The bed rattled, and Moreau was transfixed by the sight of her stepfather kneeling, while Abihirt's hand tentatively brushed the paper across the surface of a flat stomach covered in thick liquid.
"I don't want to tire you out tonight. Get some sleep." Moreau gasped, a bit rushed to respond as Abihirt arranged to lie down in the remaining bed space. It was like this... so warm that Moreau almost forgot who the man really was. She had accumulated serious questions about whatever mistakes they had and had not made. It was supposed to be something, the oddest part when her instincts were too sure to place her face so close; between the surface of Abihirt's chest and the line of his shoulders, and then ask one thing in a near-whisper. "Don't you ever feel guilty about betraying my mother in this way?" Moreau's irises moved in various directions. Waiting for the manWaking up with the same person beside her was the single most impossible part. Moreau knew how she would not get such a sight in the morning. Abihirt might have left the room too early so as not to arouse suspicion, or perhaps the man had other important business to attend to instead of just waiting for her to wake up, then they would act like this forbidden relationship was something to be condoned. It wasn't. Moreau grunted while rubbing her face roughly, just for a moment... then one arm slowly grazed the surface of the bed. An instinctive gesture, but one that led her to find something furry and soft, grabbed it, and was transfixed for a few moments. A stuffed panda. Moreau couldn't imagine how Barbara would react upon learning that something the woman had picked up was back where it belonged. At the very least, they would involve arguments; fierce, sometimes painful; and Moreau would always give in, while her mother could walk aw
Barbara's demeanor seemed to react with enthusiasm when asking the question, which was completely... inappropriate. Moreau quickly grabbed the stuffed panda on the bed before she knew her mother could do something unexpected. At least now it felt safer, having known when the gears in Barbara's mind were going so briefly. Moreau did not want to keep her mother waiting, immediately prepared an answer that was buried at the tip of her throat, then said, "Why don't you ask Abi directly, Mom? He knows better and you can always trust him." The interest in Barbara's mind was revealed more clearly as one of the woman's eyebrows rose high. Moreau understood how much she had broadcast shocking news. Her mother would never have guessed, and perhaps it was a bit of a slap in the face to raise her curiosity followed by her ability to sound slow. "What do you mean?" Moreau had never meant anything else. That was only half the truth.
"Are you sure you don't want it, Amiga? The savory combination of cheese and mayonnaise is truly unmatched. You'll regret not trying it just once." Not knowing how many times Moreau said she wasn't in the best situation to deal with Juan's voracious appetite. The jumbo-sized burger in the man's hand had already gone through one bite, spilling into the oral cavity and facing a passive shock... that wouldn't stop Juan's mouth from simply moving. The man was unusually in the middle of an enthusiastic outburst to tease her. Every now and then Moreau would brush off whatever Juan was trying to present so close. The man didn't run out of ideas even if the struggle seemed futile. Moreau always managed to escape from some sort of coercive action—not any sort of real escape; just sometimes giving Juan a light pinch to get the man to shut up, then going back to sitting back in the restaurant chair. Mo
Moreau remembered exactly. The woman who was carrying the child of her ex boyfriend. But this would not be a surprise. Froy had a habit of going to the same restaurant. Moreau just couldn't reach the last time they had a date in a similar place, here, and then how the man ended up breaking off a relationship she thought would last for some time. It didn't. "I wish God hadn't given me a clue to come to this place, but instead I'm sitting here with you. Act like you didn't see anything, Juan!" Moreau's voice was almost a whisper. She understood Froy was looking for a table left over after not making a reservation in advance, despite coming with a pregnant woman. Moreau wouldn't be surprised either, it was something she had experienced many times. Usually they would find a table in the corner. She was eager for Froy to get the imagined place, even better... if the man didn't
"Do you still have feelings for him or what?" Juan's question didn't sound like the sympathetic thread of their hose ride in the open space. Moreau was relieved that she didn't have to deal with anything anymore. It had been quite a long day. The matter of Froy was no longer relevant to her life. She didn't want to continue to be overshadowed by the past, the relationship, and everything that was done. Juan shouldn't have asked, whether the man was still overwhelmed with curiosity or whether Moreau still harbored a lot of arid feelings. She didn't. She would never admit it. Not after Froy had taken such a big role. That man had been playing with fire in the background. If only Moreau hadn't fallen into the need to vent all forms of feelings that day. She probably would have never come face to face with Abihirt. Would not have slept with the man the night before her mother's wedding. Moreau pursed her lip
Again. It was quite surprising to learn such a thing. Moreau took a long look at Abihirt's face. Trying to learn something from the man. It was ironic that she only found a small part; about a right that her stepfather wanted to convey and did not do so explicitly. "Alright, Daddy." Moreau did not mind if she had to take the initiative regarding the situation at hand. Having those gray eyes staring intently at her was not a particular expectation. It was pure happenstance and since she knew the underlying cause, deliberately chose to remain silent until Abihirt asked a well-worn question. "Who asked you to use that nickname?" "Myself. But it's also what you wrote on my phone. So that I continue to remember you as my stepfather. Then it's okay to call you daddy. Isn't it, Daddy?" The risk felt so close at the end. Moreau knew this
Questions lurked in Moreau's mind as she went through the various health protocols. Everything was given to her by Abihirt. The man even sprayed disinfectant almost all over their bodies, ensuring that she agreed to wear a full set of protective clothing. There were masks and gloves... currently being focused on wrapping around Moreau's palms, which were finally clean, though she wouldn't be able to hold back much longer. "Why do I have to wear all this?" she asked slowly. Abihirt almost finished, then glanced over briefly. "You want to meet a panda, this is what you need to get done." Moreau had thought the man wouldn't say anything. Now she understood a bit about the security process. Not too deeply. There were still a few things left to ask. "Why?" For Moreau, this was a kind of strict rule. She was not used to being in this kind o
"You were wondering how to spend your money, so you chose a panda as the most appropriate object, is that it?" She continued. There shouldn't be anything wrong. It was just an outdated thought like the first time she found out Abihirt was smuggling pandas in his luxurious residence. However, Moreau was somewhat surprised to face the man's gray eyes so closely that she didn't know how to escape reality. This was certainly a surreal approach. A three—dimensional one where Abihirt still chose to stay still. Occasionally trying to avoid Pipao who made a face repeatedly. The panda demeanor and the need to be coddled. Moreau hesitated, but she reached out anyway to rub the fur filtered by the latex sheath. "I see Chicao is still at home. Caroline is with her sometimes. Why don't you bring her here? Wouldn't that be like giving Pipao a friend?" Again. It was always her who started the conversation. Moreau gave