My Champagne Problems

18: Perrier-Jouët

'Time is like a currency. Spend it wisely'

Olivia's P.O.V

At the end of our two-day trip, I spend the time on the plane ride back adding every new detail I've come learn about them during the duration of these two days to the profile I've mentally prepared of each of them. 

Few details like:

One; Kayden can be bearable, if and when he wants to be.

Two; I'm not certain, but I think Wesley is still mad at me about the beach incident. And if he is, he hasn't made any attempts so far to acknowledge it out loud.

Three; Ryan is very controlling.

Four; the boys have taken it upon themselves to be present anytime I'm around either mum or Ryan.

Mum and Ryan on the other hand are an entirely different story. They keep their distance from me--especially Ryan. Not that I'm complaining. I just don't like the strain this has caused in Mum and my relationship.

But I digress. She made the choice, and it wasn't me. 

Leaving in a house with just her and me might be a bit awkward after this. But we'll come to terms with it...eventually.

Or so I thought...

___________________________________

It started with little things like, her coming home later than usual. Her declining or ignoring my calls when I tried to get in contact with her.

Small parts of our routine time together got replaced with it becoming her 'me' time or hers and Ryan's time. I understood.

'She's happy, that's all that matters' I remind myself each night I'm forced to have dinner alone and each morning when I leave an empty house only to return to one in the evening.

But these minor changes essentially don't take long to escalate into major ones that effectively have now completely changed our routine to just being her routine.

No more mother-daughter time like there used to be. No more coming down to her radiant smile greeting me at the table each morning.

Some days I would find meals prepared and kept on the counter other days it's either leftovers she borough back from the restaurant she was at the previous night, or I'd just make my own food.

Mum spends more time at appointments than at home. If it isn't the gym, it is the wedding planner or the spa, or with her new friends at the country club, she has recently begun frequenting.

And I couldn't help but wonder on multiple occasions if it's my fault that our relationship is strained.

Within a few weeks of this change completely setting in, Kayden--much to my annoyance--out of the blue took it upon himself to show up every day like clockwork to check up on me. With Wesley showing up on occasion as well.

Do I find his behavior strange? Totally.

Am I going to protest it? I tried, but it had no effect.

So now I just go along with it. Why waste my energy protesting a hopeless cause?

But the change doesn't just stop at mum and her altered schedule, she went as far as hiring a nutritionist to help me 'focus on myself' along with a gym membership that I have yet to use.

"I didn't ask you to judge my dietary choices," I remark, narrowing my eyes at Kayden whose gaze is directed under a cloak of disgust towards my not-so-typical snack choice.

"Mum pays a nutritionist to do that for me, thank you very much," I add before grabbing my peanut--without jelly-sandwich and leaving. 

"How can you eat that?" He remarks following behind me.

"Like this," I take a bite out of my sandwich for emphasis, he scrunches his face in disgust.

"That should be illegal," he frowns. I roll my eyes.

"Kayden, leave the kid alone," Wesley warns from his spot in the living room. And just like that, the topic is dropped. Today is one of those occasions when Wesley decided to tag along during Kayden's home visits.

"So what do you want to do today?" Kayden asks flopping down next to me on the sofa while snacking on a bag of chips.

'When is he not eating?'  I shake my head inwardly.

"You're staying?" I frown at them. Their visits never last more than an hour, an hour and a half at most.

"Well..." Kayden trails off eyeing his older brother.

"We wanted to invite you over for dinner, actually," Wesley says, his voice toning down into seriousness. "Your mum will be coming over directly after her appointment," he adds.

"We're having guests over tonight," Kayden answers my questioning gaze. He has been fairly good at correctly reading my none verbal cues of late.

"And yes, your presence there would be very much appreciated," Wesley adds before I can even voice my thought.

"Okay," I shrug. It's just dinner. Although I'm rather apprehensive about facing mum and Ryan together.

"Great," Wesley smiles. I'm about to return the gesture when my eyes travel to Kayden who's sporting a mischievous grin.

"Kayden!" I set out changing behind him as he maneuvers his way around the rather confined space of my living room while dangling my childhood rabbit plushie by its ear.

'How did he find that?'

"Give. It. Back," I grit out with narrowed eyes, holding out my hand towards him.

I swear this guy cannot sit still in one place for more than five minutes without causing trouble.

"Make me," he smirks before dangling my plushie in front of me, his height acting to his advantage as he holds it above his head and consequently way about mine.

'I shouldn't have left it out on the sofa' I acknowledge my lapse in judgment.

"Wesley," I whine as a final resort, after a few failed attempts, which include trying to kick him to get him to it give up. But he doesn't budge.

"Kayden give it back," Wesley says firmly while scrolling through his phone unbothered by his younger brother's antics.

"Wes, you're no fun," Kayden whines, but hands me my plushie back anyway.

"And you're a pain in the ass," Wesley retorts uncaringly earning an eye roll from Kayden.

Tucking my plushies in a secure location far from Kayden's reach, I join the two in the living room shortly.

The rest of the evening is spent with Kayden and I bickering--he started it--and with Wesley being the mediator between us--he almost always took my side, much to Kayden's annoyance.

Author's Note:

Another day, another chapter...hope you're enjoying the story so far.

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Thanks for reading

~Kia