The sound of the wall clock ticking in the room broke the silence of the surroundings, its gentle ticking in time with the raindrops outside. The temperature in the room dropped even further due to the rain, plus Selene had turned the air conditioner to a fairly low temperature. Thea moved restlessly in her thick blanket and she woke up with sleepy squinted eyes. Her gray eyes looked around Selene's dimly lit room, the only lighting coming from the bed lamp. She glanced at Selene who was fast asleep, the cold air and thick blanket were a perfect combination. But not for Thea, she felt thirsty, her throat was dry.
Thea got off the bed carefully, not wanting to wake Selene. She shivered slightly feeling the cold floor in the middle of the night. Thea slowly walked out of the room. The hallway of the house was almost dark, with only lights in the corner of the hallway and near the stairs.The girl walked down the stairs, heading for the kitchen which was of course downstairs. Thea regretted a little why she hadn't brought water to Selene's room earlier given her habit of waking up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty.
When she almost reached the Grayson's kitchen, Thea was stunned to realize that the kitchen lights were on. Thea swallowed, who was that? It would have been easier for her if she had crossed paths with Julius. But hearing the soft typing of the laptop keyboard also coming from the kitchen, it certainly wasn't Julius who was there. She was so thirsty, if she chose to turn back to Selene's room without sipping a drop of water she wouldn't sleep well.
Thea bit her lip, nervously stepping into the kitchen. And sure enough the sound of typing stopped her in her tracks.
Alaric Liu Grayson, he lifted his gaze from the lit laptop screen and turned to Thea who stood nervously in the kitchen doorway. The girl looked so small and fragile in Selene's slightly oversized pajamas, Alaric couldn't help but smile at the nervousness mixed with doubt in Thea's eyes.
Thea was speechless for a moment as she realized Alaric's golden brown eyes were looking at her, curious as to why she had gone to the kitchen in the middle of the night.
"Do you need anything?"
Alaric's baritone voice rang out, waking Thea from her silence. Alaric's gaze momentarily drifted to the lit screen of his laptop, all the while waiting for Thea to answer his question.
"I woke up feeling thirsty, sorry if I disturbed your work."
"No, not at all." Alaric waved his hand casually, looking back at Thea with his friendly smile no longer staring at his laptop screen. He stood up from his seat, causing a screeching sound from the chair he was sitting on.
"Coffee or tea?" asked Alaric without glancing at Thea, he reached for a cup on the plate rack.
"I think I'll just have some water."
Alaric stopped wiping the cup, he let out a sigh. "It's not nice to turn down someone else's offer, you know?" Alaric said. "Coffee or tea?"
Thea's nape crawled for a moment at Alaric's repeated question, this time more cold, firm and hard to resist. Thea gulped.
"Tea then." Drinking coffee in the middle of the night was not a good idea, Thea did not want to be forced to stay up late because of caffeine, especially with Alaric by her side.
Alaric nodded in satisfaction at Thea's answer. He deftly grabbed the tea leaves in the glass container and brewed them in the tea pot. The fragrant and soothing aroma of tea filled the kitchen.
"Sit down while I prepare the tea for you."
Thea complied, she pulled out a dining chair and sat on it, waiting nervously as Alaric brewed the tea. She glanced at Alaric's laptop which was still on, there was work displayed there that Thea didn't quite understand.
"I didn't expect you to still be busy working at this late hour," Thea's question drifted softly and curiously through the kitchen. She just wanted to break the silence.
Alaric smiled slightly, with a mug full of freshly brewed tea he walked over to Thea placing the mug in front of the waiting Thea.
"Sometimes the silence in the middle of the night can make me think clearly, especially since I don't feel sleepy yet. " She pulled the chair in front of her laptop back and sat next to Thea, making their knees almost touch.
"Given Selene's enthusiasm this afternoon, I can assume you're wearing the Persephone costume?" asked Alaric, his gaze fixed on the screen, his fingers typing slowly on the laptop keyboard, but his ears wide open for Thea.
Thea sighed, taking a slow sip of tea satisfied with the warmth flowing down her throat. "You already know the answer, once Selene wants something it's hard to resist. I...can't do anything about it, right?"
Alaric chuckled deeply at his own daughter's stubbornness. "She's...a lot like me. Hard to back down when she wants something."
Thea felt Alaric staring at her, but the chills only lasted a split second as Alaric's gaze returned to his laptop screen. But Thea knew that staring at the laptop was an act Alaric's golden brown eyes seemed unfocused.
"Haha...really..." Thea laughed softly, trying to shake off the awkwardness that seemed to grip her. "I think...a person's characteristics are more inherited from their mother, because I'm like that."
What was she doing? Unknowingly Thea herself brought up a rather sensitive topic because right when she mentioned the word mother the corners of Alaric's eyes crinkled in on themselves. Thea bit her lip, was she wrong? She realized that Selene's mother had never been seen in this house, the family photo frame only featured Alaric, Julius and Selene. Selene herself never mentioned her mother.
"Mom...ah, sometimes it's like that." Alaric said softly.
"Sorry, what...shouldn't I mention this?"
Alaric shook his head, patting Thea's shoulder casually. "It's okay, you don't have to feel awkward. Even if there is no mother figure in this house anymore." Alaric leaned back lazily in his chair, moving the cursor reluctantly.
Alaric could see Thea's curious gaze, her gray eyes looking at him confused but afraid to ask. "She doesn't live here," Alaric said calmly and finally, giving the impression that he didn't want any more questions, while making it clear that Selene's mother was still alive.
Alaric shut down the laptop, standing up to make a soft squeaking sound from the chair he was sitting in. He approached the counter and tidied up the counter which was a little messy because he had brewed tea for Thea.
Not staying here.
Thea paused, clutching her nearly empty teacup. Questions flashed through her mind after hearing Alaric's words. Alaric was clearly reluctant to explain further, that was all he wanted to say.
Are they divorced? Of course, that was most likely the case. Alaric's words indicated that Selene's mother was still around. Not living here not because she was dead, but because they had separated.
'But why?'
Thea shook her head, dismissing the question she should not be thinking about. This was already in the private domain of Selene's family, it was not appropriate for her to be curious. It was none of her business anyway, was it?
"It's getting late, you should go back to bed."
Thea realized her tea was gone, she nodded in agreement with Alaric's words. She insisted on washing her cup, but Alaric refused her help. She reluctantly said goodnight and returned to Selene's room. But Thea's mind kept returning to the kitchen, recalling her conversation with Alaric. She really felt curious about Alaric Liu Grayson, but she couldn't do much about it.
With various thoughts filling her head, Thea finally fell asleep exhausted.