Misty takes over most of the conversation with Basil and I sit back to watch him. He is very well mannered and polite, and it's clear that it isn't an act to impress us. It's very natural and more than once he actually tries to be a little more lax. Basil's eyes constantly flick over to Zipporah and Isaac who are yakking it up about plans for the summer, as if he's both curious and amazed by their simple sibling bond. It makes me wonder about his own family. Misty of course is already beginning to draw this out of him. She is the most socially apt person in the family, so it doesn't surprise me. 

"I have five older half-siblings. Two brothers and three sisters, from my dad's first marriage." 

"Are you close to your family?" I ask, randomly butting in. Our eyes make contact and he shakes his head. 

"I'm very close to my Mom, but everyone else is distant." 

"So seeing Zipporah and Isaac so close is a different experience altogether?" 

"David-!"

"Yes, yes it is." I nod. 

"I was an only child and my own parents weren't all that close to me. I was raised by my grandmother. When I met Misty and saw her interacting with her large family, I was stunned." 

"Really, Mr Roux?" 

"Yes." 

"I'm happy that Zipporah has such a wonderful family life. I'm amazed that you're so close." 

"Zipporah told us that you took her to meet your family. I understand that it was a bit of a disaster." Misty butts in again, nudging me in the side. 

"Yes, but in her defense Zipporah held her own against my sisters. I've never seen anything like what she did." 

"Yes, Zipporah has tempered over the years but has always been our fireball. She takes after me." Misty again nudges me. 

"Can I get that on tape?" 

"Misty, isn't it enough that I said it?" We both chuckle. 

"I can see how she takes after you in personality, Mr Roux, but I see a lot of her mother in her." 

"Yes, there is." I whistle, eyeing Basil. I'm impressed, but there's something there that I want to know. Whether or not Zipporah knows, I'm not sure, but I can feel like he's hiding something. Our food is brought out and we drop the conversation, focusing on the meal. Zipporah returns her attention to Basil however and they carry on small talk in eloquent german. From what I can tell, she's asking and he's answering. 

I watch the two of them very closely throughout dinner and dessert. The way they hold hands and share looks, even the way they talk. Every interaction between them makes me draw comparisons between them and Zipporah's previous relationship with Ty Cooper.  I narrow my eyes in contemplation. Like Basil, Ty was a gentleman and very charming. Was. After about a year of dating, Ty suddenly veered off course and things went down hill. He caved to his buddies and tried to pressure Zipporah into marriage, then elopement, until he finally tried to take advantage of her. It's no wonder she refused to start any relationships after that. 

The fact that she agreed to go out with Basil means it's very different, and I can see it in her eyes. Besides, she's not the young woman who wouldn't learn from the past. She wouldn't allow herself to be made a fool of twice, it's not in her DNA. That makes me proud.

Thanks for reading!

~Uilosris