A Step Closer to Love

“We are home” Kieran announced the obvious. Arabella looked around if she was honest she did not want to leave the car but they had to. Ethan was probably wondering where they were since Everly was not home yet.

Arabella made a mental note to call Everly since she would just be getting to her destination. She had not bothered reaching out to her since she knew that there would be no way the call would go through.

“See you tomorrow?” Arabella let out with a forced voice her hands on the handle ready to get out of the car. She had no idea what to do so she was just going to awkwardly get out of the car.

“Is that it?” Kieran asked holding her hand before she could flee.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Is there anything else?” she asked picking each word gently.

“I don’t know” Kieran’s voice became low and his hands gently lifted from against her skin. The warmth his hands brought was now lost.

“If you don’t know then we will see each other tomorrow morning”

“You would be going with me right?” he asked.

“Of course” she nodded. He smiled to himself trying to suppress the joy bursting through his veins.

She leaned into him and planted a quick kiss on his cheeks before opening the door and walking briskly away. Kieran sat in the car with his eyes widened. He watched her flee into the house till he could not see her again.

His hands subconsciously went to the part of his face she had just kissed and a smile climbed his face. He sat in the car thinking about the day’s event and how lucky he was to have asked. Maybe he would still have been trying to figure out his emotions and feelings and might have missed the opportunity to be in the relationship.

He parked the car and entered the house. Unlike the usual warmth his mother gave the house, the house was dry and dark and no one came out to greet him at the door. No matter how late he came back she was always awake and with a smile asking him about his day and if he had eaten. She was always prepared to make dinner for him if needed.

He walked gently to his room, freshened up and sat on his bed ready to call it a night. He knew he needed to check up on his mom before he slept.

“To think my own child is not concerned about me, Arabella called me before you did,” Everly said as soon as the call connected.

Kieran rolled his eyes to himself, one thing about his mom that he had forgotten was that she was always overly dramatic. Maybe the good parts of her drowned out the other parts one would consider annoying.

“How was the trip?” he asked ignoring her statement.

“Majorly stressful but I made a new friend” Kieran knew that was more like his mom, she was always so cheerful and willing to make new friends wherever she went.

“That’s good”

“You sound awfully happy, did something good happen?” she asked.

“You would know in due time”

Everly chatted a bit with her son before she cut off the call. She was with Ava when both calls came in.

“Both kids sounded so happy today, I wonder if something good happened” Ava commented.

Everly was glad that she was not the only one who caught that. “I see you noticed as well” Everly said and Ava nodded.

“I hope Arabella hasn’t been that much of a trouble. I know how stressful of a child she is” Ava asked.

“Of course not, she has been an absolute darling,” Everly said. She contemplated whether to tell Ava of her suspicions as to why their kids were happy.

When she spoke with Arabella she had a glistening look in her eyes as she spoke about Kieran. It was one that Everly knew too well, she saw it in herself when she was younger and madly in love with Ethan. When everything was rosy and beautiful it seemed like love could conquer it all.

“That look says a lot so spill” Ava said when she noticed that Everly had abandoned her tea and resulted in stroking her chin so fondly.

“You still know me so well,” Everly said and Ava nodded.

“I remember everything about you because I have that much free time to keep thinking about it,” Ava said sarcastically. “What’s up?”

“I hope you don’t get mad”

“What is it about?” Ava’s interest was piqued now. She wondered what it was that put Everly on edge. Everly did not know how Ava would react to the news of the possibility of their children becoming a couple.

“What do you think of your daughter dating my son?” Everly asked.

“Your son? Isn’t he like ten years older than Arabella?” Ava asked.

“He is” Everly said taking into consideration the big age gap.

“I mean I don’t know, it has to do with what Arabella wants” Ava did not know if the idea sat well with her but for what it was worth she wanted to be supportive of her daughter and her choices.

“Arabella told me that Kieran asked her out and judging by their happy voices it seems like they have accepted each other” Everly let Ava in of her suspicions.

“Do you think so?” Ava asked in shock. Her daughter had not told her any of this yet so it was quite surprising to her.

“Yeah, what do you think?”

“I guess it all depends on Arabella doesn’t it?” Ava tried to sound as cool with it as possible but was not sure Everly was buying it.

“Let’s leave the kids to do their thing then”