Chapter 5: Family Dinner
“Papa!” Sofia squealed when she saw Kingsley seated on one of the living room sofas as he went through a magazine.
The living room had a two-seater chair, a love seat and the sofa Kingsley is currently seated on. There was a round table in the middle with a small shelf that had publications like magazines, newspapers, and some papers which were neatly stacked inside.
The curtains by the windows were in gold and cream color, the painting on the wall was cream while the roof held a white color.
The dining area was at the end of the living room and a door by the left which leads to their kitchen.
“Hello, my two favorite princesses” Kingsley stood to his feet to greet both girls with hugs which they happily accepted.
“How are you doing, dad?” Audriana asked and put her bag on the loveseat.
“I am doing fine, so glad to see you both” he smiles at them, now holding their hand “How are you both? How is work?” he invited them to sit down which they did.
“We are definitely good” Sofia answered “How has everything been? I really missed you Papa,” she asked.
“Everything is very okay dear, I missed you too” he grinned then looked around in search of Moana “Where is my wife?” he asked.
“She is probably in the kitchen” Audriana answered and stood to her feet “I’ll just go help her out” she walked into the kitchen direction.
“How did your trip to Murie go?” Kingsley asked Sofia, whose face lit up at the question.
“Exciting, beautiful… no words to describe it and I found something interesting when I went to Murie” Sofia moved closer.
“Tell me, what was that?” Kingsley inquired.
“Selfth Creswp” she replied and a crease formed on his forehead.
“Selt- what?” he asked, looking so confused.
“Selfth Creswp” she said again then explained “He is a semi-man-god that has skin like the scale of fish, fingers like a bird’s talon, and the waist down of a goat” she began explaining further about her knowledge of this strange creature she discovered.
Kingsley thought it was weird but gave her his full attention so that he could understand what she was talking about and he would ask questions when he didn’t get anything which showed that he was following.
“That is so weird” he comments when she was done explaining to him.
“That’s what Audri said” Sofia laughed “I saw a museum when I came back, I think it’s new though. I want to take my students there since I saw something similar to Selfth Creswp there” she giggled at the memory of most of her students who couldn’t wait for that day to come.
“I can tell that they are as excited as you are to go there” he mentioned and she nods. “When do you plan on taking them?”
“Month-end if the chancellor approves the letter, I sent him” she replied.
“I wish you luck with that dear” he pats her hand and they continued talking about their day, new discoveries and so many other topics that interest them.
Sofia feels loved with the amount of attention she gets from Audriana’s parents, even when she isn’t blood-related, they never treated her like she was an outcast which made her so happy.
…
Audriana came into the kitchen to help her mum with the rest of the cooking, she is currently cutting the vegetables for the salad while her mum is checking the food that was cooking on the stove and at the same time juicing the oranges.
She glanced at her mum for a second then smiles “How are you mum?” she asked.
Moana sighs and then looks at her daughter who is now looking at her. She shrugged then offered a smile and continued juicing the oranges.
“I can say that I am well, dear” she let out another sigh “I have just been stressed with work, you know” she chuckles lightly.
The smile on Audriana’s face melted when she heard her mum’s reply and a furrow creased her forehead “Mum, come on, I’ve told you countless times not to overwork yourself, that applies to dad to” she stopped what she was doing and shook her head.
“You both aren’t getting any younger and you don’t need all these stress that you are engaging yourself with”
“Please continue with cutting that and you are aware of how much I love my work. I enjoy working and it makes me happy when I do and most times you need to do it to get it like you want” Moana defends.
“I am not saying you should idle yourself but when you work, you should be aware of how much time you should spend with work and with making sure that you’re actively okay and fit for anything,” Audriana said “Only a healthy mind and body can work effectively.
“Yes, doctor I am aware” Moana shook her head.
“I don’t want a repetition of the last time,” she told her mum.
“What happened the last time wouldn’t happen, you have nothing to worry about” she assured her daughter with a smile but Audriana wasn’t having it “I understand that you are looking out for us but you have nothing to worry about, I promise” she broadened her smile.
Audriana returned the smile and let out a sigh.
“Fine, I am holding on to your promise but I will still be looking out” she narrowed her eyes playfully which made Moana laugh out loud.
“Yes ma’am” she salutes her daughter.
“Thank you, mum,” she passed her what she had already cut and helped with some other things.
“You are welcome, dear, please continue with this juicing, let me finish up here” Moana left the juicer for her daughter to take over.
“I should probably come to stay with you old peeps,” she said looking at her mum who shrugged “Would be helpful, you know” she winked then dodged because of the napkin her mum threw in her direction.
“You silly girl” Moana pointed and just then Sofia made her entrance inside the kitchen.
…
“And that was how she embarrassed herself in front of Michael” Sofia laughed as she looked at her flushing friend who was trying so hard not to feel embarrassed by that memory.
"Oh, shut up” Audriana threw her napkin at Sofia which she dodged.
“Girls,” Kingsley cautioned and they stopped.
They were all enjoying the food and talked about just anything over dinner, from work to school days to the upcoming fashion week to their business and to any topic that they could talk about.
Audriana noticed how tense and distant her dad seemed when they talked about the business and how it was doing, the progress with the new model they were working on, funding, and all that, she also noticed how he was quick to dismiss the topic and would ask something else to change the topic.
She looked at her mum and her mum seemed to understand so they dropped it and talked about something else.
“Pttf! Like you’re any better” Audriana rolled her eyes and took a sip from her juice.
“We both know I am the better one” Sofia stuck her tongue at her and she shook her head.
“Very mature” she muttered and got a kick from Sofia “Don’t test me Maya” she warned playfully.
“You both are the very best versions, okay?” Kingsley interrupted their little fight and they laughed.
“So… Sofia” Moana called her then looked at her husband before looking back at her.
“Yes?” Sofia answered.
“How is… er… how’s Liliana? How’s she holding up?” she asked and saw how her demeanor changed when she asked.
Sofia dropped her spoon and adjust in her seat then looked down at her plate as she let out a sigh. Moana reached for her hand and rubbed them which made her look at her.
“Baby, is everything fine?” she asked “Your mum is okay, right?” she asked already looking so worried.
Audriana and Sofia exchanged looks then looked at Moana and Kingsley.
“I… I really don’t know honestly mum, I don’t… one time they finally get cancer out and the other it grows back and becomes worse than the previous then it comes with these painful symptoms, I just… I really don’t know” she said looking at them “I am so scared for my mum, I am just trying to be strong for her and for myself” her eyes were filled with tears so she looked up to blink them away.
Moana brought her in for a hug and Kingsley reach out to touch her head.
“It’s going to be okay baby, things would be fine, okay?” Moana tried to assure her “Is there any procedures she will be going through now?” she asked when they leaned away from the hug.
“They wanted to try something new on her and they are seventy percent positive that it should work, I want to be positive, I really want to be” she looked at the three of them and sighed.
“We are positive that things would work out and fall into place. Liliana would be okay, we pray for you all the time, remember that” Kingsley said to her and she smiled.
“Yeah girl, we will pull through this with GOD’s help and grace. We’ll keep praying and hoping and things would be okay” Audriana said and she nods.
“I am so lucky to be blessed with you people by my side, how would I cope without you?” she leaned her head on Moana’s head “I love you guys” she cried.
“We love you too, just cheer up and be strong like you have always been. We’ll be good” Kingsley said.
"Yes, and you don't need to cry now honey, you've got a team of supporters that will be there for you when you feel like you're alone or can't hold on anymore, we are and will be there for you always," Audriana said and she giggled.
"Thank you," she thanked.
She lifts her head from Moana’s shoulder and wiped her tears away from her cheeks then looked at all their smiling faces.
"What are families for?" asked Audriana, Kingsley, and Moana together.
Sofia laughed and they joined in the laughter.
About thirty minutes later, they were done with eating and the ladies were already done with cleaning up. Kingsley had excused himself earlier to go to his office after telling Audriana to come to see him when she is free.
Moana went to attend to some matters and the girls were in Audriana’s old room, watching one of their favorite movies Titanic. Sofia was spending the night there too.
"Oh no, why did he die?" cried Sofia.
"Dude, we've watched this like a million times," Audriana said and sat up.
"I know, but it always feels like it's the first time I am watching it," said Sofia who was now cleaning her cheeks from the tears that fell.
Audriana rolled her eyes and excused herself to the bathroom. When she was done, she came out to find Sofia sleeping in a weird manner. Her head was hanging from the bed her black hair almost reaching the floor. She shook her head and switched off the TV.
She tried to wake Sofia up but it proved to fail so she adjusts as she could and tried not to get punched or kicked in the process. She was about to go downstairs to meet her dad when her phone beeped. She went to the other side of the bed and picked it up, I was a message from Philip.
He was asking her out again and was going to reject him as always but decided to take Sofia’s advice and accept his invitation to see where things go. He deserves a chance, everyone does, right?
She made her way to her dad’s study as he requested and when she got to the front, she knocked and entered when she heard a ‘come in’.
“Dad, you wanted to see me, what’s the issue?” she asks.
“Ah dear, thanks for coming here this evening,” Kingsley says.
Audriana shook her head, “Don’t thank me, dad, what is the issue?”
He sighed and dropped his reading glass on the table then looked at her “It is with the company” he said.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone