Eigengrau

The awkward beginning

Chapter 4:

"Sorry!" Mia apologized, jumping backwards.

He laughed a deep laugh, and he put his hands up "No harm done," his voice was surprisingly deep.

Mia smiled and tried to focus her mind on anything but those eyes that had haunted her all day long. She nodded at him and dodged his body, walking toward the living room.

"Hi," she said to Teodore, who was holding Don's hand. She crouched in front of the little kid, balancing on the balls of her feet "Hello, Don," she sweetly said.

"Hello," he responded, with a smile.

Mia ruffled his hair and stood back up.

"Your mother told me you guys are from Argentina," Theodore said to Mia "Your English is so good I hadn't noticed you aren't American," he complimented, as he patted Don's head.

Mia loved it when people complimented her English, because she'd always been proud of it herself.

"Thank you," she laughed, trying not to appear as proud as she actually was. "I owe it to mom, actually. If it weren't for her constant talking to her five-year-old in English, I wouldn't be like this now," she added, trying to get a message through to her mother: she was grateful to her for making Mia the person she was, and she was terribly sorry of what she'd said.

Mia peeked from the corner of her eye and saw her mom smiling weakly at her.

"You've done a good job, Clara," Theodore said, turning his eyes from Mia to her mom.

For once, Riley, who was standing against a wall, observing the scene, didn't disagree with his father.

{•}

Clara was famous for her home-made pizza, and the Allens weren't the exception when it came to complementing her cooking.

The two families were sitting at the table, both men at each end of it. Clara was sitting next to Brett, of course, and Don beside his father, in a high chair. Casey and Riley sat beside one another, and Mia noticed how poorly they hid the fact that they were flirting.

Mia ate slowly, enjoying her favorite food, as she engaged in conversation with Theodore and her mother.

In the meantime, Brett held Clara's hand on the table, so as to make a statement to his friend: she's my wife. Mia thought that was very Neanderthal of him. She pictured Brett all hairy and dressed in rags, mumbling "Clara mine, me have Clara, you have no one". And so Mia hated Brett a little bit more.

"And how do you like it here so far, Mia?" Asked Theodore, when silence fell over the table.

"I don't know yet. I was unloading things from the car all afternoon, and then I took a nap in my room, so I haven't been around much yet," she answered, hoping that Brett would understand the complaining side of her words.

"Oh," Theodore said, and Mia felt he was about to state the obvious "But we saw Casey at the beach all day," he added, to Mia's amusement and gratefulness.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, everyone shooting nervous glances at each other. Everyone except Mia. The guests had a look of confusion in their eyes, for they didn't understand what was going on.

Mia opened her mouth, but her mother's warning stare made her rethink what she was about to say.

Clara let out a nervous laugh and said "Yes, well, Mia didn't have the energy to go to the beach after that long trip,"