Love You More

Chapter 4: Hiding in plain sight

"Are you Dada's friend?" Willow asked Win as she munched on her pancake with her grubby hands.

"Don't talk when your mouth is full, Willow," Wyn-wyn admonished her younger sister while looking at Win intently and the latter almost withered under the scrutiny. She really is her father's daughter. Win thought absently to himself.

"Sowee, ate," Willow mumbled before chewing her food frantically and downing it with a sip from her orange juice.

"So, are you Wright's best friend at work?" Olivia asked in a neutral tone and Win almost froze under the older woman's discerning glare.

"Not really, he was just too drunk to go home last night so I brought him home with me as the host's house is already full with our other colleagues," Wright conveniently omitted the part about Win practically begging to come with him in his drunken state of mind. He didn't want to embarrass the poor guy in front of his family.

"You haven't brought a friend home ever since you got home," Olivia commented drily and Win felt the tension so thick he could slice through it with the dull butter knife in front of him.

"Most of them have their own home and wives who would raise hell when they spend the night on another house aside from their own," Wright explained in a dismissive tone as he refused to be dragged into a topic he doesn't want to dwell too much on.

"So, you're still single?" Wella asked Win with a kind smile and the young man couldn't help but respond to the warmth of Wella's presence.

"I'm dating someone at the moment but we had a petty quarrel so I ended up trying to drown my sorrows with alcohol," Win admitted sheepishly before pouring some maple syrup over his stack of pancakes topped with a dollop of butter.

"Quarrels are part of a relationship. It just becomes different when quarreling becomes THE relationship," Olivia said in a stern tone as she sipped on her steaming mug.

"Mom," Wright warned but Olivia ignored him and spoke directly to Win in a hesitant tone.

"I'm sorry. I think you know about Wright's situation right now," Olivia began as she fixed Win in an uncompromising stare that embarrassed Wright.

"Mom," Wella tried to call her mother's attention but Olivia won't be stopped.

"He can't have a love life. He can't date anyone or he might lose his children," Olivia stated in a pleading tone. She knows she is being rude but she knows her son and she just wants to make sure to drive her point clearly to both her son and his visitor.

"Mom, that's enough," Wella said as she saw the look of hurt on Win's face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to impose on Wright at all," Win tried to steady his voice but the guilt brought about by the unwanted feeling blossoming deep inside him made it crack a bit.

"It was my fault. I was the one who felt responsible for him since he was dead drunk last night. Please don't embarrass Win, he's already going through a lot right now," Wright pleaded in a terse tone that made Olivia lower her head in shame and contemplation.

There was an awkward silence at the dining table and only the sloppy dings of the children's silverware against the ceramic plate served as background noise to the breakfast. Win wanted to get up and leave but his manners prevented him from causing a scene. After a few more minutes, Olivia sighed harshly before looking at Win with an apologetic smile.

"Please forgive my rudeness, young man. It's just that Wright only brings home people whom he shares a special bond with. I am just paranoid after what happened to..." Olivia fumbled for words but little Wynonna immediately comes to her grandmother's rescue.