Ruben or August

Chapter 12

'Please Ella can you give me the mustard?' asked Jace's mother across the dinner table. I looked up at her annoyed that she had once again gotten my name wrong. 'My name is Elie.' I said ignoring her question and the pot of mustard sitting next to me. 'Yes dear.' She said with a pointy look and a pointy finger showing me the mustard. I reluctantly gave it to her not wanting to make a fuss of the whole situation.

She had been really annoying with me, asking me to lay the table, then lay in a different way, then change the table cloth as she preferred to have one the same colour as the plates. Then she had asked me to help her cook and criticized everything that I did, from the shape that I had cut the tomatoes into or how much salt I had put in the pasta.

After half a dozen dilemmas and problems, we were currently and finally having lunch, Jace and Ruben were sitting next to her. She kept looking adoringly at the two of them and I couldn't quite understand why. She kept stroking Ruben's shoulder or playing with a strand of his hair and it looked rather weird, as if she was his lover and trying to seduce him into bed or something. On the other hand, Ruben was sitting there in an awkward position and wasn't looking at me even when I spoke to him. It seemed as if something was bothering him.

'So you two, when will I be having a grand-child?' she asked making me immediately spit out the water I was drinking. I looked up at her with big eyes and a little shocked at her question. 'What?' I managed trying to not to choke on my saliva. 'Well, you are getting old and I want a grand-child.' She said still looking at the boys who were also surprised at her question and had pure shock written all over their faces. She quickly looked at me with no interest what so ever, probably pestering about me spitting my water all over the blue clothe she had finally chosen. 'Hum...Mum.' Started Jace, but I could tell he didn't really know what to say or answer to his mother. He seemed a bit lost. And so did Ruben. She kept looking at the two of them and I couldn't help but wonder why.

Then I wondered why his mother had mentioned two people in her question and I wondered if maybe the two boys were in fact brothers and that's why she had asked them when they'd be having children of their own. But Ruben had called her by her surname so my thesis didn't add up making me even more confused than when she had asked the very personal question across the table.

'I'm...A bit lost here.' I admitted not sure who to look at. 'Could someone explain?' I asked looking straight at Ruben. He looked down at his plate and so did Jace.

'Well, these ducklings are grown up men now, so maybe they should start considering adoption.' Said Mrs James looking at me. At this point she was the only one eating her lunch and still didn't seem to realise the two boys looked really shy suddenly, not saying a word.

'Mum stop!' Shouted Jace standing up and pushing his chair back. 'Just mind your own business.' He added looking down and he actually looked quite sad. 'But...why... why would you two adopt together?' I asked clearly puzzled about the whole situation. 'I'm sorry Elie.' Said Jace looking towards Ruben and then looking at me with an apologetic look on his face. 'Why?' I asked standing up and putting down my napkin. 'I...Ruben and I owe you an explanation.' He said. 'And we owe one to you aswell mum.' He said looking at his mother who had only just put her fork down a bit curious at the whole situation.

'It's over between us.' Said Ruben speaking up. And for a minute my heart nearly stopped, I thought he was mentioning us, our new romance. I thought about our kiss and the touch of his lips on mine and how it had felt magical earlier on. 'What?' I said looking at him. But he didn't answer me because at the same moment Mrs James started crying and asking why and what had happened. I wondered if she had seen us kiss, but then I realised. I realised what was going on and what I had not been aware off so far. 'You...you dated?' I asked looking up the two boys in front of me. Ruben slowly sat back down and picked up his napkin, paying nervously with it. They didn't look up, just sat there and stared at their plates and the food getting cold.