A month passes by. The day after Garroth asked me out was when the others found out. Laurance and Cadenza had found out that evening. While Cadenza was ecstatic to learn that I had finally entered my first relationship, Laurance was angered with me. All I had done was say yes. I wasn't the one who asked.
The next day wasn't that different than it had been before. Garroth continued to insist on carrying around my backpack, and Laurance fought with him to no end. That morning Garroth lost due to Laurance's anger being stronger than Garroth's will to fight. Laurance was quiet when he brought me from class to class. He quickly learned he didn't know my schedule in the slightest, causing him multiple tardies on his attendance.
I'm able to walk on my own now, but Laurance is still bothered by the idea of what's happened.
"Where are you going?" Laurance pops into my room, eyeing Cadenza and myself up and down skeptically.
Cadenza only chuckles to herself, wrapping another strand of my hair around the curling iron. She looks at Laurance, shrugging her shoulders. "Surprisingly, I'm staying home tonight."
"Awesome, cool. Why does she look like that?"
"I'm going to the Ro'meaves' for dinner," I answer, staring straight into the mirror in front of me. If I don't look at Laurance, I can pretend he's not there glaring at me.
It's a nicer dinner. Nothing incredibly big like Thanksgiving, but it isn't a normal dinner like when I'm over at their house and food happens to be on the table. The fact she invited me announced it was going to be a little nicer than it typically is. Cadenza insisted on curling my hair, but I was content on wearing my black lace dress and a pair of flats.
Thanksgiving happens to be next week, but that's also the time I argue with Laurance on why we should use the dinner china and not paper plates. He's not the one who ends up washing and putting them away, so I don't think he should have a say so.
"Don't you think you're with the Ro'meaves too much?"
Cadenza looks over to him, rolling her eyes. I can see it from the mirror. "Laurance, you're just jealous she'll be spending more time with Garroth today than you have."
"That's because she's stealing him away from me!"
"I could be dating one of the twins, and you'd be completely fine with how often I spend time with that family," I comment, finding his poor attitude to be rather annoying.
He huffs in my doorway, sending a glare my way until he eventually gives up and leaves.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Garroth stands next to me as the two of us stare up at the newly taken family picture. His eyes have diverted from the photo itself, and I can feel
them against me. I don't mind it as I've grown used to it this past month.
"Mom wants to put the new Christmas one up closer to the party," Garroth says, his fingertips grazing against the side of my hand.
I look down at our touching hands, smiling when I slowly bring mine into his and interlace our fingers. I look up to him, a comfortable silence falling between us.
"Why did you already take Christmas photos?" I ask him, suddenly losing interest in the family portrait.
"Mom is crazy about Christmas cards."
It sounds like Zianna. I like opening the mailbox each year and seeing a card from her inside of it. I find it cute that she writes on each individual card, but she often complains that her hand cramps up because of it.
This house is large, but Garroth and I decided to stay in the doorway because no one is there. Zianna can't see anything from the kitchen, and everybody else is currently behind a closed door. It's private, and it's time that we're around each other without someone else around.
"Gargar, would you do me a favor?" Zianna's voice causes me to voice slightly. I wasn't expecting someone to walk by. Garroth let's go of my hand, and I bring it to my side.
"Of course. What do you need?"
"I need you to set the table. I want it like how we do holidays!" Her voice rises in pitch quickly, a bit of excitement growing as the sentence continues.
Garroth sighs before he agrees to his mother nonetheless. He's only a few feet away before Zianna turns to me with a mischievous smile.
"If you like that photo, I have better ones."
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Giggles slip past my lips as Zianna flips through old photo albums. I've seen multiple photos of when the four were children, but I've only seen what's been on the walls.
Zane has continued to lock himself in his room, favoring being as far away from anybody as possible. Garte is finishing work in his study. The twins sit together on the love seat while Garroth practically pouts at us from an armchair. It wasn't very long until Vylad left to the kitchen.
"Oh! And this is the three boys when they were taking a bath together! Look at their little tooshies. Aren't they the cutest?"
Garroth looks up at this, suddenly standing up and placing his hands over the picture. "Mom, she doesn't need to see that."
"Nonsense! I think you three look so cute. And the next picture is Kandi during her bath ti—"
Kandi looks up from her phone. Her eyes have widened ever so slightly. "Mother, no."
Zianna only looks at her and shakes her head. Vylad soon comes out of the kitchen and stands in the door frame. "Mom, I think something is burning on the stove."
There's a quiet makeshift cuss that comes out of Zianna's mouth as the photo album is slammed shut. She looks up, telling Kandi to help her put dinner on the table and for Garroth to get Zane and Garte.
Vylad and I look at each other when we learn we're the last ones in the room. It hasn't been the same like it was before Garroth and I get together, and I can tell this bothers Vylad.
"Vylad—"
Zianna calling for us from the dining room prevents this conversation from happening.
