climbs into the water via the pool steps as Murray takes in her desirable physique. 

 

As Martha and their child play in the water, Murray lays his back against the chair. 

 

The unfamiliar music going off makes him notice Martha left her phone on the table while her tote bag sits on the chair beside him. 

 

He decides to retrieve it once he sees it is calling. 

 

"Hello," 

 

"Murray?" Samuel asks confusingly, still sitting at Jojo's, as Aaliyah across from him is also bewildered as to why her ex is answering her phone instead of Martha.

 

"That's me," Murray tells him. 

 

"Can you put Martha on, please? I need to speak to her." 

 

"You've just missed her; she's in the pool with SJ." 

 

"The pool?"

 

"Yeah, you know that hole with water; your girl is here with me at the hotel pool with SJ."

 

He can hear the restlessness in his tone of voice.

 

"Look, can you tell her that I called?" 

 

"Ah, sure,"

 

However, he hears the other end hang up as Murray quickly deletes her call log, so she won't know he called as he continues watching her and their son in front of him. 

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