Walking to the dinner table, there's a strange mix of emotions filling the atmosphere. People are seated at the table in silence besides from a few whispers, and my mother's voice breaks the quiet.

She explains what is for dinner before feeling a bit silly and stands up. "I forgot to bring the salad out," she says, giggling quietly before glancing my way for help.

I nod my head and stand up from my spot, earning a confused look from Laurance, and follow my mom into the kitchen. I was afraid she was trying to sneak a surprise talk with me, but it was simply because she in fact did need help carrying out the extras for the salad.

We bring out the forgotten items together and place them in the empty spot in front of us. I smile when I sit down, and I feel Laurance's hand slip into my from underneath the table. I look at him and smile before squeezing his hand gently.

Hayden looks up at mom and offers her a genuine smile. "It looks wonderful, Zianna," he tells her. "I cannot remember the last time I had a meal this grand."

She looks up at him and smile widely. I suppose when you grow so used to something you don't appreciate it as much as you would if you went without it. A small comment like that seemed to make her entire night.

"Thank you, Hayden," she tells him, her voice sincere before she glancing over at Laurance. "I hear you're going to try out for the soccer team. I'm going to miss watching both you and my GarGar play together, but I can instead watch you and my little pea play together!"

I watch Laurance glance over to Vylad as if the news of his interest in soccer was new to him. He looks back at mom and nods his head. "I wouldn't have any other mom in the crowd," he says, chuckling quietly before reaching forward to place some salad onto his plate. "You make the game come alive with your cheers."

Dad laughs as this and shakes his head. "You obviously don't know what you're doing, Laurance," he says, glancing up at the blue eyed boy before looking back at mom. "He's just trying to make you feel better. I don't need for you to conspire up more noise complaints with Phoenix Drop's audience again."

Zianna scoffs at his words and shakes her head. "As if," she says, looking back towards Laurance with a large smile. "Laurance says it helps the boys, so it's my duty as a mother to continue to cheer my heart out. And now, I can do it for two sports!"

Dad sighs as he looks back down at his food, picking at it with his fork.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Dinner finishes through what was hours but had managed to feel like minutes. Laurance held my hand as I walked him outside. Parents were still talking, and some of the children continued to talk amongst each other. At least outside it was quit and was private.

Laurance looks down at me cheekily and places his hands on my waist again before glancing towards the window and back down at me. "Our moment was interrupted earlier," he reminds, placing his forehead against mine.

"I think Garroth planned that," I says, rolling my eyes before they shut. His grasp upon is a feeling of being safe from whatever is around me. It's a feeling that we're transferred away from anything else around us.

"Garroth is trapped in a conversation with Cadenza," Laurance says and pressing his lips against my cheek. "That could take a while," he concludes, peppering kisses around my face until he is mere inches from my lip.

A kiss is placed against the corner of my mouth resulting in a quiet whine. He's teasing me, and he knows it. He finds pleasure in it.

He looks down at me with a soft chuckle, skimming his thumb against my lips as he looks into my eyes. He smiles before gently placing his lips against mine.

Moments later the porch light turns on signaling that our time together has come to an end, and Laurance pulls his lips away from mine.

The front door opens, and different pairs of feet come out. Laurance goes towards the small group and thanks both my parents for tonight and compliments my mother's cooking once more before returning to me. He grabs onto my hand while he waits for the rest of his family to migrate to the car. "I would say that this dinner was a success," he says.

"You think so?" I asks, looking up at his cheeky face as he nods at me. He seems proud of himself.

"I do."