NYMPHO BABE - MANxMAN

Chapter 14

WYATT is an absolute BAE right?

Anyone agreeing to this, put your hands up please?

“Thanks for taking him in for the time being, Melody.”

I dropped his few bags that he packed up last night – two small duffel bags that he insisted he could carry by himself at first but relented after I re-insisted that I could help out – onto the living room floor and gave her a grateful hug, a smile etched wide on my face everytime I came by here.

“Nonsense, I’ve been waiting for another daughter for quite some time now.”

I could sense Will flinching a bit beside me with the wrong gender referral which was unnoticed by the gorgeous black woman standing before us, her somewhat chubby arms already opened wide for him and she was giggling gleefully. Shawn wasn’t the one greeting us in eventhough I called him that we’re coming like fifteen minutes ago, nowhere to be seen yet.

“Will, you’re more than welcomed to stay here for as long as you’d like. Shawn’s sister won’t be coming back from another one of her volunteer trips somewhere in Asia so you could use her room in the meantime.” Her hands pointing upstairs, probably to the room next to Shawn’s and I barely see the travelling sister anymore. My memories of the older sister (who was not born albino like Shawn) seemed barely around anymore but Shawn could easily fill in that hole for me. “I’m sure she won’t mind, dear.”

“But…I thought you’re going to prepare the extra guest room for me…”

“Did Wyatt tell you that? Silly boy, he must have forgotten that we renovated that room as my art room instead. It wasn’t that long ago.”

She slapped me upside by the arms goodnaturedly and ruffled my hair afterwards, like I was one of her many rambunctious kids to be messed with. I huffed at the childish treatment and she took that oppurtunity to squeeze the tip of my nose, embarassing me further much to her very delight.

“My bad, man. As long as you’re comfy here.”

I scratched the back of my neck with a wide toothy, innocent grin that made Will lightened up a bit, his shoulders relaxed as Melody engulfed him in a motherly bear hug, which he reciprocated after being swayed from side to side.

“I didn’t want to pry… but what happened to your father, if it’s okay to ask?”

Will didn’t really prepare anything for that burning question – the cautious, reserved light in his eyes flickered out for a bit and his muscles tensed next to me, his lips zipped shut trying to formulate a reply in his brain – so I stepped in quickly to save the day and then protect my bestie from further unwanted squirming under pressure. “Well, he went away for some business trip and he might not be coming back in a month or two, right Will?”

“Yeah… yeah, he’s right.” He paused for a minute, after nodding vigorously a few times biting his lower lip and his shoulders squared yet again. “I really hope I won’t be too much of a bother, Mrs. Howt.”

Melody nodded in understanding, didn’t really have the urge to ask further – I found her very much like Ma, a mother that didn’t really live on juicy gossips and passing judgment onto others like some women their age – with her hands by her hips, pushing her hair behind her ears taking a deep breath, while her kind grey orbs regarded the both of us with no prejudice whatsoever. She really didn’t want to make things awkward most of the time and I really do appreciate that.

“No worries, dear. Any friend of Wyatt’s and my son is also a friend of mine. Though one more thing needs to be cleared.” Since he was slightly taller, Will was leaning in a bit to focus more on her every word, like the most faithful son ever. “Please don’t call me Mrs. Howt, I’m not that old. Just call me Melody from now on, okay honey?”