Sunday dinner.
It wasn't a tradition Dmitry would be used to Nico having before, but his mother always made sure to show up for Sunday dinners now. She always came right after service and would stick around the rest of the day. Nico didn't go to church with her, but she always went.
Nico warned Dmitry she'd be coming, but he hadn't mentioned the routine till now.
"We make a meal together every Sunday just like we were never apart all those years. It's just the same again."
Nico made a strained face holding back the words 'except for my sisters being there.'
"She even tries to give me the gist of the sermon minus exact quotes. She's worse than that girl we met that time, the churchy one all into Christian rock." He said this referring to an angel he still didn't know was an angel.
He rolled his eyes.
"Still drives me nuts."
He was usually excited to see his mother. He didn't think she was home enough, always gallivanting around, plotting and scheming. Today he felt nervous. He wasn't sure how she was going to react to Dmitry being back. His mind kept looping over worst-case scenarios. She hadn't been kind to his memory in Dmitry's absence.
"You nervous? She should be here any time."
Then it was like his words were a cue on a set. A key jiggled in the front door.
Jovan's ghosty see-through-self disappeared at the sound. He wasn't sticking around visibly to be in the middle of it. Poof.
She walked in with a brown bag of groceries.
"Nicolo. Darling. I'm here. I brought noodles for-"
She set eyes on Dmitry and her words weren't the only thing that paused. Her feet stopped and her expression grew blank.
Nico had tried to prepare her that he was back via text. She gave Nico the silent treatment and hoped Dmitry would have disappeared again by Sunday. Wish unfulfilled. The disappointment was worn on every dull muscle of her face. All she could remember was his promise. She didn't take kindly to breaking them, not one as important and valuable as her son's mental well-being. She'd done enough damage. She didn't need anyone else making it worse.
A part of her knew Nico might need him, but she wasn't prepared to deal in another heartbreak if this weakling broke him again by running.
Her first words to him were, "I was taking care of him fine without you."
Nico stood tall and stepped mid room between them. "I'm not a child. I don't need taking care of."
Nova didn't even acknowledge his defensiveness. Her sullen eyes stayed on Dmitry.
@nyantry