Enamour [boyxboy]

Chapter 35 - Roast Dinner & Frozen

Chapter 35

Roast Dinner & Frozen

•Ethan's POV•

"Dinner's ready!" Mom shouts from the kitchen.

"Woohoo!" America screams as she enters the front door – perfect timing, of course. "Mother Ryder, how are you?" She sounds so gleeful and excited, as per usual for America.

"Oh," Mom says with a slight sigh, "pretty good. Slightly exhausted. It's officially no longer 'Ryder' though. It's back to 'Porter' now."

"Does this call for a toast?" America asks, picking up an unopened bottle of white wine that was on the counter, against the wall.

"I've got a flight to catch in an hour and a half, actually, and sadly, they don't allow me to drink on the job." Mom gestures behind America, to her suitcase that is next to the door, ready to grab it and run when she leaves. She was already dressed in her flight attendant uniform.

"Of course," America says, walking over behind the lounge. "And these ungrateful brats won't get up and eat with you before you leave."

America snatches for the television remote before either of Zoe and I can do anything about it. America pauses the movie.

"NO! America!" Both Zoe and I groan and whine in unison.

She had paused the movie during the epic scene of Frozen, when Elsa is singing and building her beautiful ice castle.

"C'mon you guys, we'll watch it after dinner and open a tub or two of ice cream," America says, lifting the grocery bag in her hands and shaking it a bit, which indeed had two tubs of ice cream in it, which she proceeded to the freezer to put them away.

"Let's move it, Ryder," America shouts, smacking me on the ass on my way to the dining table. I groan.

"You're a pain."

"You love me," she says as she envelops me in a quick, tight hug.

Mom had set the table and lain all the food out by the time we all reach the table and take our seats.

Mom and America sat on the side against the wall, with me and Zoe on the other side. America was facing me. She was eyeing me off while we all dished up our roast lamb, potato bake, cooked carrots and beans. I avoided eye contact, even though I knew she only had good intentions.

I wanted to avoid any awkward and painful Jake questions during this dinner.

"Thank you, Mom," I say after I finish my first bite of lamb. "It's very delicious, as always."

I set off a chain of "thank you" around the table.

"You're most welcome, E, and everyone," Mom says.

Dammit. She hasn't called me 'E' for a while, and I knew I wouldn't hear the end of it from America. But what do they expect? There's really not much you can do with the name 'Ethan'.

"'E'," America muses around some potato. "That's cute. Though, I do prefer Ryder for this hottie." She gently kicks my leg under the table.

I can't help the usual blush that creeps onto my cheeks, but I am getting better at containing it, if I do say so myself.

"Oh, don't be so modest," America says, kicking me slightly harder this time.

I just chuckle at her, taking a bite of potato.

"So," Mom says, "how's school, America?"

"Oh, the usual boring stuff really. E isn't missing out on much at all." Though the look America gives me suggests otherwise, and I know the moment that movie ends, and we go up to my room, something about Jake is going to be said.