"Hey kiddo, what are you doing home?" I ask, walking into the kitchen and seeing Dastan standing at the counter. He's been gone so often lately, that's it's almost like a surprise to see him just standing around the kitchen.
He gives me a questioning look, casting his eyes around the room at everyone else present. "It's Friday night, where else would I be?" he responds but doesn't meet my eyes again, instead he glances back down at his phone, typing something.
"You've been spending so much time with Theo recently, I thought you'd be out with him again." I say and notice two things simultaneously. One, is the stiffening in Dastan's shoulders and two, is the surprised way Theo 's head jerks in my direction from his spot at the table next to Zahra. Interesting. I'd had a feeling that he wasn't being completely honest about where he's been spending his nights but I trust him enough to know he's making good decisions. Or at least, I hope he is.
It also, hasn't escaped my notice that Connor and Theo have been getting closer which leads me to believe he really hasn't been spending much time with Dastan, seeing as how Dastan and Connor barely tolerate each other for Kiera's sake.
My musings are interrupted as Emma nudges me out of the doorway, with a playful: "Move, old man." And a light shove. I let her past without much resistance ruffling her hair as she goes, earning myself a long-suffering sigh. I look back out into the living room, noticing only Connor shutting the door behind him. Odd.
"Where's Kiera?" I ask, unable to keep the worry from my voice. She's been distant with me all week and at our lunch on Monday she couldn't wait to leave from the moment she sat down. So, her absence now is more than a little distressing. I can't help but think she's having a hard time and trying tit hide it from me like she always does.
The question was directed at Emma but before she has the chance to answer Zahra pipes up form her spot at the table. "She called earlier and said she had a work thing at some fancy party tonight but that she'd stop by a little later." She says, not really paying me much mind as she turns back to whatever Theo's showing her on his phone.
The fact that she called Zahra and not me is weird, they're pretty close but Kiera tends to be more comfortable with me. It's just all adding up to tell me somethings going on with her. Maybe I should just come out and ask her about it later, or maybe at lunch next Monday.
I'm still thinking about Kiera when Connor walks into the kitchen, makes a by-line for Theo and drops a kiss on his temple before sitting down in the chair next to him. My shocked gaze swings to Dastan waiting for a response, he doesn't even look surprised.
Well, that answers the question of the tension between Theo and Dastan, and maybe also why Kiera been acting strange. My confused gaze falls to Emma standing at Dastan's side watching me, she gives me a careless shrug and suddenly the pieces click.
Last week, when Kiera pulled Dastan from the room and Emma had laughed herself sick as Theo looked like he might actually be sick. That's when all of these kids started acting weird. Dammit, am I really that oblivious to what's going on in their lives?
Guilt settles like a stone in my stomach, I've spent so much time chasing my own tail in this Hell's Kitchen Hacker case that I've completely zoned out on my family. The thought hurts exponentially more knowing that all of these kids don't have any other father figure outside of me. Looks like it's time to step up my game because I've been slacking as dad.
I start my making it up to them by getting them all their favorite pizza and letting them pick the movie. Naturally, that develops into Emma and Dastan yelling across the living room fighting about which Marvel movie is better and then Theo deciding it's Captain America and Connor backing him up. We're halfway through the movie when Kiera shows up.
Clearly, she isn't expecting the deviation from the usual Friday night dinner because she walks into the living room, pulling her coat off her shoulders and then freezes. I pause the movie, calling out to her. "Hey sweetheart, there's pizza in the kitchen."
She looks around, confused at the way we're all sprawled across the couches and the floor and she opens her mouth to ask something just as Theo cuts in, "Is that Vivienne Westwood?" he exclaims. Bolting out of his seat to grip Kiera's shoulders, turning her this way and that to get a better look at her dress. Or at least, that's what I assume he's looking at.
It doesn't look as special as he makes it sound, sure she looks pretty but it's just a sparkly dull gold sort of color with weird sleeves that wrap around her shoulders in a way that looks like their falling off and a slit in the front that shows way more thigh than I'm comfortable with. It's just a dress but Theo seems elated and I can't help but smile at his innocent enthusiasm.
"Dastan, look," he shouts, "It's a Vivienne Westwood." He says it like it's supposed to mean something but I don't get it. Dastan however does because he chuckles and gets to his feet.
"I can see that," he says with a nod making his way closer to Kiera who's just standing there like a deer in headlights while the rest of us look on. Dastan crosses his arms examining her as if he knows anything about woman's fashion. "Vintage collection." He announces to which Theo responds with an excited sound of confirmation.
"Where'd you get it?" Theo questions excitedly.
"Thrift store," comes Kiera's response but her voice pitches higher at the end so it sounds more like a question.
"We're going thrift shopping," Theo calls to Connor then more seriously, turns back to Kiera and says; "You can't eat pizza in that dress, go change."
"But I don't have any clothes, " she tries explaining but stops when he glares at her.
Dastan laughs, "Don't bother," he tells her. "You can borrow one of my shirts," he says turning her in the direction of the stairs before disappearing into the kitchen.
I turn my gaze to Zahra questioningly but she just shrugs as Theo situates himself on the other end of the couch from me. Kids, I think even as I can't help the smile that spreads over my face.
We wait for Kiera and Dastan to come back before restarting the movie. Kiera plops herself into the armchair in the corner, wearing one of Dastan's Henley shirts with her hair pulled up and her face cleaned off all her makeup. It makes her look like a kid and my heart twinge at the sight of her with Emma on the floor beside her, they're still just kids.
Dastan comes in drops a plate of pizza onto Kiera's lap and then sits down on the ground in front of her leaning back against her legs. I notice the interaction but don't acknowledge it, Emma on the other hand looks about ready to burst.
She keeps her eyes trained on the screen and essentially ignores both Kiera and Dastan. That piques my interests and I spend the rest of the movie watching them.
At first, I don't really notice anything out of the ordinary but as they both get more comfortable I see a subtle shift. It's not much but it's definitely there; the way he relaxes against her, his shoulders going soft, his eyes heavy and then there's the way she brushes her fingers through his hair. It's intimate and I look away the moment I see it but it's already too late because now I know. As much as they deny it, there's still something between them. Am I really that oblivious?
The night is quiet and calm and everything I could have wanted for a night in with my family. Outside of the epiphany that was just forced on me.
To distract myself from the thought of the implosion that'll cause when it finally sees the light of day I pull my phone from my pocket for the first time tonight. I promised myself I wouldn't, that I'd focus on my family but I need to think of something else, anything else, so I check my email
I have a new one from a Doctor E. Delaney. I know that name, it takes a minute to connect the dots but when I do my stomach sinks like a boulder, knowing that this is the calm before the storm.