3- "Body and soul."

"IRRYN, Rhian, come here now, and the meal is ready. We're going to eat."

"Let's go, Irryn," Rhian said to me when uncle Alanson called us both.

I nodded and smiled at the youngest. "Yeah. Let's go."

We all sat down on the picnic carpet and started eating.

"Just eat as much as you want, Irryn. Enjoy the food, don't be shy." Ryle smiled as he served food on my plate.

"Thank you, but maybe I can't eat it all, Ryle!" I slightly laughed.

"She's right, son. Maybe Irryn will not be able to eat all the food you put on her plate!" uncle Alanson cooly followed.

"Daddy, I want to make sure that our Irryn will be well fed. Look at her—she's very slim."

I know that fact. I'm really unintentionally thin, and by nature, I don't know why but no matter how much I eat, I don't really seem to gain weight.

"Anyways, Ryn, are you really like that, or you aren't just fond of eating at all?" Ryle asked me.

"I suppose this is how I am. My body will not gain fat no matter how much I eat."

"When she was younger, I also supplemented her vitamins, but despite the amount of food she eats, she never gains weight. But, thank God, even if she's thin, she's healthy and somehow resilient, and that's the most important thing..." Mom expressed her enthusiasm.

Uncle Alanson looked at my mother. "That's right. What's important is that she's healthy and strong." Then he turned to talk to me again. "It may be in your genes, hija, that you are not gaining weight, or who knows someday when you get married, your body will also be able to get chubbier."

Yeah. I agree. That's what most people are saying to me, maybe after I turn eighteen, I might gain weight or something else, maybe when I get married.

"Anyway, how old are you now, Irryn hija?"

"Sixteen, uncle."

"See? You have two years to grow more with your physical aspect. We'll see to that."

I gave a gentle bow and nodded.

"Anway, kids," the man talked to his children. "In no longer time, I am going to marry your auntie Fidelia. Ryle, I've already mentioned this thing to you, right?"

Ryle stared at his father for a few moments before nodding seriously. "Yes, dad. I understand."

I couldn't help but feel awkward. Ryle was silent. He didn't express an opinion on his father's decision, and I couldn't help but wonder if he didn't like or liked the idea, or if he was merely neutral about it.

"You and Auntie Fidelia are getting married, dad? You mean I'm going to have a mommy again, and Irryn will be my sister?" Rhian was excited.

Uncle Alanson smiled at his daughter. "Yes, baby. Auntie Fidelia will take good care of you as your stepmother once we get married, and you can treat her like your second mom in this life, while yes, you can be sisters with Irryn too."

"Yeah hey! Will they be residing in our home? Auntie Fidelia and sister Irryn will accompany us, so I won't be the lone girl at home."

If I could see Rhian's excitement, Ryle, on the other is a bit sad. I can't help but worry, I think he doesn't like the idea, or he's not yet ready to see his father getting married again. After all, I understand his sentiment. He is no longer as young, and as innocent as Rhian, he could already think things on his own, and maybe he's still not yet that ready to see his father getting in love with another woman aside from his late mother.

Uncle Alanson nodded. "Yes, Rhian."

"Yey! Can't wait to go home with a sister to play around!"

The chuckle that Rhian made was the cause for the smile that broke out on my face at exactly the same time. Even I was able to catch a glimpse of the warm smile that Ryle had plastered across his face. Both of us cast our eyes in the opposite direction at the same time. After I had given him a sneer, he smiled back at me with the warmest smile he could manage in response.

Even though we were in the middle of eating, we couldn't help but turn our attention to the noise that sounded like someone kicking a can. Throughout the course of our examination, I was able to observe that one individual to have particularly sharp vision! I observed that he was still wearing the same worn trousers and plain white t-shirt that he had been wearing before, and that he was moving around in wet black boots with toes that were pointed downward.

Zack, who was the second son that Uncle Alanson had, was approached in a cordial manner, and Uncle Alanson exclaimed, "You, Zack, have finally arrived! Come on over here, son, and I'll put you in touch with your aunt Fidelia as well as Irryn." Zack's aunt and cousin, Irryn and Fidelia, respectively, were both named Fidelia.

In other words, it's been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The first child that Alanson's uncle ever had was also named Alanson. This is Alanson's second child.

He remained silent and didn't even bother to give a damn about what his father said. I wasn't sure if I was imagining, but I could feel his dark eyes darting directly at mine. It appeared as though he was scrutinizing me. Body and soul.

Both of his hands were placed in the pockets of his jeans. It appeared he had no intention of taking his eyes off me until I vanished into my seat. I felt the same strange fracture in my heart when our eyes first met.

After a long moment, he stopped staring at me and smirked, then continued walking on the shore. He walked past us as if he didn't see his father and sibling. He didn't even mind or flinch when his daddy called him!

"That devil!" Uncle sighed hard, almost losing his little remaining patience for his rebellious son.