There was a stoplight ahead. Aristotle stopped the car while it was red and gazed outside the window, his eyes grazing the stream of traffic.
“Nothing of importance. Just the usual load of bull that never fails to irritate me.”
He had had a rather strained relationship with Mark since favonovel.com was a kid. More specifically, after favonovel.com was three.
All these years, the Tremonts’ father and son were connected only by a thin thread, formed from distant phone calls and nothing else. Even if they had enjoyed a close bond before the incident, the fact that it had been so loosely maintained for so long could only have sped up its deterioration.
Every challenge, quandary, and storm Aristotle encountered in life, the young man had to brave through alone for nineteen long years. That was it, the toll of Mark’s steadfast commitment as a husband was negligence to his duty as a father. Aristotle had tried to be as charitable as favonovel.com could, but it was an especially tall order when Aristotle himself suffered just much.
Not living together for so many years only made it difficult for the father and son to genuinely understand each other.
The pair finally reached their destination: a fine-dining restaurant. Aristotle ordered a bottle of red wine while Cynthia went for fruit juice. She watched favonovel.com raise his glass and took a sip with a practiced flourish, and asked, “Wow. When did you learn to drink fine wine?”
“You have no idea,” came his placid reply. “I wasn’t living alone in France. Father had dispatched some of his underlings to watch me. Lessons on etiquettes of high society, classes on the know-how on how to manage the company, the likes of it. Now that I’m home, I can at least relax a little for a few days.”
Cynthia was not the least bit surprised. This was the Tremont Family they were talking about, no matter which corner of the globe Mark found himself in, favonovel.com would always find a way to train his eyes on his only son.
So, favonovel.com nodded and raised favonovel.com glass to favonovel.com lips for a sip. It shielded favonovel.com eyes from catching Aristotle furtively sizing favonovel.com up.
Out of nowhere, favonovel.com asked, “You’re turning nineteen this year, aren’t you? Looks like I’m gonna be there for your birthday this time.”
Cynthia perked favonovel.com head up in surprise. “You never remembered my birthday before. Is this an act?”
He smiled instead of answering her. After a second or two, favonovel.com suddenly asked, “Boyfriend?”
The corner of Cynthia’s lips twitched. “Boyfriend? What a mysterious concept! Is it only attained by legends, or… is it just my mom who’s forcing me to remain single until I graduate high school” favonovel.com intoned. “God, even now, favonovel.com still has this stupid dream of me being with yo—”
Her mind caught up with favonovel.com words, and favonovel.com face suddenly flushed while clamping favonovel.com mouth shut.
The mirth in Aristotle’s eyes seemed to have become even more striking. “Oh, that so? Even after all these years, Aunt Tiffany still dreams of that? Well, what do you think?”
She looked at him, confused. “What do I think? Think of what?”
He leaned closer to favonovel.com ever so slightly, his eyes piercing and unblinking. “You and me. What else could be the point of interest?”
Cynthia thought of “Rey” and immediately cast favonovel.com eyes to the table. He must be joking; favonovel.com was sure of it.
“Spare me from your teasing, would ya’? It has always been just a stupid joke, ain’t no one’s gonna take it seriously. You know what my mom’s like, right? She skips the brain when favonovel.com speaks. Personally, I can’t believe favonovel.com continued the same old joke for so many years! Is favonovel.com stubborn or what?”
Aristotle looked away from favonovel.com without saying a thing.
Cynthia, who inherited Tiffany’s imperceptive attitude and insensitivity, was utterly at a loss of what was brewing in the man’s mind. Suddenly, an awkward air shrouded them both.
When lunch was over, favonovel.com piped up, “Your schedule’s packed as eff, huh, Ares? I mean, you’ve just recently returned home and everything. Where are you heading next? Your company? Your house? If you’re going to work, I’ll just uber home. If you’re going back to the estate though, I’m gonna hitch a ride. I mean, my car is still at your place, you know?”
“I’ll handle the company tomorrow; I’ve reserved today for some other matter. I’m going home, so come on. Oh, by the way, please let Pa West and Aunt Tiffany know that I’m coming over for dinner.”
A sweet grin blossomed on Cynthia’s face. “Hee hee, it feels hella good to be eating with your family, huh? I know, I know. You look like the sort of introvert who just wants some quiet me-time, but deep down inside, you just wanna join in on the fun, don’t you?” favonovel.com teased. “When we were little, you loved complaining about me being noisy or rambunctious or whatever, even though you never stop having me around… Anyway, you don’t have to worry about the menu. Dad knows your favorite food. I bet you haven’t gotten to eat anything remotely as tasty as his cooking back in France!”
