Chapter 53

A knocking sound forced Edrian to stop cooking. He opened the door, and he saw Taria holding a bag and standing in front of his apartment.

"Taria!" he said

"Hello, Edrian. I brought some medicine that would ease the pain in your hand", Taria said, handing the bag to Edrian who was still shocked to meet her at that time

"Come in", he said

"I don't want to bother you. I only came to give you the medicine", Taria said

"Ahhh that's bad, I really needed some help with paperwork though, you know, as my hand is wounded…", he said

"I will help", Taria said, entering the house and forcing a smile to appear on Edrian's face as his plan worked faster than he thought

"Oh, you were cooking!" Taria said

"Yeah, it will be ready soon. Make yourself at home until I'm done in the kitchen", Edrian said

"I can help, I know how to cook", Taria said

"Relax, there is no need for that I'm almost done", Edrian said, then he went to the kitchen, leaving Taria alone in the living room

Taria looked around while Edrian was preparing some food. The living room was small but cozy, filled with colors and lifeful, giving her a warm feeling though it was her first time in Edrian's house. Plants were filling the room with fresh air, and the large window was filling it with sunlight, yet when Taria followed the shiny light line, her eyes ended up laying on a picture of the young Edrian.

His golden hair was lighter blood, and his eyes were more blue than green, yet he was still handsome even at a young age.

"He was so cuuuuutttttte", Taria thought, not realizing that her thoughts sneaked out of her mouth loudly, and more importantly, not realizing that Edrian was already standing behind her

"Thanks, that's not me though", Edrian said

"Oh.. I didn't feel you was here", Taria said after his sudden words shocked her

"He is my younger brother", Edrian said, looking at the photo with deep eyes, yet before she could notice, his smiley face came back and he asked her to follow him to the kitchen to eat

After a while of chatting peacefully, Taria excused herself saying that she had to go take Ray from school.

"We will go shopping together for the first time in a while", Taria said while tying her shoe lashes, with her excitement evident by the sparkles in her eyes. She paused for a moment, then she looked up to meet his eyes again and said "come with us if you are free"

"No no, I won't disturb your family time", Edrian said

"You are not a stranger anymore, and Ray hates shopping so it will be good if you accompany him with me, furthermore, I really want you and Ray to get closer to each other", Taria said softly while holding her necklace

"Well, if little Ray will find it helpful then count me in", Edrian said

Taria and Edrian went to take Ray from the kindergarten, then the three of them went to the mall together.

"Why did you come?" Ray said coldly

"Ray, don't be rude. I asked him to come with us", Taria said, yet the cold look in Ray's eyes stayed the same

Taria was looking around the store while Ray and Edrian sat down to take a break after feeling the pain of shopping with a lady, then suddenly, Ray broke the cold silence saying "what happened?"

"Ha? what are you talking about?" Edrian said after Ray's words confused him, yet Ray looked into his eyes with a sharp look and said "mommy came back with a wound in her face yesterday, and your hand is also wounded, so I assume you know what happened, don't you?"

The shock was evident in Edrian's face after hearing a three years old child talking this maturely. He kept looking into his black eyes that was filled with answers rather than questions as his peers, then he smiled softly

"Your mother saved a child from being hit, and I saved your mother and that child from being stabbed", Edrian said after he broke the eye contact between them

"Do you know who did that?" Ray said

"Why? Will you punish them for your mother?" Edrian said

"I know my limits as a child, yet I know people without those limits", Ray said

"Don't worry about it. The men who did that are already in jail", Edrian said, proud that he finally got to talk properly with Ray, yet amazed by what he said

"Jail is not enough for that kind of people. They shall know pain as they gave pain to people weaker than them", Ray said, getting off the chair and heading towards his mother who was picking so many clothes for him

"Wait wait wait, what did you mean?" Edrian said

"You won't understand even if I told you", Ray said, stabbing a sword into Edrian's heart

After that, the three of them went to eat some ice cream. Ray went to the bathroom, leaving his mother alone with Edrian, yet he knew exactly what they would talk about.

"Your son is so… special", Edrian said

"I know. He shocks me all the time", Taria said, eating her ice cream with a smile on her face

"What about the father? Had he left you when you were pregnant?" Edrian said, yet his words was more than enough for Taria's smile to be replaced with a sharp look

"Sorry if I asked about something personal. I was only curious since Ray astonished me a while ago", Edrian said

"He died at our wedding day", Taria said

Edrian's eyes got wider, and he dropped the ice cream he was holding. He blushed as he knew his question was inappropriate, and he wanted to apologize to her for getting beyond his limits as a colleague, yet he couldn't say a word.

Edrian stared at Taria who kept eating her ice cream while her eyes seemed sharp. He pressed on his fists, feeling embarrassed after wiping that warm smile of hers, then he said "I'm terribly sorry for asking a question I shouldn't have asked, and sorry for hearing that, he must have been an important person"

"It's ok, it's been a long time since then", Taria said, yet he interrupted her saying "I will tell you a secret of mine after asking you an inappropriate question like that, we will be equal this way…. The brother you saw.."

"I don't want to hear that. I don't blame you the slightest for asking me, and it wasn't something I wanted to hide in the first place. If you want to give me a secret you can do it, yet I don't want you to do that feeling guilty about something normal", Taria said

Edrian got speechless, and Taria could realize that easily by looking at his eyes that got wider, so she giggled softly

"Your blue-green eyes are so pretty", Taria said

"Tha.. thank you", Edrian said

"having fun hitting on my mother?" Ray whispered, giving Edrian chills, then he sat down on his chair again, with his sharp eyes hung on Edrian who felt those sharp looks was digging a hole at his face, yet refusing to look back at him

"Mm, I have to go now. See you tomorrow, and thank you for taking me with you", Edrian said

"Yeah. Bye", Ray said coldly

"Bye bye, Edrian. See you tomorrow", Taria said with a warm smile. Edrian smiled back, then he left