Temporals

9. Tarot

It was Sunday before anyone realized. For an off-day, everyone was up quite early, and gathered in the living area, waiting for Mr. Smith to come out of his sanatorium for the first time in almost a month.

Rae had notified the omegas at the previous dinner about their visit to Duncan's grave the next morning, and Seokjin had immediately suggested that they should all go with her. When she insisted against it, Dakota pressed on how it would be great to have people at their yearly ritual, other than themselves. And when Mr. Smith heard about it, he immediately sent for his daughter to inform her that he would be joining them too.

"Listen guys," Moira stood in front of Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung. "Try not to call Rae by noona today, okay? In front of Mr. Smith, that is."

Rae smiled nervously at them from where she stood, behind the kitchen counter, swirling a spoon in her tea cup. Hobi hung around in the kitchen, sipping the same tea, chatting casually with her although he could clearly tell that nothing registered to her.

"The honey totally brings out the flavour, Rae." He still tried talking about random things before he finally gave up.

He tapped on her shoulder to get her attention, and when he got it, he asked, "what's up? What's bothering you?"

"Ugh!" She rolled he eyes in a general direction. "Everything! Like.. for 7 years, he didn't feel the need to accompany me, and suddenly he does today."

"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine. We'll all go there, stand for a.. as long as you need to be there and then we'll come back. I don't see how things can go wrong." Hobi patted a little friendly pat on her head, and she immediately flinched.

"My hair!" She complained, before giggling out.

"Look at Dakota," he demanded her attention again. "She's way more pissed. And rightfully so! It's her fucking birthday, and she has to spend the entire morning with her hateful grandpa. Go, console her."

Rae complied and was only halfway towards the couch, when a state-of-the-art wheelchair appeared on top of the staircase. A part of it was refurbished into a ramp shortly after Mr. Smith's diagnosis and he smoothly glided down it using the controller in his palm.

The nurse silently walked down the stairs and stood beside him, facing the rest of the household.

Rae's trajectory changed. "Good morning, Dad." She was beside him in a second, bending down to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Good morning, dear," he spoke to her, but his eyes wandered to the scene behind. Meeting eyes with his granddaughter momentarily, he chose to ignore her. He could still feel her scowl as he identified the omegas one by one.

"How do you all find our humble abode, omegas? Are you at peace here?" His rough voice, stricken with a sophistication that comes with age, was proud and loud enough.

The thick spots near his wrinkled eyes, and the dark circles around them made him look even older than he was. His long hooked nose, thin chapped lips, and high cheekbones were evidence of his long gone youthful handsomeness. What remained now was a sickly demeanor, waiting for death, but still with pride.

The omegas lined up, as if in a high school sport's club, and bowed to him. "Yes, Alpha, we find this home favourable," Yoongi spoke up as one of the elders who wasn't completely disgusted by Mr. Smith.

The latter put up a hand and swatted the air, as if to motion everyone into a movement and they immediately did. Rae waited until the end of the line for Dakota, and promptly took her hand. If she was even the slightest bit despondent, her face did not show it.