Alone With Ross

•91•

Waking up in a familiar place after traveling the world is one of the most serene things I have ever felt. Just looking up at the same popcorn ceiling I saw hours on end as a teenager was heartwarming. But my mind suddenly went to dark places as I had remembered there was someone else who would stare at the exact same ceiling with me.

Today the spouses were coming in. Both Ross and Piper had come alone. Elle had to finish stuff off at her job, while Danielle hated flying so her train came in early this morning, which I'm guessing Ross had left to retrieve her. Today more guests will be coming, so I'd get the pleasure of meeting other kids Vi had raised as well as her extended family members.

And how could I forget, tonight we're having dinner, and I finally get to meet the man who had swept Vi off her feet.

"Caspian I told you to be down for breakfast." Vi's voice startled me and I laughed in response, just getting out of bed in what I was wearing, a long sleep shirt with comfy blue cloud boy shorts, a little revealing, but there shouldn't be that many people downstairs anyways.

But as I reached the kitchen my assumptions were far off, as soon as I caught sight of Ross and Danielle laughing as Piper told some antic dote I turned to leave but Vi called my name. "Caspian, be a dear and get some napkins." Grumbling to myself I left the dining room retrieving a paper towel roll as I braced myself to walk back in there.

"Here Vi." I said quietly as I took an empty seat by Elle, I felt Danielle's stare on me as I started piling food on my plate.

"So Caspian, any travel plans after the wedding?" Piper asked, sending me a secret smile, she already knew the answer, she just wanted to break the tension.

"Uh, actually I was planning on staying in New York for a bit." I shrugged. "You guys make settling down look like bliss." My attempt at a joke only made Elle laugh and I just sighed and looked down at my food. "How's Augustine?"

"Sleeping in, poor kid didn't like the flight down, it was a disaster. Let me tell you, Cheerios everywhere." Elle waved her hands about.

"Yeah, flying doesn't have that much appeal to me." Danielle said sheepishly. "I don't know how you do it Caspian." I contained my shock at how she had addressed me, we haven't even been formally introduced, besides the times she would pick up Ross' phone while he was busy.

"The hardest part is the take off, Ross would know, when we went to Canada together I was a wreck." I laughed and Ross looked towards Danielle with slight worry as he feigned laughter.

"Wow, Canada sounds cool." She said quietly as she kept eating and I awkwardly nodded as I looked towards Ross in confusion.

He hadn't told her?

Everyone's stares moved towards the door to the dining room as Danny cane shuffling in, Augustine clinging to his back. "Mornin'" He croaked out.

"Hey Mom's." Augustine sighed as he jumped down from Danny's back and everyone looked at each other, thrown off by the bizarre scene.

"Uh hey buddy." Elle grabbed him to sit him on her lap. "You getting along with Danny?" Augustine rubbed his tired eyes as he nodded.

"Yeah, he's cool I guess." And Danny scoffed.

"We just met in the hallway." Danny shrugged sitting down beside me his tired eyes softened as he looked at me. "Good morning beautiful." He rasped just as I was taking a drink of water sending me into a coughing fit.

I glanced to see Ross looking back and forth between me and Danny before looking towards Danielle.

And so I sat, trying to understand this turn of events, in awe as to how this whole event was going to turn out. Hopefully for the sake of my sanity, I'll go back home empty handed.