"How did it go, pop?" Connor asked his parents.
Adline scoffed, walked over to the wine cabinet to get herself a red wine and a glass, poured herself some to drink and poured some into another glass for her son.
Connor is Mr. Cole's first son, 20 years old, unlike Dean, more white, his hair touching his shoulders, easy enough to run his fingers through. He looked at his parents, they looked disappointed, his father sat on the sofa, trying to light a cigarette. Connor scoffed at his father's carelessness. The voice of his two younger sisters broke through for a few seconds.
"Where are the girls?" Mr. Cole asked.
"In their room, doing the usual," Connor said, then walked over to his father and took the cigarette from him.
"Your father's stubborn," Adline hissed.
"He almost caused a scene, you do something stupid and you can't calm down, be patient, Cole, it's her son!!" Adline added.
"And I'm dying, don't you understand?... I don't have time," Mr. Cole's voice shook.
"Wait!... pop?... you told her?" Connor asked, a little excitement on his face.
Adline laughed out loud, looked like father and son were about to agree on something she was against.
"So he did what was right?"
"Of course, mom," Connor clapped.
"I told you it wasn't going to be easy, I heard African parents, especially single parents, can be protective of their kids," Connor added.
"Ouch!" Adline sounded pained.
"Look at the issue from her side of view, you're a mother, remember? When Jason got sick, I thought I was going to lose you too, you'd have wrestled with death if you had to. After Jason died, we all felt it... but you felt it more, mom," Connor raised a brow.
"My sweet baby boy," Adline said, saddened.
Lilly ran downstairs with a furious look. Connor had an idea, he clapped, then pointed at his parents like he had a business proposal to pitch. Lola and Lilly are twins, it was sometimes hard to concentrate when the girls were mad at each other.
"Lola!!!!!" Lilly yelled.
"Woah! What the heck is going on?... shh, please," Connor gestured.
"What did she do this time, honey?" Mr. Cole asked.
"She fucking posted my video, and now she has more likes than my own content... arrrghhhh," Lilly growled.
"Okay, she's in the kitchen," Connor pointed the way.
"Bitch!!!" Lilly ran to the kitchen. Adline wore an angry look.
Connor smiled, gave his mom a look, walked over to the wine cabinet to pick a special bottle, poured some into a glass, and gave it to his father. The three raised a toast, then sipped. Adline and Mr. Cole raised their heads like an audience.
"Since she knows about pop's illness and how close he is to death, how about you two invite both mother and son for a day? That shouldn't be hard, because right now all she feels is pity for pops," Connor smiled.
Dean sat staring at his system, having switched his room lights to blue, in his grey singlet, shorts, and white socks.
"How to avoid certain people who come into your life after so many years of being away," he typed into Google.
"Shit!!" He hit his head.
He couldn't get his mind off it, especially how his mother was feeling. The appearance of Mr. Cole had turned her into a "villain," well, probably. Mr. Cole didn't look like he was going to give up till he connected with him. A knock startled him, he got up as fast as he could, rushed to grab the snack wraps and threw them under his bed, picked up his scattered clothes and squeezed them into his wardrobe before opening the door. It was Jerry. With a look of disappointment, he sighed before reluctantly throwing himself into his chair.
Jerry raised a brow as he scanned the room, then sat at the edge of the bed, close enough to reach out to Dean.
"Nice work squeezing those clothes to fit in the wardrobe," Jerry said. Dean stayed mute.
"You're not going to speak to a soul today, are you?" Jerry added.
"Not really, I want to rest a bit," Dean shrugged.
"You look ugly when you frown," Jerry laughed.
"How's my máá?" Dean asked.
"She's okay, she's going to be fine, I just need to know you'll be fine."
"I'm fine, bro Jerry," he chuckled.
"It's just these few days, I feel like you're the father I should have. I want to get mad at my mom... but she's done so much for me, she's my máá," he added.
"Believe me, I know, she's my fiancée."
"Then marry her quick," Dean laughed.
"You know I will not apologize for anything after everything I have been through," Anita said, startling the boys.
"Shit, máá?" Dean froze.
Anita stretched out her hands. Dean paused with a little excitement, then coughed out a laugh, it was his iPhone. Jerry bit his lip to hide his surprise.
"I'm not mad at you, máá," Dean cleared his throat.
"So I can keep the phone," Anita held back.
"No!... don't, máá!" Dean hurried to grab his phone.
Anita and Jerry shared a silent look, Dean sensed it and raised a brow in question.
"Should I be scared?"
Anita pouted, walked over to her son's desk, drummed on it with her nails, a bit nervous and a bit brave.
"The Coles have invited you to go over to their place, to meet your siblings too," Anita said.
"Arrgh!" Dean shook his head.
"I already have a father," he added.
"Really?" Jerry asked, and both mother and son looked at the confused Jerry.
"Oh... oh... oooh!... I get it now," Jerry added.
"Wait... you have a father?... Anita?" he asked.
"Bro Jerry has got my back, takes me to school, plays games with me, gives me cool advice, I mean what more could I ask for?"
"Oh!... it's me."
"Don't try to develop any hate for your old man," Jerry added.
"It's okay, máá, if you don't want me to go."
"We are going," Anita said, pecking her son, then left.
Dean's mood soured and Jerry caught it, he tapped the lad's shoulder, then left too.
"Would be nice meeting the Coles," Dean thought.