“It’s good to meetwith old friends again after so long.”Layton only wishedthat he could share that sentiment with Aldus. Which wasn’t to saythat happening across the friendly man hadn’t been a nice surprise,but the recent years had brought him little more than misery inregards to being reunited with other old faces. First Randall, thenDesmond and most recently Claire… These events had hardly broughtonly the happiest times for him.Of course, it wasLayton’s nature to shelve his worries and carry on. But his shelf hadstarted to become a bit too loaded to bear as of late.When a few moments wentby without any response from the Professor, Aldus pressed on; “Iget the impression that whatever’s troubling you will take more thanjust tea to cure.”“Nonsense,” repliedLayton, as he delicately grasped the handle of his cup, “There’snothing that a good cup of tea won’t help soothe.”“I’d like to thinkso,” Aldus doubtfully agreed, “But all the same…”He reached down into abag by his seat and retrieved a wooden box. After setting it ontable, he pushed the box towards Layton. To anyone else this mighthave seemed like unusual behaviour, but Layton knew Aldus well enoughby now that it would have been more out-of-place if the box hadn’tmade an appearance at some point.“What’s this?”Layton hummed, mostly because it was expected of him.“Why don’t you openit and find out?” instructed Aldus. He watched Layton throughlidded eyes.Not wanting todisappoint, Layton pulled the lid off Aldus’s beloved box. Inside hefound many sheets of paper, haphazardly stacked on top of each otherand practically bursting out of the top. Each one had notes anddiagrams on, with spaces at the bottom seemingly to write answers.They almost looked like the sort of test papers that Layton mightgive his students.He took out the firstone to check it more thoroughly and once he realised what he waslooking at his face broke out into a genuine smile.“Aldus, you’re adevil of a man,” he chuckled.“A good puzzle doeswonders to distract the mind,” confirmed Aldus, “They might nottake away your troubles, but forgetting about them for even a shortwhile can be helpful.”“Thank you,” saidLayton. And he meant it.“Think nothing of it,my kindred spirit. Though if you’ll excuse me, I should be headingoff,” Aldus replied. He got up from the table so suddenly that ittook Layton by surprise; “As much as it has been nice to catch up,I sadly have errands to run and can’t hang around. I do appreciateyou taking the time to share a cuppa with me all the same.”“Usually it would beme being the one who’s so busy that I have to dash off from you,”observed Layton, “I suppose the tides have turned now.”These days he had verylittle adventures to attend to outside of marking essays and makingsure Flora was able to make the most of her life. Though these taskscould prove to be just as challenging as saving London could.“I do feel it is ourfate to never quite have the time for each other,” Aldus concluded.His voice sounded almost mournful about this.“Wait a momentthough, you can’t leave without your box. Just let me empty thesepuzzles out of it,” Layton insisted.He got up and took holdof the box, but before he could tip it over, it seemed that Aldus hadalready reached the door.“Keep the box.Consider it part of my present,” he called.“But it must mean somuch to you! I’ve never seen you anywhere without it,” arguedLayton.“Yes,” confirmedAldus, “It does mean a lot to me.”With that he leftLayton feeling slightly confused and more than a little alone. Forthe first time it was indeed him wishing that Aldus hadn’t been toobusy to talk. Was this what Aldus had always felt like during theirchance meetings? It was a cruel feeling.But instead of dwellingon it, Layton instead looked down at the puzzle he’d picked outbefore and felt his mind already whirling to find an answer to it.Aldus was right, this would be a much needed distraction for him. Atleast enough of distraction to keep him busy until Flora gets homefrom school. After that he should probably think about getting dinnerready for them both…A busy life, it seemed,was just what the doctor ordered to help Layton through his troubledtimes.
