It was eleven at night when Theodore picked Lisa up to take her to her room and lay her on the bed. The girl had fallen asleep after dancing High School Musical, and still had the energy to dance the movie The Cheetah Girls. After that she stood still while Theodore combed her long blonde hair, making a braid. And then she slept.
Leaning against the door of the room with the plate of unicorns, the boy laughed low to realize how tired he was. Not only had the day been long because of the volleyball team, but taking care of a four-year-old asked for a lot of energy.
The moment he stepped on the last step of the staircase, he had to take a deep breath to find some more energy to tidy up the living room. Blankets were scattered along with pillows, the sofa outside dragged to have more space to dance. And there were still the popcorn bowls and the glasses where they drank soda.
― Come on!
As he cleaned up the mess, Theodore heard the sound of the garage opening and the engine of the car. Smiling lightly, he waited for the couple to pass through the door, already imagining that they would laugh at the chaos that had established in his room.
The two laughed to see Theodore joining the dishes from the coffee table and take to the kitchen very quickly.
― Did you have fun? ― The blond asked when he returned to the living room and folded a blanket.
― Quite, and you?
― I'll never be able to dance as much as Lisa, I'll probably have back pain tomorrow.
― Has she gone to bed yet?
― Uhum. She was pretty tired.
The couple had helped Theodore clean up the living room, and when the boy went to the kitchen to do the dishes, Peter leaned against the bench next to his stepson crossing his arms.
Perceiving the silence coming from the man, Theodore already imagined what was to come. Yet he had remained silent waiting for the initiative of the other, who had not tarried.
― Your mother told me about the call.
― Oh it is?
― You don't have to go, you know that.
Closing the tap and putting the last cup on the colander, Theodore wiped his hands on the dish cloth while turning his back to the counter, standing next to the stepfather. For a moment he realized that they were the same size, which was strange. When Theodore met him, he certainly beat his chest. Would things have changed so much this past year?
― I know, but I also know my father very well. So... what's the whole story?
― He wants you to go home for the weekend. Not this weekend, but the next. Looks like he's getting married again, and the woman wants to meet you.
Theodore shook his head and let out a muffled laugh.
― Her? You mean he's not the one who wants to introduce me to his wife, but she wants to meet me?
Why would he be shocked? Isn't that the nature of his father? It would have been too surprising for him to have called his mother and proposed, instead of calling his own son. Theodore knew that his father had already hooked into another relationship, but was not expecting him to know the person.
― We don't know the details... ― Peter stroked Theodore's shoulder, making him look at him. ― Is there anything I can do for you?
Theodore had felt his eyes burn to realize how worried his stepfather was. He certainly could not be grateful enough for the warmth that man gave him. He thanked heaven that he had appeared in his mother's life.
Avoiding crying in front of him, Theodore shook his head denying the request.
― I'll be fine. It's just a weekend, right? I can handle it.
― Leave your cell phone well charged, because if anything happens you should call me. I'll help you, you know that, right?
― I know... thank you, Pete.
— Oh, you're still there. ― Aline, Theodore's mother, appear in the kitchen with a dazzling smile on your face. Approaching the two boys, she crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow for her eldest son ― So...
― What?
— Before we went to dinner, while Lisa was waiting for you, she said something very curious. ― Explained the woman, leaning to whisper to her son. ― That big brother looked like a fool in love talking to the walls.
Initially Theodore did not understand the mother's words, until he remembered what he was doing before her sister's sudden arrival in the room. Immediately his face had turned red, and Theodore was disturbed.
― M-Me? She probably didn't say that, I was doing nothing big when she came to call me.
― Your face says otherwise. So... is something interesting happening at school?
― Nothing. Just... preparing the team for a friendly match.
Forming a beak on her lips, from which Lisa probably inherited the morning, Alice had struck barefoot on the floor.
― Do I have to coerce my spy to know?
It was Theodore's turn to widen his eyes.
― Mother! Don't you dare!
― Then tell me...
― Does she have a spy in your school? ― Laugh Peter, getting his stepson's squint.
― The most summoned little man in school. That snitch...
― I won't have to turn to my trusty spy if you tell me... Is he a handsome boy? Alpha? Beta?
Scratching the back of his head, Theodore had not yet gotten used to dealing with the openness his mother gave him to talk about relationships. Not because it was embarrassing or something, just because he was still afraid she wasn't as proud as she looked.
Yet there she was, looking at him with wide eyes in great expectation to know a measly gossip. Theodore bit his lips and sighed defeated when he realized that his mother would not let him escape so soon.
Touching the cold ear, Theodore then admitted.
― This year came a guy in my class, and he's ok.
― What do you mean he's okay?
― It is slang of young people, dear. ― Alice replied without untying the eyes of the eldest son. ― And then?
― So... no big deal.
― Oh what a waste, my son can't tell gossip.
Peter just laughed shaking his head, letting mother and son talk their business. Theodore even thought of following his stepfather just to get away, but his mother was quicker to get in front of him keeping her eyes wide on him.
Laughing, the boy then agreed with the head.
― All right, all right. Um... he's a cool alpha and he's good at sports. He joined the volleyball team.
― An alpha? Aaaah! Does that mean he'll be there on Saturday?
― Yeah, I think it's his first friendly match.
Alice had had to repress her euphoric cry, but she had not held her feet when giving small jumps of happiness.
― And what's he like? High, low...
― Tall. Dark hair, brown eyes... Not very strong, but also not skinny. Looks good in uniform.
― What's his name....
― Mom!
Alice and Theodore turned to the kitchen door, where little Lisa held a plush unicorn and scratched her eyes with a sly beak on her lips. As soon as she saw her mother, Lisa had tried to run to hug her leg.
― Oh my dear, why are you awake?
― I want to sleep with Mom.
Alice took her daughter in her lap and had a look at the blonde.
― You won't escape me, young man.
Theodore just smiled waving to his mother, who soon left the kitchen to go put her daughter to sleep. Being alone, the boy leaned on the sink counter feeling the relief of having escaped his mother's curiosity.
For now.