Chapter 7: Warm Atmosphere

"H-Hey?" Katelyn gave an awkward wave, clearly unsure of what to do. Her hesitation was almost painful to watch, and honestly, I had no idea how to help. All I could do was offer her an apologetic look and pray this wouldn't scare her off or that Mom wouldn't go too far. From what I'd seen of her so far, I doubted she'd be overbearing but making Katelyn uncomfortable... Yeah, that was a real possibility.

"Come in, dear! Let Eiz and Cain handle the rest!" Mom released me in favor of dragging Katelyn inside, completely ignoring her awkward hesitation.

Well, if I had to be trapped in a dungeon, at least this one was nice. Not that I'd say that out loud—I didn't need my little brother and sister thinking I was some kind of weirdo. Speaking of Euphi...

"I'm going after them!" she announced before dashing off, arms spread like an airplane. It was super cute. 

That left just me and Cain. We exchanged a look, sighed in perfect sync, and trudged toward Katelyn's car. I grabbed the heavier bags, leaving him with the last two—light and manageable.

"Swap!" He suddenly broke the calm silence. 

I raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, this is 'next time,' so you have to swap!"

"Fine, fine." With an exaggerated sigh, I handed him one of my heavy bags- loaded with two jugs of juice, apple and orange- while I took his two featherlight ones in exchange. I was a man of my word and he was right, this was technically correct.

Cain smirked triumphantly. I just shook my head at his cute gesture.

I see he's inherited Mom's love for theatrics.

After closing the trunk, I trailed behind Cain at a steady pace, keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't trip. Not that he needed my help because the moment we reached the front door, he bolted straight to the kitchen like a sprinter at the starting line.

I took my time- after making sure the door was closed -enjoying the leisurely walk inside, taking in the simple yet modern decor of the entryway. The contrast between the house's classical exterior and its sleek, minimalist interior made it feel almost surreal. Almost like stepping between two different worlds.

But anyway, the moment I stepped into the living room…

"So, be honest, you two have been being safe, right?"

Silence. My brain short-circuited.

What did she just say?

I felt my soul leave my body. My heart stopped. The air itself betrayed me by carrying those words to my ears.

Euphi was staring, eyes gleaming with curiosity. 

Screw all that though, she should be asking that at all!?

"M-MOM!"

Feeling my face heat up, I nearly dropped the groceries as I stomped toward her. She just grinned, her tan skin barely containing the mischief in her expression.

"What, dear? I have to make sure, you know... it's still too early!" 

"Mrs. Rhyse, I—"

"You can call me Seraphina."

"Mrs. Seraphina," Katelyn corrected herself, clearly struggling to maintain composure. Her face wasn't as red as mine but a blush was very visible and she wouldn't even look at me. "Me and Eizkel just met today, so..."

Mom's grin widened. "But you're not against the idea~?"

"M-Ma'am, I-I would prefer not to answer."

She hummed in amusement before finally standing up, her sharp red eyes lingering even as she made her way to the kitchen. I could feel her eyes boring into the back of my head, but I ignored them and grabbed Katelyn's wrist, leading her outside.

Euphi and Cain tried to follow, but I quickly shut that down.

Now, it was just the two of us in the hallway. The lights brightened up everything and with the close distance between us we could notice a lot of things we wouldn't normally. But this wasn't the first time we were this close today.

"Listen, Katelyn, I hop—"

"Just call me Kate!" she interrupted. "And don't worry. I've seen Ophi's parents do this all the time whenever she brought guy friends over."

I let out a relieved sigh, placing a hand on my chest. "Phew~. You can just call me Eiz, then, if you want."

"Eiz. Nice and simple! Now hurry up! The premiere starts in ten minutes—get the popcorn!"

She bolted back inside, immediately joining my siblings in whatever chaos they were causing in the living room.

Meanwhile, I made my way to the kitchen, where Mom was way too smug for my liking. 

"So~ what'd you two talk about?" she asked, her smile practically dripping with mischief. Her red eyes gleamed with warmth as she casually began sorting and organizing ingredients for dinner.

I didn't miss a beat. "Popcorn."

"W-What?!"

I blinked. "Hm?"

"You had a perfectly beautiful girl alone and you talked about popcorn?!"

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Mom… where's the popcorn?"

"Tch. I was just having a little fun teasing you. Cabinet to your right, second shelf."

"Thanks, Mom. And maybe don't scare her off so soon?"

"I cannot believe you're actually talking to a girl. Here, I thought you were gay."

BAM!

I slammed the cabinet door right onto my hand.

Mom's words were way too unexpected, and the cabinet slamming hurt like hell.

"P-Please don't say that again."

She shrugged. "Whatever, dear!"

I exhaled, shaking off the pain.

The faint scent of freshly washed dishes and a hint of spice lingered in the air, mixing with the comforting warmth of the kitchen. The distant sound of laughter from the living room made the space feel even more alive. I pulled open the cabinet, my fingers brushing against a slightly worn wooden shelf—just another small detail that made this place feel like home.

Jeez… I have a lot to get used to.

I glanced back at the living room—at Mom's satisfied grin, Cain and Euphi's excitement, and Kate laughing like she'd been doing since we started hanging out.

But honestly.

This is better than anything else I could've asked for.