The Art Of Seduction ✓

|20| Sunday Dinner

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"Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go."

Sarah Dessen, What Happened to Goodbye.

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I COULDN'T RECALL the last time I'd spent the whole day with mum, dad, Ali and I. There had always been someone missing. It was either dad was abroad, mum at work or Alison in University and while her classes were starting tomorrow, she didn't seem worried or had locked herself in her room binge-watching Sherlock or some anime. 

In fact, she joined us as Dad instructed us what to cook and how, since not all of us were familiar in the kitchen. Dad grinned, laughing a lot as we tried to help him in what way he could, mum always stood next to him, touching his arm, kissing him lightly on the cheek and looking happy. Several calls had come and gone and she hadn't even glanced at her phone.

Allison seemed to care more about our mothers missed calls than she did.

It was that bizarre.

But it was whole in a way it hadn't been in a long time. I liked seeing my dad, working on the meat, laughing, talking about doing such trivial things like the groceries. Last night, he'd given us gifts. A diamond necklace for mum and matching gold necklaces for Allison and I. Allison's pendant was a star. 

He told her it was because when she was born, on July 31st before our mothers water broke, Dad had taken her out on a walk and they saw a shooting star.

I got a little ballet shoe because I liked to dance and mum used to do Ballet. 

I wished mine was as cool as Ali's story, imagine seeing a shooting star and till now it reminds dad of Ali. We both wore our necklaces, I'd catch glimpses of hers from under her long sleeved white shirt. 

I loved Mrs Nowell, I really did but right now as dinner came, I didn't want her to come, I wanted to selfishly keep this feeling for as long as I could. I wanted to laugh with all four of them, hear dad's stories and just be with him. 

Yet it came, Mrs Nowell appeared punctually at our doorstep at five thirty with Kaden. I couldn't not look at him, by pure luck we both wore the same coloured top, mine a light blue blouse that I hoped would bring out my eyes paired with long dark blue jeans. Kaden wore the exact same coloured collared shirt with also, matching dark blue jeans.

Besides the fact we matched, Kaden had taken in an effort in how he looked, his hair was combed, pulled back, with the exception of one strand in his face. He smiled politely at me when I opened the door while Mrs Nowell pulled me in for a hug. I hugged her back startled, then mum and dad came and greeting were said.

Perhaps it's instinct but I found myself watching the way Kaden was trying to see why he'd groomed up so well. It's when he approached my dad with his hand stretched out in a handshake did I realise why he had groomed up. 

In many ways, Kaden's family and I got along like a house on fire, my parents loved Kaden's parents, and often we'd spend a lot of time with them. Back in the summer when Kaden and I were seven, it was fun, when we got older, we'd come to learn to ignore each other and I'd stay with Allison. That's till I was thirteen and Allison got closer to Kaden. When Kaden's father passed away, the news felt as painful to my family as it did to his.