Friday came, but it hadn’t left. Alex didn’t go over to the Ro’meave household ever since that Tuesday evening, and she found Garroth more often sneaking his way to her room. She felt dirty for what was happening. It was like a secret rendezvous for sex, even if that wasn’t the case. Stealing a peck under Ethel’s watchful eye was a victory on its own.

“Is she going home today?” Alex asks, giving up on even looking in Garroth’s direction. She stares into her locker, crouched over and searching for her math textbook. She threw everything in her locket the day before. And while it typically was easy to find, somehow she was struggling behind all demand. “Where is this stupid book?” She whispers to herself.

Garroth nudges her over, looking for a blue book with a mechanical looking fish on the cover. He looks down at the bottom of her supply stack and wiggles the textbook away from the pile. He hands it over, content that she simply looked at him.

“I hope so, but probably not. Maybe tomorrow. But from the looks of it, probably not tomorrow either."

Alex frowns at this and holds the textbook close to her chest. "This feels like Shakespeare shit. I can only see you if you come to my house, and I can't really see my own best friend outside of school. Kandi is fine, but Vylad gets me in trouble with your grandmother. Laurance wants you when you come over. It's like I'm dating your grandmother at this point, with how much she's dictating our relationship."

“She’ll be gone soon, so it’ll all be over.”

Alex shakes her head. Garroth’s intention of washing away her woes flooded down the drain with his attempt. “It feels like she will never leave.”

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The next day, Garroth bid goodbye to his grandparents. He was secretly relieved. Life would finally turn back to normal, and he was thankful for that. Though she wouldn’t admit it, Zianna was tired. Her emotions had been running wild that entire week, and she was purely exhausted. Zane was thankful his grandparents weren’t breathing over his shoulder any more about being social, and Garte was happy to have a break away from his parents. Vylad was sick of all the negativity, and Kandi was sick of being watched by her grandmother and criticized for everything she did.

Garroth was helping Zianna set the table. It was his turn to do so, and he wanted to talk to her eventually anyway. The entire situation bothered him greatly, and his mother was always the best to get advice from. She was wise and thoughtful. He didn’t want to go to his father for anything but business.

“Do you have everything planned out for tomorrow? Do you have everything you need?” Zianna was always invested in his relationship. It made her happy that Garroth was happy, and it excited her that Garroth was always so open in telling her about what was going on between the young couple. He kept some details to himself, of course, but he was normally transparent.
“There isn’t anything for me to prepare,” Garroth says, bunching up the forks in his hand. He already counted to six, and he was able to hold onto them while preparing everything else. Garroth slips into the dining room, and Zianna follows. Each fork finds its place next to the table.

Zianna leans against the door frame, exhaustion evident across her delicate face. “Then everything is planned? Do you want more money for anything?”

Garroth looks over to his mother and frowns. “Mommy, I’m alright, but you don’t look so good.” He walks over to her, taking Zianna’s arm and guiding her to her spot at the dining room table. She protests, insisting that she needs to bring dinner to the table. He disagrees, saying he’d do it himself and for her to rest. “Besides, I’m alright. Everything is planned out for, and I have plenty of money. You simply need to rest tomorrow.”

Zianna slowly nods her head. Garroth goes to yell up the stairs that dinner is finished before he sits at the table. He’s quiet for a moment. There was no one else around but the two of them.

“Mommy, why doesn’t grandmother like Alex?” The question was weighing on him all week. He wanted Alex to be wrong. He wanted his grandmother to like her.

Zianna sighs, “You noticed that? I suppose she did too. . . Gargar, she did like her. She really did. Your grandmother was incredibly impressed at the dinner, but you have to remember that your future is the company. You’re taking over, and your grandmother is only looking out for your future by seeing if your lovers are approvable. I like Alex, I really do, but your grandmother fears she’s. . . unfaithful.” The words are like a knife to herself. In truth, Ethel has never fully forgiven Zianna for her affair. “She has this crazy idea that your brother and her have gotten together, and this caused her to feel as though she isn’t good for you.”

“But mommy–”

Zianna cuts him off by raising her hand. Footsteps sounded like trumpets cascading down the staircase. “I don’t believe your grandmother, but you and I both know she’s stubborn."