Love You More

Chapter 15: Try Again

"You should wear these, they're warmer," Edwin said as he handed Win a pair of neatly folded and brightly-colored wool sweaters. They are in the main house's dirty kitchen where a fire is still roaring on the hearth.

"Yeah, it could get really cold here during storms," Clara nodded her head in agreement as she wrapped her rainbow-themed shawl tightly around herself.

"Will Erwin and the kids be alright?" Wright asked politely as Win pulled the sweater over his lover's head and helped Wright push his hand into the sleeves.

"They live less than a kilometer away from Charm. I have checked on them and Erwin seems to be fine despite nursing a bruised leg and a wounded pride," Edwin said in a confident tone as he watched Win pull the wool sweaters over his head.

"How about the kids?" Wright repeated his previous question as Win scooted closer to him, seeking warmth from his lover's proximity.

"Shaken but very grateful you survived. They were saying they would have huddled in an abandoned silo nearby if they didn't see you coming for them. They have always looked after themselves since Erwin took in his third wife," Clara sighed unhappily at that while shaking her head ruefully.

"Naomi doesn't seem to care a bit for her stepchildren," Darwin scoffed angrily and Wright reached for his hand to calm him.

"She's still young, but she's legal. Erwin used to hire her to babysit the children before they got together. She was not able to finish her studies due to financial constraints and she may feel bitter that these kids get to go to school even when they don't have their mothers with them," Edwin sat on a wooden bench near the hearth and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What happened to the kids' mothers?" Wright asked in a tentative tone, wary of overstepping his boundaries.

"Gelo's mother died from complications after giving birth. Ledda's mother left Erwin to work overseas but never returned. There are rumors that she already has her own family overseas but there was no denial or confirmation from her family here. They were never married so she didn't have a hard time breaking up with Erwin after Ledda's third birthday before going overseas again. She said she still has a lot of dreams that she wouldn't be able to fulfill with Erwin as my son has always been against her decision to work abroad," Clara explained lengthily as she sat beside Edwin on the wooden bench.

"Enough of Erwin, let's talk about you, Wright. Claire said you already have two kids? What happened to their mother and why did you separate?" Edwin asked curiously and Clara stood as if on cue and padded toward the cupboards.

"We were never married. I used to work in Singapore with my Dad but I was forced to go back home when I got news that she was keeping the kids from seeing my mother and sister. It turned out she was physically hurting them whenever she got drunk," Wright explained impassively while Win rubbed his lover's back placatingly.

"She's an alcoholic? How did you get entangled with a woman like her?" Clara asked in an aghast tone as she took out four teacups from the cupboard and placed them on a wooden tray.

"Mom, it isn't what it seems..." Darwin began but Wright was quick to reassure his lover with a nod that he wasn't offended by the question. He smiled at Clara who was looking at him while pouring tea into the teacups from a porcelain teapot.

"We were org mates in college. There was one event where we both got drunk and something happened between us and I accidentally got her pregnant," Wright stated in an embarrassed tone.

"How could you accidentally get someone pregnant? Didn't you know about protection then?" Clara prodded further even as she added dried mint leaves into the steaming cups.