chapter50 Awkward dinner

To help set up- is normally Anna's job but since the pregnant woman's stomach is too big for stress and sudden movements, Grace had to help out. alongside Ivory. the stepmother. talk about awkward.

but no matter, one of her most favorite human beings is coming home today and every single detail has to be perfect. from the decorations down to the catering, nothing should be amiss. so there is no time to indulge Ivory.

"Grace! big sister! I'm home!!" the ten year old boy ran and slammed into Grace for a hug. her father not too far behind.

"hey buddy. look at you. you have grown taller and more handsome." Grace chuckled ruffling the blushing little boy's hair

"you think?!" Mark chirped happily.

"uhm hmm. you're now a big boy." the big boy giggled shyly. only then did he notices his mom and went to greet her

"mother!!" he hugged her too.

Grace couldn't help but smirk that Mark hugged her first instead of his mom.

" where is second sister?!" he is referring to Anna

"I'm here!!" Anna said in a sing song voice. her husband Ethan standing right behind her.

"Anna! Ethan!" mark was about you run up to Anna and hug her like he did with Grace. but their father held him back.

"hold on Mark, your sister still has a baby inside her. so you can't just jump on her"

" the baby is taking too long. she should come out already" Mark whined. earning a chuckle out of everyone.

" come on, let's get you cleaned up. dinner preparations be ready by the time we're done". Grace said to the little boy.

hand in hand, the two siblings with an incredible age difference of seventeen years went up stairs to get ready.

the two of them have always been closed. Grace did hug the boy all to herself since the child was born. only letting him go when he had to eat, bath or sleep.

~~~~~

since Mark is a big boy, he bath himself, but she had to help him pick out his clothes. the fancy boarding school didn't teach him that wearing a sky blue suit and a bright yellow dress shirt is a big no no or is it something he picked up from Ivory's side the family.

~~

true to schedule, when they finished dressing and came downstairs everything was ready. the blue and silver decorations were set up nicely, the dining table is already set with cutleries and mouthwatering food. perfect.

" where is my favorite Mark named human being?!" a certain voice yelled.

"aunt Maya!!" damn. this kid has running and hugging people since he came home.

"aunt? I feel so old, why does Grace get to be called 'big sister and I'm being called aunt? Gracie is seven months older than me for goodness sake" Maya whined but Mark is too carried away with opening Maya's present to respond

"Mark. you're not supposed to open that yet" the father scolded

"hello daddy T" Maya hugged the elderly man who in turn is patting her head awkwardly.

"Maya, have you been?"

"same old, same old" Maya snuggle closer into the fatherly embrace and he let her. she clearly needed it.

" since everyone's here, let's get this dinner started" Ivory cheered. not everyone is here though.

she was about to call Trevor to give him a piece of her mind, when he called her instead. "you better not be calling to give me a stupid excuse why you can't come" grace

"no..no the security personals won't let me through the gates. they didn't even try to check with you"

"oh. I'll call you right back"

'of course' she sighed she called security to let him through

~~~

"you sure about this?"

" just be cool and everything will be ok a father is sitting at the head over the table as usual and ivory by his left. Grace would normally be sitting and by his right but she let Mark have her seat. Maya Anna and Ethan were also seated, chatting happily.

when Grace lead Trevor to the dining table, everyone mouth were literally wide open. except for Mark, who is eating without any worries but as expected, nobody stood up to make a scene.

" since everyone else knows him, Mark this is Trevor. Trevor. Mark."

"hello" the little boy greeted with a boyish grin while nodded awkwardly.

since any other sitting arrangement would be dangerous, Trevor sat between Mark and Grace.

the once chatty atmosphere became quiet an awkward with the occasional clinking of spoons on plates.

" are you my sisters boyfriend?" her sweet and innocent little brother asked. trevor is fully capable of speaking for himself so she let him speak.

"no, but I used to be"

"why did you break up?"

"it wasn't working out" her dad scoffed at Trevor's answer.

"then why are you here?" Mark pressed.

" something about being friends" Trevor grumbled.

" really? my big sister doesn't have any friends only Maya and sister Anna and I"

"oh God" Grace facepalmed while everyone including Trevor laughed at her expense.

" what about you?. did you make any friends?"

"uhm hmm. I made a lot of friends. my teachers say I am on adorable sweetheart" Mark gloated.

"whatever" she mutters as everyone coos.

" then how come you got into a fight in school" Ivory asked with raised eyebrow.

" it was big head Benny's fault" Mark defended.

"who?"

" his name is Benny" Mark spat. "he is always trying to upstage me, so we got into an argument and fought."

"did you at least win?" Grace asked. earning glares from her father, Ivory and Anna.

"uhm hmm. but Patty said I was being mean even when it was Benny that started everything"

"you can't be on everyone's good books. besides, who needs dumb Patty anyway?" the glares increased. "what?! its true"

" it might be true but it would have been better if you've just ignored Benny. I bet this Benny character has been in a lot of fights, beating him up only makes you look just as bad. sometimes it's not about winning a fight, it's about handling it" Trevor advised Mark.

everyone around the table was shocked they clearly didn't expect the Prince of the underworld to pass out such wisdom against violence.

and that is how the awkwardness at the table went away as easily as it came.