The elegant dining room glowed softly with the warm hues of flickering candlelight, casting a romantic ambience over the air. Wyatt sat across from his mother at a beautifully set table overlooking the sea.
The clinking of silverware and soft murmurs of conversation surrounded them as they prepared to savour their evening together. As the waiter approached to take their order, Wyatt asked his mother, "Mom, would you like your favourite spicy king crab?"
Maira's eyes sparkled with delight. She couldn't understand why he was talking so much today. She much preferred him like this but it was a rare occurrence.
"Yes, please, I would absolutely love that. Your father will flip when he finds out that we ate a king crab without him," she said but Wyatt wanted to correct her. He will flip out because she was eating it without him, he (Wyatt) wasn't part of this equation.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly as they waited for their meal to arrive. His mother happily drank wine and being that he was of legal age as he was over sixteen he took a few sips. A few sips in and his mother had loosened up a little.
A tantalizing aroma wafted from the dishes making their mouths water in anticipation. Wyatt skillfully deshelled the succulent crab for her, a task he had perfected over the years.
In between bites and sips of wine, Wyatt finally saw an opening. "So what did you talk about with my classmate in the boutique? What did she say about me?"
Maira raised an eyebrow mischievously and playfully tapped her finger against her lips. "Why so curious? Can't a mother have her own secrets?"
Wyatt pursed his lips, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Come on, Mom, don't leave me hanging."
"Is that why you bribed me with a king crab? Wow, you are just like your father. You didn't even want to have dinner with us last night yet today you agreed because you want to know something," she said with a taunting smile.
Wyatt, "..."
"Last night I already ate and you two looked like you wanted to have some alone time. I was giving you space," said Wyatt feeling something was really wrong with him today. Even he had realised that he was talking more than usual.
Maira chuckled the effects of the wine already kicking in. "Fine, fine... I will tell you as long as you promise you will stay for the entirety of your uncle's birthday."
Wyatt knew this was coming but at this point, he was willing to pay the price. "Deal, so what did you talk about?"
Maira set her glass down and snapped her finger while saying, "What's her name again?
Her name means moon or something along those lines."
Wyatt narrowed his eyes before saying, "Luna."
"Yes, Luna. It sounds like a nice name," she said but Wyatt was more concerned about what Kilin said not Luna.
"She said you are smart and always listens in class. Oh, and she said that you are great at volleyball," she said but Wyatt's expression was unreadable.
"What about the other one? What did Kilin say to you?" he asked while dipping the crab meat in the spicy sauce.
"Oh her, nothing. Why would she say anything if she doesn't even know you," she said and Wyatt almost choked on his food.
He took the napkin and wiped his mouth before asking her. "She really said that?"
Maira nodded her head. She couldn't understand why he was asking that.
Wyatt pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek in annoyance but his expression was indifferent like it didn't bother him.
The rest of their dinner was uneventful with his mother telling him stories that she found interesting. By the time they drove back, his mother was fast asleep in the car. Lucky for him his father was home and carried her out of the car.
"How much did she drink?" he asked and Wyatt answered while the driver and butler carried things out of the car.
"Three glasses. I gave her honey water?" before turning to walk into the house.
After taking two steps he heard his dad saying, "You should spend more time with her. She really misses spending time with you."
Wyatt could normally contain his emotions and easily overlook his parent's flaws but this time he was somewhat irritable hence he said, "What about you?"
Wyatt didn't need to say anything more after that. His father immediately understood what he meant and he couldn't even refute that. He rarely, if ever, spent time with his son.
Wyatt threw his school bag on the bed before taking out his phone from his pocket. There were a lot of messages from his friends but he ignored them all. Somehow he found his finger hovering over his chat with RoyalRose.
He pushed his hair back and typed a response. After he sent it, he tossed his phone on the table and went into his walk-in closet to change into his workout clothes.
***
"I am not live streaming today...," said Kilin while wiping her hands with a wet wipe. She had been eating cheese balls from the huge container despite the fact that it was dinner time. That's because she was mad at her mom for letting her go with that venomous aunt of hers. Not only did she get to look at her insufferable snobbish face for hours but she also met Wyatt's mum.
What should have been a Friday afternoon of her playing games the rest of the day ended up being a day of her being humiliated by her aunt.
She found out that her little brother also got picked up after school but he was lucky enough to be picked up by the Branson family butler and taken to get a suit. Why they had to participate in this event was beyond her.
Like always her mother would never give straight answers. She always mentioned family but the Branson family weren't close to them. It was as though they were outcasts they could cast away completely.
"I am so bummed out too. What did your mum say?" came Keele's voice through the headsets and Kilin tossed the wet wipe in her bin before saying,
"I didn't even give her the chance to say something. I am so mad. Even Raylan is upset with her. He is sitting on my bed playing games."
Indeed Raylan was lying on his belly playing on his iPad with a serious look like he was completing some important task.
The game informed her they had found opponents so she said, "Don't talk about it anymore. The goddess herself will be playing with us today."
Keele snorted coldly her dislike for Luna clearly written on her face. "More like a spoilt princess," she said as the virtual battleground unfolded before their eyes.