THE SMITHS

Chapter Twenty-two

"Oh, you're not going alone, like I said, I made plans for Ava and some girls to go with you." The oldest explains, seemingly still not seeing Midas' concern.

Byron intervenes this time, turning in his seat to face the older, "Still, Dad. You're going to be sending him away without any one of us?" He pauses before muttering the rest, "I'm afraid I'm not the only one who is supposedly changing" but it was loud enough to be caught by everyone else, Byron was never one to be known for subtlety after all.

"Atleast you agree you're changing," the oldest Smith teases again, causing Byron to grumble out his next words.

"Dad, this is serious!.... You're sending Midas away, alone?"

“You speak of it like it's such a bad thing, I don't understand?" Mr Smith says, eyes glued to his plate of food, "It's his birthday and I'm trying to not hover so much, I know he's always wanted some freedom. Besides, Micheal would be there with him too and I trust him to look after my boy! Now, everybody go back to your meals before I change my mind!" He ended on a more serious note now and Midas and Byron share a very skeptical look.

"He's acting weird, I know." Byron whispers to his brother and Midas acknowledges it with a twitch of his brow before hurriedly going back to his food.

After a beat of silence, another concerned voice was speaking up again, "Dad, are you sure about this? I think we're all understandably startled because you've never let him go too far from your sight and now you're mentioning a vacation, where he's going to be hours away." It was Cameron this time and the eldest Smith sighs, looking us at all his sons.

"I know this is probably the last thing you all must've expected from me, but if you think I'm sending him away without doing utmost research on my side, then you're kidding," he chuckles this time, "You all are acting like I'm sending him to war or something. It's going to be mostly humid over there and Midas has warm clothes, he's going to be twenty-three, if he isn't given the freedom at some point, he'll end up taking it. Also, I want you all to know that even if I've made the arrangements, he still has a choice to refuse to go should he w-

"I WANT TO!" Midas suddenly speaks up, cutting his father off. He shrinks back into himself afterwards, chewing on his lower lips. The eldest Smith smiles, endeared at the display before replying with a, "Then it's settled!"

Despite themselves, Cameron and Byron share a look that could be interpreted as the same. Sure, they didn't agree about a lot of things, but even if one of them went all out to show it, and the other had a more resigned approach, they both, undoubtedly worry for their youngest's wellbeing.

.

After breakfast, Midas was off to school with his backpack in tow and the car ride is relatively silent, save for the now frequent sound of music filling the air.

"You can talk if you have anything to say" Midas curses under his breath, he thought he'd been very careful with the glances he'd been stealing at the bodyguard all through the ride, but the second the car pulls over, he was stopping him with those words.

Midas clears his throat, 'might as well go for it' he thinks before saying, "Dad says you're coming with me...... On my trip" Micheal does something with the gears before nodding at the words.

"Yes. I got news about it this morning and am already preparing towards it. Is that why you've been so jittery?"

Midas ignores the last of his words to blurt out a question of his own, a very pressing one, "Does that mean you won't be quitting?" His eyes were wide with an unmistakable hint of innocence in them, almost looking like a puppy. Micheal chuckles, shaking his head.