Page 52 of Michael's Awakening
“Dad, I don’t mind helping,” Gabriel told him. “At least let me set the table. Zack never does it right”
“Fine, fine.” David chuckled as Zack sneered.
Gabriel turned to me with a wink. “Want to help?”
“Of course.” I let him lead the way.
After the table was set and the food was steaming in front of us, we all sat down together to eat. David was at the head of the table and Zack was at the other end, with me and Gabriel in the middle sitting across from each other. Since Gabriel was a vegetarian, he didn’t eat any turkey or ham, but there were dishes his father had specially made for him, such as sweet potato casserole with almonds and roasted garlic brussel sprouts.
“So, Michael,” David spoke after we began eating. “Gabe here tells me that you practice law?”
“Yes, sir.” I nodded. “I’m a prosecuting attorney.”
“Very impressive. I bet that job is very rewarding.”
“It is,” I agreed. “However, sometimes there isn’t enough physical evidence for a conviction, even though it’s obvious the person is guilty. So, they get away. Or there was an error committed somewhere within the arresting process and they get released on a technicality. Although rewarding, it can also be infuriating at times.”
I took a sip of water and looked across the table at Gabriel.
He and Zack were narrowing their eyes at each other and a pea fly across my line of vision, followed by a sliced carrot.
“Zackary Thomas Greyson,” David said, exasperated. “This is the dinner table, not a circus. Stop throwing food.”
Gabriel almost spewed the drink he had just taken all over the table when Zack got in trouble.
“That goes for you too, Gabriel Andrew,” his father said, causing my lips to twitch.
Andrew was his middle name? I loved it.
“Are they always like this?” I asked David with an amused shake of my head.
“You haven’t seen anything yet, trust me. Just wait until Christmas,” David answered, all irritation washed from his face, and in its place was nothing but delight. I saw the love he held for his sons and it tugged at my heart.
What would my life had been like if my own father had stayed around and loved me like that?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dad, I’m a freaking angel,” Gabriel said with a dramatic roll of his eyes, causing his father to chuckle.
“Yeah, Lucifer was an angel once, and look what happened to him,” Zack countered with a dimpled grin. “I think that halo you have, little bro, may be held up with some horns.”
“You’re just jealous of my fabulousness.”
I sat back and listened to them talk through the remainder of dinner and answered questions when I was asked. Whenever I was silent for too long, David or Zack would ask me something, as if trying to make me feel more included. It feltodd. I had never been in a family setting such as that, so everything was new for me.
It was nice.
Gabriel’s family had welcomed me into their home with such care and friendliness that it puzzled me. It was obvious that I had worried myself sick over the meeting for nothing.
After dinner, I helped Gabriel clear the table and walked over to place the dishes in the sink. A smile lit my face, as well as his, as we stood side-by-side to wash dishes.
“What are you boys doing?” David’s voice startled both of us, causing Gabriel to drop the dish he was washing back into the soapy water with aclunk.“Y’all don’t need to wash up. I can do that later. Come have a seat with us in the living room.”
Gabriel and I looked at each other and smiled before wiping off our hands and following David into the other room. Zack had just placed another log on the fire and then took a seat in one of the Victorian-styled chairs. The fire crackled and popped as the warmth from it spread and filled the small room.
“Hey, Gabe,” Zack spoke tensely and stood back up once he saw us enter the room. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Gabriel creased his brow in confusion, but nodded his head. “Yeah, sure.”
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and walked off with his brother. I watched him walk away and my heart sank as the warmth he created vanished.
