Chapter 319: Suit Yourself
Chapter 319: Suit Yourself
That evening, Crystal let Clark help her make the pizza dough, and he was ecstatic. But he still missed his mother. “Auntie Crystal,” he said. “I really miss my Mommy. When will she come back.”
Crystal smiled and said, “If you make her a pizza, maybe she’ll come back for it.”
Clark smiled and said, “Alright! Let’s do it!”
Crystal smiled and looked up at Nathan, who was sitting opposite her. “Why are you staring at me?” she asked.
“You are my wife. I can look at you for as long as I want.”
“Suit yourself.” Crystal shrugged.
Suddenly, Clark lifted a wad of dough into the air. “Is this good?” he asked.
“It’s getting there,” Crystal replied. “But it needs to be kneaded more.”
“Thanks, Auntie.” Clark pounded the dough on the table and said, “When this is done, Mommy is going to come home for sure!”
“I’m sure she will love your pizza,” Crystal agreed.
Nathan gave the kid a dirty look. Then he looked at Crystal and said, “Forget Clark. Instead, teach me how to make pizza!”
“No!” Clark cried. “I need to make it so that my Mommy will come back.”
“Too bad!” Nathan hissed. “She is going to teach me!”
Crystal stood akimbo and glared at Nathan. “Why must you fight with children?”
****
Outside, a series of fireworks lit up the sky; Nathan, Crystal, and Clark watched the spectacle from the table on the deck while they waited for the pizza to be done.
Finally, the timer went off, and they all went back into the kitchen.
Nathan smiled and said, “It smells delicious. That must be the one that I made.”
Crystal humphed and said nothing. Beside her, Clark was practically vibrating with excitement, and she hoped that the pizza would distract him from thinking about his mother. She should have known better, though. Once he had his plate in front of him, he frowned and asked, “Why isn’t Mommy back yet? I miss Mommy. My little heart hurts.”
“What do you know about heartache?” Crystal scoffed. “Do you even know where your heart is?”
Clark’s stomach growled. He pointed to it and said, “That’s my heart.”
“Oh, sweetie. That’s not your heart. That is your stomach. You are hungry. Go ahead and eat.”
Clark nodded and one of the slices on his plate.
Crystal smiled. “Was that good?”
Clark nodded vigorously and said, “Wow! This was yummy!”
“Congratulations!” Crystal exclaimed. “You did a great job!”
“Auntie, why don’t you try mine...” Clark picked up a piece and fed Crystal.
“You are a good boy.” Crystal ate the pizza.
Although it looked ugly, it tasted good.
Nathan picked out a piece from his pizza, and he put it in front of her face. “Try mine.”
“Okay.” Crystal took a bite.
Nathan waited for a moment. “Well?” he asked. “Is it good?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Take another bite.” Nathan fed her again. Clark did not want to be left behind. He picked up a piece, smiled, and said, “Auntie, eat this one.” Since his mother was gone, he looked to Crystal for positive affirmation.
“Don’t worry.” Crystal laughed as she rubbed Clark’s hair. “I will eat whatever you put in front of me.” She opened her mouth to show that she meant it.
When Nathan saw this, he began to get angry. “What the Hell?” he grumbled. “Why are you putting him before me?”
Crystal rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t be like that. I am very hungry. I will also eat whatever you put in front of me, the same as him.”
Crystal took a bite from Nathan, then one from Clark, then one from Nathan, and it went back and forth like this for quite some time. Every time Nathan fed her, he grinned triumphantly, and every time Clark fed her, he glared at the boy as if he wanted to kill him. Finally, it got to be too much, and Clark began to cry.
Crystal gave Clark a hug. “There, there,” she said. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m scared,” Clark replied. He grabbed Crystal’s clothes. “Why is Uncle staring at me? He is like Auntie Michelle. He is going to hurt me... I just know it...”
Crystal frowned. She looked at Nathan and said, “He hasn’t done anything wrong. Why are you looking at him so fiercely?”
“I am doing no such thing,” Nathan argued. “It is all in his imagination. The kid misses his Mommy, and he is lashing out. This is Child Psychology 101, babe!”
“That’s bullshit!” Crystal exclaimed. “What do you know about Child Psychology? Besides, you still have a fierce look in your eyes. It is no wonder that he is afraid of you.”
Nathan’s face turned red, and he looked away unhappily.
Crystal wiped Clark’s tears away. “Are you ready for your Lucky Money?”
“What is Lucky Money?”
“If you say ‘Happy New Year’ to me, then I will give you Lucky Money,” Crystal explained. She showed him a small red envelope. “But I don’t want money. I want my Mommy.”
Suddenly, Nathan reached out and grabbed the envelope. He chuckled and said, “If he doesn’t want it, then I’ll take it.” He tested the envelope’s weight and smirked. “There’s not much money here. It is not even enough for you to buy me for the night. But, since you are a regular customer, I will give you a New Year’s Eve discount.”
“Nathan!” Crystal was shocked. She grabbed the red packet and said, “The Lucky Money becomes unlucky when you say things like that!”
Then, without saying another word, she went into the kitchen to clean up.
****
Clark was still on the porch watching the fireworks when Crystal returned. Nathan had moved back inside, and he was watching the news in the living room. He patted the seat beside him and invited her to sit with him, but she ignored him and went outside to watch the fireworks with the boy.
It was not long before the display was over, and Crystal turned to Clark. She had a grin on her face that stretched from ear to ear. “I have a surprise for you,” she said. “I bought some fairy fireworks at the mall today. Would you like to set them off with me?”
Clark’s eyes brightened. “Really?” he asked.
“Really!!”
“Hurrah! Hurrah!” Clark danced with excitement. “Will they be BIG?!?!”
“We won’t let off any super big ones, like the ones the city sets off,” Crystal explained. “It would be too dangerous. We can try the small ones, though. One of the servants will join us and take some pictures. It will be fun. I promise.”
Clark nodded. He understood.
