25 Chapter 24: Dinner with her Parents

"Children are more than we think they are; they can do more than we think they can do. All they need is a vote of confidence from grownups, whom they will ultimately replace anyway. Their dream today will become the realities of tomorrow."

― Wess Stafford

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Will Allan Founde POV

'Well... This sure is awkward.' I thought to myself because after about a few minutes of waiting and setting up the food we all sat down at the dinner table.

We are seated at a round table Mrs. Stacy is on the right side of her husband then beside her is Gwen after that is me, Mom, and then Dad. Going full circle with Dad on the left side of Mr. Stacy.

Right now no one is talking and all that can be heard is the noise of the spoon and fork.

Mr. Stacy is focused on eating the food, Mrs. Stacy is currently ignoring Mr. Stacy ever since he came out of the room from changing. Gwen is looking at Mr. Stacy with some worry on her face. While Dad is spoon-feeding Mom and me just awkwardly looking around everyone. I can't even taste the food even though it looks absolutely delicious.

Then Mom finally spoke, breaking the silence, "This is absolutely delicious Helen, you got to tell me the recipe later."

Mrs. Stacy smiled at Mom and then said, "Thank you, Elise, it's good that someone appreciates what I DO." She said the last word with extra emphasis while glaring at Mr. Stacy.

Mr. Stacy finally looked up and looked at all of us properly and said. "Oh, I apologize... I was a bit distracted. It is delicious Helen."

"Then at least a thank you would be nice." She said while crossing her arms on her chest.

Mr. Stacy then lets go of his spoon and fork and then sighed "Why are you starting a fight, Helen? I thought you said we have guests?"

"Hmmm... I don't know maybe because you kept on telling our daughter what to do? Or maybe because you were trying to forbid our daughter from befriending the boy who saved her life earlier?"

They continued their arguing while we can only look on awkwardly again. Gwen looks down at the table and I can hear her mood going down again so I held her hand. She looks at the hand holding hers then turns to me so I smiled, trying to reassure her I gently squeeze her hand. She smiles back at me and her mood improves slightly.

I then whispered to her ear, "Don't worry if your father doesn't like you playing Music then we will do it at my house."

She excitedly whispered back, "Really? You mean it?"

I nod and just as when I was about to promise her I was shocked by the loud shout.

"Just look at him!" Mr. Stacy shouted while pointing at me again. I completely ignored their arguing because I was focusing on trying to comfort Gwen so I was confused and then said, "...what?"

"Now he is trying to act innocent! I bet he is becoming a bad influence on our daughter. Just look! What do you mean just a kid? He is already holding our daughter's hand and whispering to her ear!" He said while wildly gesturing towards us like the worst that could happen is already happening.

I then looked at our position, I am holding Gwen's hand and leaning forward to her ear. If I wasn't a kid this will probably be considered flirting and we're doing it in front of her parents.

I quickly sat back properly in my seat but I didn't let go of Gwen's hand instead I hid it under the table, she probably needs all the comfort she can get. I am not doing it because I like holding her hand, nope. I then looked around the table and I can see everyone staring at us.

"Can't you see? I am protecting her from this kind of thing. I just want the best for our daughter ok? Can't you understand that?"

"What do you mean protecting? What you're doing is taking away her freedom! So what if she likes a guy? They're still a child nothing will happen and isn't better that we know him personally?" Mrs. Stacy argues back.

"You're giving her too much freedom! So if she says she wants to pursue music you'll just let her? Although she's smart she is still young she doesn't know what's better for her! She has so much potential and you'll just let her waste it?"

"If that's what she wants in her life then I'll support her!"

They are really going at it. Plates might be flying soon but that didn't happen because Mom suddenly cleared her throat loudly.

"Ahem! Have you asked what she wanted? Because as a parent I understand wanting the best for my child and being there to support him all the way. But giving him too much freedom might lead to my child not knowing what to do and too little and you're just telling them what they'll do." She then put a hand on my head and caressed my hair gently then continued speaking. "You need to push them in the right direction while letting them explore and discover on their own what they want. Will here used to be afraid of just going outside our house but we guided him as his parents and now he likes looking at the sky to just relax."

Dad then said, "Elise is right Will has been homeschooled his whole life but we encouraged him to go to school and now he made a friend. We supported him and now he is exploring and experiencing on his own."

There was a moment of silence after that. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stacy contemplating what they would do. I can hear Gwen becoming nervous beside me so I gently squeeze her hand and smiled at her.

Finally, Mr. Stacy spoke, "Haahh... I guess that's true, I shouldn't be so strict on her. I couldn't just take away my daughter's joy in music but" he then glared at me, "no boyfriend until you're eighteen and your grades better not fall."

"Yess!" Gwen then jumped for joy and pulled me with her. Now she is jumping around me while holding both my hands.

"That's enough Gwen. You should finish your food and sit down." Mr. Stacy said.

Gwen then lets go of my arm and went to Mr. Stacy and then kissed his cheeks while hugging him tightly. "Thankyouthankyou thankyou dad!" She said excitedly

Mrs. Stacy looked at the father and daughter and said, "What about me Gwen? Don't I get a kiss and a hug as well?"

Gwen lets go and then kissed and hug Mrs. Stacy while saying, "Thank you for always supporting me and being on my side Mom!"

"Huhu... Anything for you sweetheart. Now why don't you sit down and finish your meal, I spend a lot of time in it."

"Yes! And I love you both so much!" She then sat down again her mood higher than ever.

The meal after that is much more pleasant and they talked a lot until Mr. Stacy suddenly said, "Wait, you're surname is Foundre right? Does that mean you were the family that got..." He then looked around the table and focused on me "...you know? And you were that kid that I talked to right?"

Dad then replied with a laugh, "Haha you finally noticed? I guess we never formally met and the one that usually talks to you is Charles but I was surprised that you didn't recognize Will."

Mr. Stacy looked at me from top to bottom and then carefully said, "I guess I didn't recognize him, without the... stuff that was covered on him before"

I guess I was really bloody that day from all the blood that... came from dad. I clenched my fist hard thinking about that day again. I could have done better instead I was frozen in fear we were just lucky that we all survived...

Then I can feel a small hand enveloping my fist and I looked at Gwen holding my hand trying to reassure me. She then whispered quietly into my ear, "I may not know what you went through that day but I'm glad that you're here now." Then she smiled.

Oh shit... I am falling in love. It is really true, all that is takes for a guy to fall in love to a girl is for her to smile at him.

Then the conversation caught my attention again making my somewhat recovering mood plummet down again.

"Did you know that the shooter managed to escape?"

"What? How did he escape? did he perhaps get help from someone...?"

"Haahhh we don't know. A month ago he just vanished in his cell with no traces left behind. Then we did a thorough search on the area and we found blood about a few blocks away in a construction site but no bodies." Mr. Stacy said.

Shit... He really survived all that? Should I look for him and finish him off? Nonono I said that I'll spare him just like how he spared me. I guess he is just lucky...

Dad then said, "It's fine... He is not really important anyway."

Mr. Stacy looked skeptical and said, "Really? I didn't know that you were so magnanimous to just not care about the shooter being free."

"Ah well, the important thing to me is my family's safety" Dad smoothly lied and I might have believed him if I can't hear that he is lying.

After that, we finished the meal and it was time for us to get home so we said our goodbyes and left.

In the car Mom worriedly asked about the shooter, "is it really ok that the shooter is free? Shouldn't we be worried because he might come back you know?"

Dad reassured her, "It's fine... He is not that important but I'll ask Pierre anyway"

I guess Mom doesn't know that the shooter was just a lackey and has zero motivation to come back. Plus I kept my identity hidden, back then I was invisible the whole time.