Unraveled

Chapter 16

"Zoe, are you ready to go?" I call out from the bathroom. I put on a nice dress shirt and buttoned it up, getting ready for a stupid family reunion event that was in just about an hour.

I hear her little feet tap the ground before I see her poke her head through the bathroom door. She was able to get on her red dress, thank the lord.

"You look beautiful Zoe bear." I tell her honestly, and she giggles at the compliment. Her little hands grab the skirt of her dress and she does a little twirl.

I smile, how could one be just so cute and utterly adorable?

"Go get your shoes on, I'll be out in just a moment." I tell her patiently, and she half runs, half stumbles away from the bathroom.

I shake my head in amusement, and adjust the cuffs on the shirt sleeve I was wearing. I grabbed a tie I planned for this outfit, and put it around my neck.

After I'm done, I walk out and put on dress shoes, in which I could never really get used to how uncomfortable they were. Maybe I just needed different dress shoes. Who knows.

I walk out to the front of my house, grabbing my keys, and I see Zoe waiting patiently for me, thankfully in the right shoes. She's learning fast, and I'm really proud of her for that.

Now time to go to a ridiculous family reunion.

———

"Milo! Zoe!" I hear my mom exclaim as I sit down at the reserved table in the fancy restaurant.

Zoe gives a small, bashful wave, and my mom smiles.

I look around at the people at the table, and it's just a few visiting cousins and aunts and uncles with us. Some of my cousins had little kids as well, but what separated me from them is that I was a single parent, and gay.

I give Zoe her kids menu that came with a few crayons, and she begins to color in a few activities found on the paper.

"How are you feeling dad?" I look up to the man sitting across from me, and he gives me a friendly smile.

"Better. Leg still works properly thanks to that hospital." He shakes his head, clearly amused.

"No more cast and crutches though, right?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "Thank the lord."

The conversation went on for a while, staying pleasant until our food came after we had given our orders to the waiters and waitresses.

"So, Milo, are you seeing anyone?" One of my cousins jumped in. I look over to her, and she's visiting from Sweden. Her name is Ella, and she had stunning blue eyes and bright blonde hair. She loved purely Swedish compared to Zoe and I.

"Uh, yes, as a matter of fact I am." I cough awkwardly, looking back down at my plate. I don't want to discuss my dating life openly right now.

"Where is the lucky person?" I see her tilt her head.

"He's away for work at the moment. Why does my dating life seem like any of your business?" I bite down innocently on the steak I was eating.

"Milo! Manners." My mom snaps at me, and I shrug in defense.

"No, it's alright Caroline. I'm just wondering, since single parenting is tasking and all." Ella tells me, feigning an innocence.

Ella was the cousin that always wanted to cause unnecessary drama among everyone she came into contact with. I wasn't going to give her the time of day.

"It is very tasking, thank you for noticing. However, I wouldn't expect you to understand how hard it is." I say in a sickly sweet voice, and her eyes narrow.