The Question At Dinner
1316 Words
YULIA
The car ride felt quieter than usual. Kendrick’s hand rested lightly on my thigh, his thumb moving in slow, absent-minded circles like he could feel every thought I was trying to suppress.
“You’re overthinking again,” he said without looking at me.
“I’m not,” I lied immediately.
That made him exhale a quiet laugh. “Yes, you are.”
I glanced at him. “I just… haven’t seen them in a while, and now we're dating…”
“You’re meeting your father,” he corrected gently. “Not performing a courtroom argument.”
I huffed. “It feels like one.”
His hand tightened slightly on my thigh, grounding me without saying anything for a moment.
Then softly, “Stop thinking too much.”
“I can’t just—”
“Yes, you can.”
His tone wasn’t commanding. It was steady. Certain. Like he already knew what calmed me better than I did.
I swallowed and leaned back into the seat slightly. The rest of the ride passed in quieter breaths.
When the car finally slowed, I looked up. My chest tightened. Home.
Kendrick followed my gaze. “This is where you grew up?”
“Part of it,” I said quietly.
He studied it for a second. “It suits you.”
I gave him a look. “What does that even mean?”
“Calm outside,” he said simply, then glanced at me. “Chaos inside.”
I frowned. “I am not chaos.”
He smiled faintly. “Sure.”
I ignored him and reached for the door, but he stopped me gently.
“Hey.”
I looked back. His hand was still on my thigh, and he kissed me softly. “You’re fine.”
I nodded and then stepped out.
The moment we reached the front door, I hesitated just briefly before pushing it open.
“Hello?” I called out. “Anybody home?”
“Yulia!”
Daphne appeared first. She moved quickly, arms already open, and pulled me into a hug before I could even fully process her. She smelled like soft perfume and something warm—like home but polished.
“I missed you,” she said warmly.
“I missed you too,” I replied, smiling as she pulled back. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. Her eyes shifted immediately past me. “Son.”
Kendrick stepped forward calmly. “Good evening, Mother.”
Daphne smiled wider. “Good evening.” She hugged him tighter. I could tell she'd missed her son.
“You look well, son,” she admitted.
“So do you, mother, ” he replied.
I watched them for a second longer than I meant to.
“Yulia!”
This time, the voice came sharper. My father. He walked in like he always did—confident, grounded, and annoyingly capable of filling a room without trying.
But the moment his eyes landed on me, everything softened. “Hey, sweetheart.”
And before I could even step forward properly, he pulled me into his arms.
“Dad!!!” I laughed as he lifted me clean off the ground.
I shrieked, “Put me down!”
“No,” he said simply, spinning me once like I was still ten years old.
I screeched. “I am not a child anymore!”
“You will always be my child,” he said easily.
I hit his shoulder lightly. “You’re ridiculous.”
He finally set me down but didn’t let go fully, keeping one arm around me like he was making up for lost time.
“I missed you,” he said, quieter now.
That made my chest tighten slightly. “I missed you, too.”
He finally looked past me again. “Kendrick.”
Kendrick stepped forward. “William.”
A pause, but not tense. Just familiar.
My father gave him a small nod. “Good to see you again.”
“You too, William.”
“...And thank you for taking care of my baby girl,” my father said as they shook hands.
“It's a pleasure,” Kendrick replied, but glanced at me and smirked.
A pleasure indeed. I thought, fighting back a smile.
Daphne clapped her hands lightly. “Alright, come on. Let’s not stand in the hallway like strangers.”
She ushered us in gently. The house smelled different inside—livelier. Warmer. Like someone had actually been living in it instead of just existing in it.
As we walked toward the dining room, I noticed the small changes. Fresh flowers on the table. Music playing faintly from somewhere.
Daphne noticed me looking. “I tried to make the place feel more alive,” she said softly.
“It does,” I admitted before I could overthink it.
My father glanced at me. “She’s done more than that. She made me eat meat again while we were away.”
Daphne laughed. “Don’t act like you didn’t miss it.”
“I didn’t,” he said seriously.
That made all of us laugh. Even Kendrick. I glanced at him briefly—he looked relaxed. For a moment… It felt normal.
We sat in the dining room together.
Food arrived not long after, and conversation flowed more easily than I expected.
Daphne asked about my studies. My father talked about work. Kendrick stayed mostly observant, occasionally adding a comment that made my father nod in approval.
And somehow, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
At one point, Daphne leaned back slightly. “Actually, I’ve been thinking…”
My father looked at her. “That’s something dangerous.”
She smiled. “I want to do a small get-together next week. Nothing big. Just close friends and family.”
“For what?” Kendrick asked.
She glanced at my father fondly. “To celebrate our union properly. Since we eloped, we never really had anything official.”
My father sighed dramatically. “We are officially married. That should be enough celebration.”
“It’s not,” she said firmly.
That made him laugh. I smiled at them. They worked. It was strange how easily they fit.
“I think it’s a good idea,” I said honestly.
Daphne brightened. “Really?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“Son?” Daphne called out to Kendrick.
“Sure, mother.” Then he added quietly, “It suits you both.”
My father’s expression softened slightly. “I guess it's a deal.”
“Yeah… you're the odd one out,” I muttered.
That earned another round of laughter.
Kendrick’s hand briefly brushed mine under the table, and I beamed at him.
Daphne continued talking about arrangements—food, guests, timing.
And then it hit me.
Guests.
Friends. Family.
Natalie.
My smile faltered for half a second before I caught it. I kept my expression neutral, but my fingers tightened slightly around my fork.
Kendrick noticed immediately. He leaned closer just enough for only me to hear. “What?”
I shook my head lightly. “Nothing.”
He didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push.
The conversation eventually drifted again—stories, laughter, small updates about life we had missed.
It felt almost peaceful. Almost.
Until my father set his glass down and stared at me. “Yulia.”
I blinked. “Yes?”
A pause. Then—
“Are you coming back home tomorrow?”
The question landed softly. It just didn’t feel soft. It felt like something underneath it hadn’t been said yet.
Daphne stopped speaking.
Kendrick didn’t move.
Instantly, I became very aware of how many meanings that one question could hold.
I swallowed. “Tomorrow?” I repeated slowly.
My father nodded and waited.
Suddenly, the dining room felt a lot smaller.
And judging by the look in Kendrick's eyes, he already knew this conversation wasn't as simple as it sounded.
- Writer
