Love and Beasts

Chapter 65

"So, you're Izabela Steinberg, am I correct?" "Mhm." Izabela hummed with her mouth full, as she was melting in the taste of lasagna. It was the first time she has eaten such a good one. "May I know where are you from?" Izabela looked up and swallowed the food. "I'm from here, from New York ma'am." "Oh? But your surname's a rather quirky one?" "That's because my Opa was from Germany." "Opa? As a relative you mean?" The woman asked, curious to know the girl more. "Ah, I'm so forgetful. Whenever I speak of him, I say Opa than grandpa. It's a habit, sorry for that."

"Don't apologize, it seems that you two have a good relationship. What's his name?" "His first name is Sasha." At the mention of the name the woman seemed to be a little surprised by this. Same with Mr Theodore. "Sasha? Sasha Steinberg?" "Yes." "How is he?" Now Mr Garcia cut in. This question was a little saddening, but it's not like it was something private to ask. "... He's gone. He died when I was sixteen." She answered with a small sad smile. "Oh dear. I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to make you sad." Mrs Garcia spoke up, no longer a merry aura around her. "It's okay. People come and go away from our lives all the time."

After that a silence fell in the room, making the smallest of clacking of cutlery on plates loud. It was awkward and slightly uncomfortable, so Izabela decided to change the topic from her family. "Mrs Garcia, I heard from Michael that you bake wonderful cakes." "You can call me Mercedes dearie. And well, it's true that I have a small cake shop of my own. Have you heard of Merci's sweets?" "Hmm, the name does ring a bell. I think that one of my work colleagues bought a birthday cake from there. Now I remember! It was a cake that was covered in blue whipped cream and had small butterflies from white chocolate all around it."

"Oh, I actually remember a cake like this one. I had to send it to that one company. So you work there?" "That's right Mrs Mercedes." "Just Mercedes is fine honey." The woman said with a warm smile. "Please don't take it wrong ma'am, but I would feel bad for calling someone-... more knowledgeable in life than me, by their first name like that. Especially since you're Michael's mother it would feel wrong to me." "Suit yourself then. So, office job it is then?" "Yes. It's tiring and requires detailed attention, but at the same time it can be enjoyable." The older woman listened to her carefully, as she was already finished with her meal. "Then I can see my son got himself a rather hardworking person as a partner. Right, Theo?"

"Yes my love." The man said and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. The woman giggled and also kissed him, but not on his cheek but his lips. Michael seemed unfazed, Izabela was amazed at how affectionate the two were together, while Michael's younger siblings looked at them slightly uncomfortable. "Mom, dad please. Get a room for yourselves." The youngest one, who's name was Ezequiel, said. "You don't have to show off with how much you love each other. Can't you just have some restraint?" "Ezequiel, maybe a little respect to them, will ya?" Michael reprimanded his younger brother, who rolled his eyes as a response. "Oh yeah? It's not my fault they're so embarrassing by being so much affectionate with each other."

But then the boy got smacked on the back of his head by Vivian, their other sister. "Mike's got a point Zeke. Stop being an asshole and behave." "But Vi, they make it feel so much cringy!" "Ezequiel." This time the boy fell quiet and looked at his brother, who now was pissed off. "Listen here, you little brat. You're living under their roof, eating old man's foods and mom's sweets, spending their hard earned money, bringing over those 'friends' of yours and making mess at home, yet can't just look away in silence while they got a moment for each other? When did you grow up into such brat?"

"Look who's talking! Stop acting as if you're such a great older brother. Always an example as a good oldest sibling and son. You know that I don't have to obey every damn word you say since dad actually isn't your real father." The younger one retorted with angered tone. After this sentence the room fell silent. Michael seemed angry as he got up, came over to Ezequiel's seat and dragged him up off it. "What did you say, you cheeky shit?" And the boy looked at him, happy to have ignited a fury like this one inside his heart. "The obvious truth."