“Actually, that would be great!” she replies with an enthusiastic nod.
“Alright, we’ll be just down the hallway then. One of you boys can bring her to the living room when you’re done in here, okay?” he says, walking over and putting a firm hand on each of their shoulders.
“I will,” Vaughn replies quietly, looking up at him.
Pater smiles at him and nods, before he turns and holds his hand out toward me. Without hesitation, I take it and let him lead me out of the kitchen, but I cast one last glance over my shoulder at the trio. Vaughn is speaking quietly to Laura, and Eloy glances at me with wide eyes. I shake my head once before I disappear from sight.
“So, who is she?” I ask Pater curiously as we head down the hallway.
“We’ll talk about that after she leaves,” he replies in an even tone.
Oh God, this can’t be good.
“Okay,” I agree softly.
Once we reach the living room, he walks over toward the window and pulls the curtain back. I watch him as he glances around until his eyes land on something and narrow. I won’t question him any more. I don’t even plan on speaking unless spoken to at this point. Something has Pater very angry and my leg is already shaking in anticipation of what it could possibly be.
Silence.
That’s the only thing that sits heavily in the air between us as he walks away from the window and falls into the spot next to me on the couch. He has nothing else to say to me because, by all rights, I shouldn’t even be in his sights until tomorrow night.
Pater irritably runs a hand over his mouth and crosses his arms behind his head.
“What the fuck could they possibly be talking about?” he mutters.
I don’t respond. I know he wasn’t speaking to me, and in his state of current anger, a response would most likely result in additional correction.
“It was so nice to meet the two of you.”
Laura’s voice finally echoes through the hallway as she’s led to us. “Remember, if you ever need anything, you can call me and I’ll do my best to help, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you,” Vaughn’s dejected voice responds. “Our parents should be in there. It was nice to meet you, too.”
A few seconds later, Laura enters the room. Pater gets to his feet to greet her and I stay right where I am as she settles onto the couch across from us.
“You have wonderful sons. You must be very proud of them,” she says brightly, taking a small notebook out of her purse.
“We are,” Pater replies.
“Speaking of children,” she says, turning her attention toward me, “Exactly how old are you? You don’t look old enough to be their mother.”
My body immediately begins to shake. My mouth opens and closes a couple of times, but nothing comes out.
“Old enough to have children,” Pater says, putting an arm around my shoulder and giving me a reassuring squeeze.
Even if they’re not mine.
“I’m sorry if I sounded intrusive. I was just hoping to get some beauty tips,” Laura jokes, as she flips her notebook open and then produces a pen. “I just have a couple of questions for you, and then I’ll be on my way.”
“Fire away,” he says, with that charming grin sitting on his face.
“Well, Eloy and Vaughn seem like sullen, but happy children. Are they usually like that?” she asks.
Pater squeezes my arm. He doesn’t know how to answer the question, because he’s never been near them unless it’s for some kind of sadistic need.
“Vaughn usually doesn’t have much to say; he’s the quiet studious type, you know? And Eloy hasn’t been feeling well lately so that could explain his mood,” I say, leaning forward and clasping my hands in my lap.
She nods in understanding as she jots something down in her notebook.