Inside the house, Arwen was sitting with Beca when a maid came to inform them.

    "Madam, the dinner has been arranged at the table."

    Beca nodded and dismissed her before turning back to Arwen. "It''s already time for dinner. Let''s go."

    "Uncle Gareth won''t be joining us?" she asked, and at the same time, Gareth''s voice came from a distance.

    "How can I not?"

    Arwen turned to glance behind, finding the man descending down the stairs with ease steps. Her lips curled up in a smile in reciprocation to the one he had on his.

    "Like your Aunt Beca, even I was waiting to meet you today. How can I miss it then?" he said as he walked towards her and opened his arms to give her a side hug.@@@@

    "Uncle Gareth, I thought you weren''t at home," Arwen said, pulling away from the hug.

    Gareth shook his head. "I was here itself," he said. "The company abroad needed my attention, so I was just handling it in the study."

    Arwen nodded in understanding. To her, Gareth has always been a person to maintain a balance between family and work life. He had devoted himself to his company and work, but that never kept him away from showing his care and love to Aunt Beca and Ryan —his family. Whenever they needed him —he had been there for them.

    On the day Ryan graduated from university, he attended the event to celebrate it for him.

    Even when she graduated, he came along with Beca to be part of happiness. It might not seem like a moving mountain for her, but still, she couldn''t help but be grateful for it because they took out time from their busy schedule when her parents didn''t.

    "That''s not true," Gareth shook his head, before picking a dish made up of eggplant. "Last time when I checked, I loved your recipe of aubergine. The chefs here can''t cook them like you do."

    "True," Beca nodded. "Last time when they tried, your uncle asked them to not ruin the vegetable. I still remember he almost scared the soul out of the poor man."

    They all laughed and soon, started having dinner happily.

    Just after a few minutes, the sound of the steps was heard and Beca glanced up in the direction to see Ryan entering. "You have come finally," she said, before gesturing for him to take the chair next to Gareth. "Sit and have dinner." Serve yourself," she said already lifting the bowl of rice to pass to him.

    But Ryan''s eyes remained focused on Arwen. He stared at her with an intention clear in his gaze, even when she blatantly ignored his gaze.

    Beca noticed it and spoke again. "Ryan, I said, sit and have the food. Why are you still standing?"

    Ryan turned to look at his mother. Seeing her gesture towards the chair, he cast a glance towards the chair next to his father.

    But then instead of pulling it out for himself, he walked on the other side of the table, standing right next to Arwen.

    Beca frowned, seeing her son like that. But before she could say anything, Ryan pulled a chair next to Arwen and sat down as if it was the more natural thing to do.

    "Ryan, you—"

    Before Beca could say anything, Ryan spoke in a natural tone. "We never had seats designated to people at the dining table. I will sit here. I hope no one minds."

    As he said that, his eyes stared at Arwen intently as if waiting to see a reaction. But Arwen didn''t react at all.