TBATE: Art and Tess's Second Chance

Chapter 24: Family Times

Arthur Leywin's POV:

I carefully laid Tess down on the couch, scooting one of the couch pillows under her head, and covered her up with a small blanket so she could sleep in a little longer. I slowly crawled my way into the kitchen and saw my beautiful mother with her silky auburn hair and soft brown eyes humming a little lullaby as she cooked up breakfast for everyone.

"Hey Mom, how've you been? I guess it's been a little while, for you all at least, since we got to see each other huh?" I asked cautiously, fighting to keep my voice from wavering.

"Oh, hey Art! It's good to see you! I'm glad you all made it home safely. Your sister missed you so much that she stayed up all last night waiting for you, but I guess you already knew that since you tucked her into bed," she replied warmly.

"Well, what kind of big brother would I be if I missed my sister's eighth birthday party? I would've also made it to the last two, but I was literally stuck in a pocket dimension for two years instead of two days." I laughed sheepishly while my mother looked at me as if I had gone insane.

"Well I'm letting her sleep in for now, I'll have you and Tess go wake her and your father up once I finish making up all of this food," She stated as she went back to humming and cooking causing the air to fill my nostrils with a tantalizing and salivating smell.

"Hey, do you mind if I invite Tess's family to breakfast? They probably couldn't stay for too long, and it might be a little awkward, but I think it would be nice to have everyone here for a meal," I asked my mother knowing full well she would say yes. It was simply in her nature to make those around her happy and comfortable.

"Sure hon-Art, I'll start making the extra food right now, are they already in town?" She replied with a smile, but I didn't miss her slip-up. She wasn't going to call me 'honey' like she used to, guess it was still too much for now, or maybe she was just wondering if it would be okay to call me that again so soon.

'Guess she's a lot like she was in the last timeline, she's trying really hard to come to terms with it all, I should just try to be patient,' I sighed to myself as I gave her the biggest smile I could muster and made a portal to my room in Elenoir leaving my mother frozen in a state of shock. She didn't know I could conjure portals nor that I could just lazily form one anywhere and anytime I want as if I was doing something as simple as lighting a fire.

It felt nice to be back in my second home, my old room for the first time in years...or at least it would have been if my little moment of reflection wasn't ruined by the two Lances currently clinging to each other like a couple of koala bears sleeping in my bed. I wonder what happened for both of them to be hiding out in here, I wonder if they're hiding out from Gramps to avoid training or something.

I loudly coughed in my hand to wake the pair before addressing them, "Ahem! Would one of you care to explain what you're doing in my room and in my bed? You aren't slacking off on your training now are you?" I asked mischievously with a teasing grin plastered on my face.

They both jumped up before pushing each other away and looking over at me, "Wha-Art!" Alea yelled as she tumbled into me before enveloping me into a hug fitting for a white core mage, it felt like I was being squeezed by an anaconda or a large bear-like mana beast like Boo.

"~Why hello there Arty, of course we aren't slacking on training, we were just taking a quick break,~" Aya greeted in her usual seductive tone before joining Alea in robbing the air out of my lungs. I would've assumed she would've stopped since she and Alea consider Tess and me siblings at this point, but I guess the woman can't help teasing everyone around her.

"Good morning Alea, good morning Aya. Are mother, father, and Gramps around?" I asked, doing my best to hide any ill feelings still dwelling deep in the pit of my stomach from their betrayal. I was glad I was able to still call them mother and father without faltering in my thoughts, it gave me hope that one day I wouldn't even remember that day at the auction house.