"You must be tired. Let's talk later, Lia. You should go take a rest. Your room is clean, so you can head there."
After Kelly started to question Natalia out of curiosity, Kevin stopped her, realising how tiring it must be for their daughter to have boarded two flights to reach them.
Whatever her reasons for coming back or visiting them, he was certain that she might remember what had made her want to leave the country when she returned. So he thought it was best for her to take a break first.
"Thanks, Dad," Natalia said, relieved to be understood.
Actually, she was tired, but she endured it.
Mostly because she couldn't shake off the regret… It felt even more painful to see her parents so happy to see her again.
She regretted leaving them and not making the decision to return sooner. She had never visited them before, and that also weighed heavily on her. She felt like a selfish daughter.
She had her own things to deal with but...she knew she could have tried harder, maybe...
However, Natalia noticed that someone had been taking care of her parents all this time.
That omega...
She remembered him. And she couldn't deny it, he had changed... A lot.
It was amusing how he looked so scared of her yet rolled his eyes and seemed to have believed he was being smooth hiding it.
Natalia didn't feel mad at all.
It was all so dramatic and she found him to be very interesting.
'He was cute,' she thought.
He obviously was the same omega her mother had brought in to live with them. However, his personality seemed to have transformed completely.
Before, he was always silent and tried very hard to be invisible. Now, he appeared more expressive and... very charming?
She could tell her parents had never been bored with him around. In just the first hour of her visit, it was clear that he had become very comfortable with them.
It's good. At least he finally started trusting her parents.
'Haa... I wonder if Mom will cry again when I tell her I'm never leaving again...'
Natalia tied her hair back and grabbed some clothes from her suitcase as she headed to take a shower, her mind filled with various thoughts.
She had thought it would be hard to adjust back to this environment, but surprisingly, it felt right.
It must be because she was finally home.
Natalia sighed and threw herself onto the bed, closing her eyes with a little smile.
'I should have come sooner,' she sighed again, and within minutes, the tiredness and the comfort from the shower lulled her into a deep, peaceful sleep in her familiar place...
---
"I can't believe it. I talked to her about two days ago, and she didn't even hint that she was coming back!" Kelly exclaimed.
"Didn't she already explain? She has a point," Kevin replied.
"Okay, okay. Dad and daughter can team up, but Arthur, she should have told me beforehand, right?"
Arthur had been watching Aunty and Uncle bicker for a while and was reluctant to get involved now. He knew siding with Aunty might cost him his ice cream privileges, but he couldn't take Kevin's side either, as it would make Aunty sad...and that would also risk his ice cream privileges.
'All Natalia's fault,' Arthur thought, pouting a little but smiling at the couple as he walked toward the fridge for a distraction, thinking they would ignore him and get back to bickering between the two.
Unfortunately, it did not go as he planned.
He ended up causing another war...
This time, he couldn't blame anyone but himself...
"Arthur, I didn't let you stay home just so you could eat ice cream!" Kelly complained.
"She's right, Arthur. You cough really badly at night. You need to cut back on cold things," Kevin added.
"Right... No more ice cream this week. If you buy him more, I'm going to kick you out, Kevin!"
"Come on, Kelly!"
"Hmmph!"
Kelly glared at her husband and then at Arthur.
'God…'
Arthur closed the fridge and returned to the table, empty-handed.
It felt strange not to have something in his hand because he always grabs something whenever he ope that fridge.
Also... he knew...
The ice cream tub was full.
Too bad...
Arthur pouted as usual, and the couple fell into a guilty silence, staring at each other.
"Okay, Arthur, you can have some after lunch, but no more," Kelly finally said as she nudged him, causing his face to light up.
He giggled, making Kevin chuckle as well.
"Seriously? Arthur, are you sure your students even take you seriously? I can't even imagine you controlling those high schoolers."
Arthur turned to Uncle Kevin and chuckled at that question.
Actually, Kevin always had that question. Whenever he sees Arthur so child-like, he can't help but think how he behaves at school.
Also, he was just as skeptical when Arthur chose to become a teacher. But he trusted him and supported him. He still does, but he is very curious.
High Schoolers aren't easy.
Whether omega, beta or alpha....teenagers are all annoying and rebellious. At least a few, if not all.
So...how does their son who sulks all day just because his dear Aunty said he can't have ice cream, lead a classroom?
Does he have a second personality or something?
"Well, that's a secret."
Kevin rolled his eyes at Arthur's mischievous smile but got a smack from his wife just as he started to laugh at that answer.
A secret?
A secret of Arthur?
That's impossible.
This little guy can't keep secrets.
He is very bad at it.
A few months ago, Kelly planned a surprise birthday celebration for Kevin with the help of Arthur. Kelly trusted Arthur to keep the surprise a secret, but he ended up asking Kevin what his favourite colour was because, 'He wantes to ice his surprise birthday cake in that colour.'
Arthur could have just stopped at asking about the favorite color, but no-little guy was so excited that he accidentally spilled the surprise right then and there.
At the time, Kelly was very disappointed that the surprise was ruined, but she and Kevin now laugh thinking about it...
Arthur was seriously a child.
They really want to protect him.
After all, his childhood wasn't very bright.
They were happy that at least his inner child is still alive and enjoys every bit of his life.
So, speaking of secrets...
That time wasn't the only example Kevin could give.
It was just the most recent. There were many more incidents.
"What is it? Aunty really wants to know."
Kelly sweet-talked her way into Arthur's heart, but Arthur chose his words carefully.
"No, aunty. A secret means a secret. Being a teacher is my talent, and I'm very skilled at it. Even the alpha students in my class are scared of me. They never disturb me and everyone just really likes me too."
Kevin listened, hoping that Arthur would get excited and accidentally reveal 'the secret,' but it seemed Arthur had become 'less-dumb' since this year.
Guess becoming 24 finally made their son a little more inte-
"Hehe…It was actually because I once ripped off an alpha student's hair after he grabbed my ass. I think they are fearing I would do the same to them too if they piss me off in anyway. I am that scary to them now so they are very obedient and very well behaved with me."
…Yeah...so there it was.
The secret.