Outburst

Chapter 24 - Everybody Has an Ego

“Dad, are you still up for the practice today?”

I sat myself on the chair in the dining room, staring at a bowl of cereals as my mind flew away to one year earlier. I could see me sitting in our dining room, eating the exact same star-shaped cereals, while my Dad just hung up a phone call and didn’t look too happy about it.

He looked at me while sighing. “Sorry, Cal, I don’t think I have time for that.”

“Is it about one of your clients?”

“Well,” he took a short pause, “Yes. I’m really sorry. I can’t leave this one.”

I smiled. “That’s fine. We can do this another time, right?”

“Sure,” he said, followed with a smile on his face. “Come on, I’ll take you to school.”

“No, Dad, I’m fine going by my own.” I grabbed my bag after washing the bowl I used to have cereals. “I know you’re busy. Just... finish your work, okay? I hope whatever problems you have with your clients will be done—in peace.”

Dad chuckled. “Me too,” he replied, and then kissed my forehead. “Be careful.”

“Okay. Love you, Dad!”

“Love you too, Callie.”

His words echoed on my mind. The last words he had ever said to me because later at school, I received the news that he had been in an accident.

The noisy sound of blender broke the serenity in this early morning, startling me. I looked at the way the sound came—the kitchen—while frowning. Grant then came with a glass of self-made mix juice, which actually didn’t look like juice at all because of the icky color of green and black. He sat in front of me after putting the glass on the table. I noticed his uncommon outfit and went on an astonished pause.

“What?” He glanced at me for a second, realizing the stare.

“You look...” The edge of my lips slowly raised, and I kept staring at him bewilderedly. “Normal.”

He looked down to see his black shirt, covered by buttoned yellowish cardigan which sleeves were pulled up to his elbows. I was having another look to confirm that it wasn’t a suit, it was a cardigan. He looked back at me with his eyebrows clung to each other. “Define ‘normal’.”

I grinned. “That is what the men your age supposed to dress, not the boring suit and tie. You probably wear suits more often than the President himself.”

He chuckled, showing his pearly white teeth. There were some occasions when he would smile this wide, and it didn’t happen every day. So, every time Grant Olivier smiled, you couldn’t help but smile as well. Now, add that smile to his appearance today. He looked... handsome. Yes, normal would be too general.

“It’s Saturday—and the maids are not the only one to be given free time,” he said.

“So, they’ve left already? I didn’t see them leaving, though.” I spooned my cereals and pursed my lips after it got into my mouth. Ah, I should’ve eaten this sooner before it became this mushy.

Last night after dinner, I immediately went to my room and fell asleep not long after. Waking up, I found my stomach growling even though I felt very full after finishing Una’s tomato soup. I dashed to the kitchen, but didn’t find the maids anywhere, so I decided to make cereals to stop the growl.

“I saw your lights were off at about 8.30. They left soon after.”

I nodded. “You’re not going back home?”