Chapter 226 - Dahlia
Keanu's mouth was twitching as he watched the family banter at the breakfast table.
This certainly was nothing like what he'd expected.
Despite the lavish spread of breakfast, the presence of the maids waiting on them and a Head Butler that oversaw everything ... the atmosphere didn't feel cold or uncomfortable. The scenery was akin a six stars restaurant but the atmosphere was like a diner.
Warm, friendly, relaxing.
Keanu didn't think such a thing was possible.
He also never saw a mother who was actively trying to get her young teen son hooked up - and that the same teen at the start of his life, would be so nonchalant about it.
Just then, the Head Butler led a girl into the dining area.
Patrick and Delilah looked up to see the nervous girl, who was pulling at her twintails as she fidgeted.
"Betty! You made it!!" Kyle exclaimed, making Sam splutter out his scrambled eggs and drop his fork noisily on the plate as he turned in total shock.
For a brief second, Delilah thought Kyle had found 'The One' until she saw how the girl's face lighted up upon seeing Sam - who quickly got up and head towards her.
Darn.
"Mum, Dad, that's Betty. Sam's girlfriend," Kyle said as he continued shoveling food into his mouth. Kay put two of her sausages on his plate and he speared one of it with his fork.
Sam held on Betty's hand, ecstatic at seeing her. Betty looked at Delilah and Patrick in nervousness and was about to make a curtsy when Sam put a hand on her waist, stopping her. He brought his lips close to her ear and said, "Don't worry. Kyle's parents are very open and informal. Just greet them normally."
Betty nodded and said, "Hello, Auntie, Uncle. Thank you for having me."
Sam looked at Betty in confusion. He thought she couldn't come, as she had to go with her parents to visit her grandmother. What did she mean? Before he could ask, however, he heard Kay speaking.
"You can put her bag in the second guest room," Kay told the Head Butler.
"Ah, so this is your friend that's staying over, Kay. You didn't tell me that she's Sam's girlfriend," Delilah said.
"Didn't think it was relevant," Kay replied and gestured to Betty to sit down.
Ali got up, giving up the seat that was next to Sam and plopped himself down next to Kay.
"You know what they say about moving seats when you're in the middle of eating," Kyle said.
"What?" Ali asked.
"That you'll have more than one wife," Kyle grinned, mentioning the old wive's tale taught to kids.
There was no merit in it, of course. It was simply one of those things they said to instill good manners. One did not move about when eating but was to sit in one spot from start till finish.
"Well, I can have four," Ali said with a shrug, "So I suppose I have to move three more times now?!"
While Kyle and Ali were joking around, Sam held on to Betty's hand and led her to the chair. He pulled out the chair and she sat down shyly. Sam sat down next to her, took her hand again with his left hand and started piling on food on her plate with his right hand.
Upon seeing the pile that was starting to form on her plate, she protested, saying, "Sam, enough. That's too much! I can't eat all of that!"
Sam ignored her, telling her, "It's fine. Eat what you can. These are all your favourites. I'll finish up whatever you can't."
Betty nodded obediently, then said shyly, "I'll need my hand to eat, Sam."
Sam looked at their joined hands, pouting a bit then kissed her fingers before letting go. Betty's face went so red it looked like a ripe tomato. Sam continued eating like it was nothing while Betty found looking at her food to be utterly fascinating.
Delilah put her hand over her heart at the scene then glared at Kyle.
"Quickly get me a daughter-in-law! Learn a thing or two from Sam there," she harrumphed, then drank her coffee.
Kyle rolled his eyes, then caught Keanu looking at him doing so.
"You must think this family is pretty weird, huh?" Kyle said laughingly.
"No, not weird," Keanu replied, "Refreshing."
He paused for a while then commented, "Though it is rather unusual for a mother to be gearing for her son to get a girlfriend. Well, considering that you're only 14."
Kyle wanted to snort but that might make the food go up his nose so he waved his fork about instead and said in a lowered voice, "Mum's paranoid a bit. She cannot believe that her ever-so-perfect handsome and popular son doesn't have a girlfriend. I'm either hiding her, or is not a normal teen."
"You really aren't normal, you know," Kay commented, drinking her milk.
"I know," Kyle said, "I"m just too humble to say it."
Kay coughed and put down her glass of milk, "Oh yes. Humble, Mr. Self-Proclaimed 'Perfect handsome and popular son' "
Kyle looked at her innocently, "Those are facts. If I was bragging, I'd say genius drop-dead gorgeous heartthrob."
"Shameless," Kay said then looked at Keanu, "He's getting more and more shameless."
Just then, the theme song to 'My Little Pony' came on. Kyle took the last bite of sausage, gulped some milk down quickly and took out his phone as he got up.
He bowed a bit to his parents who were at the head of the table as a sign of apology and they nodded at him in understanding. He walked off, bringing the phone to his ear as he answered the phone.
They could hear him say, as his voice trailed off the further he got away, "Dahlia! What are you doing up so early? Does Mummy know ... "
A few minutes later, Kyle came back to the dining table. However, he didn't sit down but merely informed his parents, "That was Dahlia. Mary said she had been cranky for the past few days and only settled down when they allowed her to call me. So I offered to babysit her today."
"That's fine," Delilah said, "So Mary will drop her off here?"
"Yup," Kyle replied, looking at his watch, "I'll get her room ready. They'll be here in 20 minutes."
Delilah waved him off, knowing Kyle would get lost in a bit. He tended to do that whenever Dahlia came over. Lost in thoughts, that is.
She never quite understood Kyle's attachment to Dahlia. It wasn't bad, but it certainly was unusual.
As Kyle walked away, Kay saw the confused look on Keanu's face and explained, "Dahlia was someone Kyle rescued last year. She became rather attached to Kyle so he would babysit her once in a while."
"Rescued?" Chad, who had been listening nearby, asked.
Xing Han jumped in to tell the story about how Spiderman Kyle had swooped in like Batman to save the day when a certain hyperactive toddler fell in Mall T. The more Xing Han talked, the greater the exaggeration became, making Kyle into some superhero.
Which, in all fairness, Kyle was to Xing Han.
?? Dahlia's Room ??
Kyle had actually renovated one guest room just for Dahlia.
Dahlia had never spent the night, as she was still very young, but Dahlia certainly would be needing her afternoon nap. Kyle wanted Dahlia to feel right at home with him, so after receiving permission from his parents, he had whole-heartedly and enthusiastically set to decorating the room.
It brought back lots of memories of him, as Kylie, preparing the nursery for her own kids when they were about to be born.
The only difference was, he had no limits or restrictions on what he could afford to buy and get now. Which explained how he sort of went slightly overboard.
The whole room was themed 'My Little Pony', which was Dahlia's favourite show at the moment. Everything, from the bed, to the closet, playmat, table, and chairs ... were 'My Little Pony'. Once Dahlia outgrew this phase, Kyle would redecorate it into whatever she liked.
Kay pointed out that he should just make it neutral so the room would grow with her but Kyle answered, "They're only young once. I can afford it, so why should I be frugal this time round?"
Kyle knew very well that he was using Dahlia. In a way. Using her to fill this void that could never be filled, but at least, it alleviated the pain a little bit. He'd probably be worse with his own kids ... if he ever had any in this life.
The bathroom was also 'kid' size, just like what you'd find in any good stores like IKEA store from Country Swdn.
"The way you spoil her is probably why she likes to come here so often, you know," Kay said as she walked in to stand beside Kyle. Keanu had also followed Kay while Chad had gone out.
"Whoaaaaa," Keanu said, in his 'Bill & Ted' voice,* as he looked inside.
"Totally rad, right?" Kyle bantered back, mimicking Keanu.
Keanu looked at Kyle, Kyle looked at Keanu and as if in sync, they did the famous 'air guitar' duet short skit that Bill & Ted would often do when they were emphasizing something or making a point ('a full stop, if you please).
Keanu laughed, placed his arm around Kyle and nodded as he gestured the room, "You have talent, my boy. In acting ... and in being a father. No wonder your mother can't wait to have grandkids now."
Keanu said everything with a smile, though there was a slight sadness in his eyes. His own daughter had been stillborn, and she never got to see the nursery that he had prepared for her. If she had survived ... if she had lived, Keanu had no doubt that he would have been as crazy as Kyle here in decorating the bedroom.
Kyle could sense the sadness in Keanu, the same sort of sadness that he felt.
Perhaps that is why there was this sort of connection between them that went beyond the usual 'mentor' or co-worker role.
Both of them just stood there, looking at the room with a sigh.