“I see we’re off to a good start,” Trevor said, his voice light. He met Edith’s eyes and offered her a soft smile. The stress eased from her pinched expression, and she went to his side, taking his hand. In all his life, Connor had never seen his mom look at anyone with anything other than hate and exasperation. He hadn’t thought it possible.
“Shall we sit and eat?” Trevor suggested, taking the time to look at everyone. Nick’s glaring must have caught his attention because he squeezed his son’s shoulder.
Laurence braved taking another bite. He seemed to do his best not to look at Nick. Trevor studied the two of them by the counter with a faint smile. “You’re quick to abandon us, Laurence,” he remarked.
“We’re still in the kitchen…” Laurence said, glancing shyly at his dad.
“A compelling argument,” Trevor said in a humouring tone. “I’ll have to allow it.” With his hand at Edith’s back, he directed her to the table, where he pulled a chair out for her and then sat next to her. Nick waited a moment by the entrance to the kitchen before stalking to the nearest chair and dragging it out. He sat facing Connor and Laurence as if ready to jump up and drag them apart at a moment’s notice.
Thanks to Laurence, Connor was suddenly more included in the little family dinner than he had expected or wanted to be.
“Is the pizza okay?” Trevor asked, directing the question at Connor.
“It’s fine,” he said.
“What do you like eating?” Laurence asked next, dark brown eyes looking up at Connor curiously. From the corner of his eye, Connor saw how Nick bristled and shot Laurence a look that obviously meant,don’t talk to that piece of shit.
“Fish.”
Laurence’s eyes lit up. Connor couldn’t tell if he was pleased by the answer or because Connor had answered him at all.
“Dad is really good at cooking fish,” he told Connor. “Especially white fish, like hake or cod. And, well, I don’t like it, but apparently the mackerel he makes is good, too.”
“I’d have to put salmon as my number one,” Trevor weighed in. “Should we do that for dinner tomorrow?” He directed the question to Laurence, who nodded eagerly.
“You should have cooked something tonight instead of just getting pizza,” Laurence told him.
Trevor’s eyebrows went up. “Oh, should I?”
Laurence raised his chin slightly, a glimmer of stubbornness flashing in his dark eyes. “Takeaway is lazy.” That glimmer of stubbornness disintegrated into a grin. “I can help cook tomorrow?”
“I think it should be your job to cook dinner,” Trevor said. “I wouldn’t want to teach you lazy habits, now would I?”
Laurence pouted. “I don’t want to ruin the salmon.”
Connor chewed his bite of pizza slowly. How good-humoured Trevor was. What a mismatch to his mother. Connor glanced at her to see what she made of all of this. The picture of a happy, harmonious family where a parent actually talked to their kid and liked them. He caught her eye as he looked in her direction, and her happy expression dropped.
It told him more than enough.
Connor looked away from her. It didn’t even spoil his mood anymore. He’d gotten used to her years ago.
“So.” Trevor set down his pizza. “I hoped you two wouldn’t mind sharing a room for a little while,” Trevor said. “Laurence, you got Connor’s room when we moved in, and now that he’s back, he’ll need a place to stay.”
Laurence’s gaze darted to Nick. The happiness was stripped away from his expression. “Share?” he repeated.
“Connor needs a bed,” Trevor said. “I’ll move the fold-up into Nick’s room for you to use.”
“What about the bed that’s set up for him already?” Nick asked sharply.
Trevor winced. “That was a bad idea on my part. It’s scarcely more than a cupboard, and the extension is still a few months away from being complete. It’s not fair to ask anyone to stay in such a confined space for so long.”
“But it’s fine for Laurence to lose his room?”
“As if it didn’t belong to anyone else first,” Connor cut in.
Nick’s icy gaze jumped to Connor. “He’s more deserving of a room thanyou.”
“Nick,” Trevor said sharply, loud enough to make Nick jump. Nick swung his head around to Trevor, mouth open, no doubt ready to spew out all the reasons he was right, but he froze. Trevor’s face was a stern mask. Connor made a mental note that he got angry after all.
