A strange meal

"We are here!" Clar announced when they came into the dining.

"Come and sit." The mother gestured for them to take a seat next to her.

"What of the others?" Clar glanced around the dining, and at the empty chairs.

"They are—"

"I'm sorry I'm late." The husband apologized as he took a chair, and it left two more chairs empty.

"I had to call my friends. That's why I came out late," Rain explained when he came into the dining room.

With little thought, he sat down on the chair next to Lyre, who stiffened, but not from fear.

The merman can't explain the feelings he gets whenever the handsome boy is close to him.

"Hi." Rain smiled at him, much to the shock of his family.

"What?" The mother asked as she glanced at Rain, to make sure he was still the son she has been living with for close to nineteen years.

"What's it?" Rain frowned at his family, who was acting as if he committed a crime.

"Nothing." The mother shook her head as she tried to hide the smile on her face.

She thought Rain will be the one among her children who will rebel against having a stranger in their family.

"Don't even think you can take my brother from me, Rain. He's all mine."

"And I'm not debating that fact. But pray to tell, Clar, do you know your brother's name?"

"Yes!"

Clar who wasn't ready to lose to her brother lied.

"Oh, you know? What's it?" Rain joined both hands together as he smirked.

"I—"

"There was traffic on the road, and I had to take a detour. Luckily, I'm back in time to — Who's he?" Jewel asked when she saw Lyre sitting on a chair that has always been empty.

Lyre's eyes took in the new female in front of him, who doesn't look like she belonged to the family.

Unlike the others in the family, her hair was red, and her eyes black.

She doesn't look like any of the members of the family. And that made Lyre wonder why they were all different.

"He's—"

"My brother!" Clar wasn't ready to allow an opportunity like this to pass her by. There is no way she will miss introducing her brother to the world.

"Your brother?" Jewel frowned at the mom. "What is she going at?"

"You see," their mom rose from the chair she was sitting on, and approached Jewel, "we brought him back from our trip."

"Oh, you adopted another brother for Clar?" Jewel frowned at the odd boy, who looked more like a doll than a human.

"Yes, they did."

"That's—" Jewel shook her head. "Does that mean we are not enough for you? Do you want another son that badly?"

"You see—"

"Superb! Now, Clar won't disturb me any more." She said as she took a seat, much to the amazement of the family.

"What?"

"I'm happy you got another sibling for Clar. She has become too clingy for my liking."

"Oh." The mother sighed.

"Come on, let's eat." Jewel smiled at them before she turned to Lyre, who looked like he was ready to jump into the pot of soup in front of him. "Welcome to our crazy family. I hope you don't get mad after a week with us." She winked at Lyre, causing the Father to chuckle.

"Come on, we are not that bad." The mother laughed as she sat back in her chair.

"Yes, don't mind her." Clar placed a hand on Lyre's palm.

Startled, Lyre turned. But when he saw it was Clar, he relaxed.

The action wasn't lost on Rain, who seemed ready to murder someone.

He was jealous that Lyre allowed another to touch him, but not him (Rain).

"Let's eat." The mother dished out the food, "enjoy your meal."

"Bon appétit." Jewel joined her hands as if she were making a prayer.

"Bon appétit." The entire family responded with their palms joined together.

In some ways, it was like a prayer to them. They all do this before they eat.

Lyre sat still and watched them. He was at a loss for what to do, so he opted to watch them instead.

"Dig in." The mom said, and everyone took up their cutleries at the same time.

Lyre was the only one who didn't do so.

Not only was the food in front of him strange.

But the cutleries were.

In his kingdom, they only eat fish. And at some other time, they eat other sea creatures mixed with a seaweed his mom deemed edible.

Lyre glared at the food in front of him as if it were poison.

He swallowed as he thought of what to do.

"What's wrong? Is this soup not to your liking? Haven't you eaten soup with rice before? What do you want to eat?"

Lyre frantically shook his head but didn't say a word.

His heart was beating so fast, it was deafening to Rain, who was listening.

"What's wrong?" Rain dropped his spoon and turned to him.

And like that, everyone dropped their spoons and focused on the spooked merman.

"What's wrong, brother? Don't you like the food?"

Lyre shook his head.

Rain furrowed his brows at him. "Haven't you eaten this type of food before?"

Lyre nodded.

"Oh."

The entire family sighed.

"He hasn't seen this kind of meal before? Makes me wonder where he came from." Jewel placed a hand under her jaws as she peered at him. "You are strange, you know that, right?"

"How strange?" Clar glared at her. "Don't you dare insult my brother!" She hit her palm on the table, startling Lyre.

"See? You startled your brother." Rain glowered at her.

"Should I make a new meal for you?" The mother asked with a smile.

"Isn't there ice cream in the fridge? Give him some cookies with it. Maybe he will be more familiar with it than your soup." The father of the kids spoke up for the first time since they discovered Lyre hadn't eaten soup before.