Happiness and pain

Decisions

The day Ron told him that Deruth had called for him , Cale was ecstatic. 

He was so overjoyed and excited that he pretty much fell off his bed in his haste to finally!
finally!
See his father again .

Cale stood at the door for a few minutes,  fidgeting nervously.  He hadn't seen his father in more than a year .

What should he do ?
Hug his father ?
Be a little more formal to show he is a mature kid ?

Ughhhh !!!!

This was so confusing!

Cale decided to just go in and roll with the ball .

He simply  just went  in without knocking or announcing himself.

He was afraid to be rejected again .

His eyes widened when he heard a muffled chuckle coming from inside the room .

His father was laughing!
Cale rushed right in.

" I am here father!"

Only to stop in his tracks at the sight of a woman and a toddler that looked around 4? 5? Years old .

He ignored the sharp , sharp pain in his heart when his previously laughing father abruptly stopped and yet again  flinched  at the sight of him .

"Cale? What are you doing here? " Father was confused .

  'What do you mean? what am i doing here ? '

It hurt.

"You called for me father. "
After more than an year  was left unsaid .

Cale used to think nothing can hurt more than the flinching.

He was wrong  .

His father's genuine confusion at his presence hurt more .

It was that easy for father to forget his existence. That did hurt more . Yet , it wasn't the most hurtful thing in store for him today for his father spoke.
and simultaneously broke him.

" I did? " He was genuinely confused huh? Forgot so easily about Cale.

"Oh yes! I wanted to introduce you to someone. "

Dimly cale thought it was probably the woman and the kid . His father looks nervous but he decides to go through with the introductions anyway.

" This is lady violan , my fiancee and your soon to be stepmother. " he said while smiling at the woman .

Then his  father picked up the toddler who squealed in joy making father smile sweetly.

Not the strained smile he was given when he first came in 

A genuine smile.

"And this here is basen , your soon be brother " his father then grew serious .

" Cale , what do you think about this marriage? " his father looked at him with something akin to concern. 

Concern for what ? His reaction? Shouldn't he have thought about it before he started courting her ? Why ask now ? When he had made it abundantly clear Cale's opinion didn't really matter?

He introduced her as fiancee,  this wasn't about his opinion at all ...

What?
Did he think cale would be angry?