Loving You Too Long

His mother looked him up and down mockingly and then nodded her head toward the wall clock. “It’s already eight, Nath. I thought you’ve vanished and hidden in your kingdom,” she said mockingly.

Why did his mother always behave so cynically and mock him? What had he done to her, really?

Nathan walked to the dining table and chose to sit there, directly facing his mother. Gilbert sat across from his father, leaving two empty seats. One on Gilbert’s left, which was also his mother’s right side. One on Gilbert’s right, which was Nathan’s left side.

The sound of the doorbell caught everyone’s attention. Aunt Jody offered to open the door without being asked. Meanwhile, Haisley was still engrossed in her cooking, the smell of which reached the table.

“Good morning,” Loretta’s cheerful greeting surprised everyone. Nathan, who was facing away from the entrance, had to turn his body first. “I hope I’m not too late for breakfast. I made breakfast for all of us,” she said cheerfully. She carried a transparent bowl containing something ivory and red, which Nathan could guess the contents of.

“Not late at all,” Mrs. Monica said enthusiastically. “We haven’t started breakfast yet,” she continued. Haisley, who had been cooking, finally turned around and greeted Loretta with a smile on her face.

“Haisley, you’re here too?” the girl asked in surprise.

Mrs. Monica’s eyes narrowed upon hearing the question. “Of course, is she not allowed to be here?” she inquired, curious.

Loretta looked visibly uncomfortable. She then placed what she had brought on the dining table and glanced at Mrs. Monica nervously.

“Not like that, I mean, Haisley doesn’t live here anymore, so it’s quite surprising to see her here this early in the morning,” he continued.

Mrs. Monica looked shocked-it was evident that she was taken aback by Haisley not living here anymore-but quickly covered her surprise. “What’s the difference with you?” Mrs. Monica asked, her sweet smile on her face. “You don’t live here either, but you’re already here this early morning,” she said, making Gilbert suppress his laughter by biting his lip.

“Um, well, that’s…”

“What did you bring?” Nathan quickly changed the topic. He knew his mother wanted to corner Loretta, and he didn’t want to see that cold war continue.

“I brought a casserole with lots of meat in it. I hope you like it, I made it myself since this morning,” she said shyly.

“Hmm… looks tempting,” Mr. Samuel said as he looked at the aluminum foil-covered bowl. He then asked Aunt Jody to bring plates and a knife for Loretta’s casserole. Aunt Jody then placed what Mr. Samuel asked for on the table.

“Haisley, is Aunt’s order ready?” Mrs. Monica asked Haisley.

“In a moment, Tan. The broth isn’t dry yet.”

“No need to wait until it’s dry, just bring it here, I’m hungry already,” Mrs. Monica requested, which Haisley promptly agreed to.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Haisley then took a bowl from the bottom of the kitchen set, which inevitably made her showcase her hips that enticed Nathan. He quickly averted his gaze and chose to look at the red sauce in Loretta’s bowl. Meanwhile, in her silence, Mrs. Monica seemed to display a mocking smile.

The girl then brought a large dish that Nathan had earlier smelled of fishiness. “What’s that?” Nathan asked curtly.

“Stir-fried goat meat,” his mother replied flatly, staring at the dish Haisley brought with enthusiasm. “And the sambal and stir-fry?”

She asked Haisley. Haisley smiled again and walked to the kitchen. She returned with a large bowl in her right hand and a small bowl in her left hand. “American food that I miss,” his mother said, sniffing the stir-fry served by Haisley.

“Where did Mom get all of this?” Nathan was surprised to see the stir-fried water spinach in front of him. Not to mention the raw sambal served in another small bowl.

Mrs. Monica shrugged. “Just ask Aunt Jody. Isn’t social media very useful in times like this? Just look at how all this organic food can be obtained,” his mother said happily. Aunt Jody, mentioned by his mother, now placed a large bowl of rice in front of them.

“Oh, Haisley. Thanks a lot. I really missed all of this,” Gilbert said, who without permission moved a spoonful of rice onto his plate.

Mrs. Monica looked at her youngest son with a sharp, piercing gaze. Gilbert just shrugged; he would postpone the confrontation with his mother until he felt full.

Stiffly, Haisley sat next to Mrs. Monica and inevitably faced Loretta, who sat next to Nathan.

“You owe me an explanation, Haisley,” Mrs. Monica whispered in Haisley’s ear, making Haisley grin reluctantly.

Just like last night, Mrs. Monica openly chose to eat the food cooked by Haisley rather than the food brought by Loretta, and so did Gilbert. Meanwhile, Mr. Samuel and Nathan ate the breakfast Loretta had brought, although they also seemed to glance at the food made by Haisley.

Mrs. Monica’s smile blossomed with mockery. She considered this a cold war for the Chayton family.

Ms. Monica called Gilbert and Haisley into her room. Ignoring the puzzled looks from Loretta and her husband, the woman immediately closed and locked her bedroom door as soon as the two entered.

“So, explain everything. Why did you move from this place? Does it have anything to do with Nathan and Loretta?” The question was directed straight at Haisley, who sat with her head down and hands intertwined on the bed, next to Gilbert, who sat casually with his hands resting behind his back, supporting his weight.

Haisley shook her head, about to object, but Gilbert interrupted her.

“Of course, it has to do with them. Did you think this has anything to do with me, Mom?” he asked sharply. Mrs. Monica narrowed her eyes at Gilbert.

“And explain that to Mommy, G,” she commanded again.

“Haisley just didn’t want to be the third wheel in their relationship,” he said with a mocking smile on his face. “Good for Haisley, she chose to stop loving Nathan rather than chasing after him,” he continued.

Haisley then looked at Gilbert accusingly, but he just sneered and shrugged nonchalantly.

“Haisley, hasn’t Auntie already told you that you should fight to win Nathan’s heart? Auntie wouldn’t ask you to fight if she knew her son didn’t have any feelings for you,” Mrs. Monica said, squatting in front of Haisley. “Nathan is just confused right now. Let’s consider this moment as him being lost. He needs you to guide his way.”