Chapter 37

“You seem awfully chipper today.” Angela commented, Harvey’s face brighter than she’d seen it in years. He’d been visiting home more often and keeping his promises to Eva. Brad smiled knowingly from behind the file raised in front of his face. He gazed at his wife under his eyes lids as she patted their son on the back and placed dinner in front of him.

“No reading at the table,” she pulled the file out of Brad’s hands and closed it, dropping it onto his open briefcase on the floor. “Family time.” She reminded him as she eased down beside him.

“Yes, Dear.” Brad pulled her hand to his lips and planted a kiss on the inside of her palm. Angela glared at him, annoyance and admiration swirling about. He only said ‘yes, Dear’ to mock her and she was fully aware of it.

“It’s really not normal for old married couples to be this affectionate.” Eva berated. Their parents were always holding hands, sharing chaste kisses and hugs in public; it was embarrassing. Weren’t old married couples supposed to be…fed up of each other? She barely saw her boyfriend and she could hardly tolerate him sometimes. She didn’t understand it.

“Old?” Angela croaked in revulsion. Casting a glance at her husband, his amusement locked in his eyes. He attempted never to get involved with his wife and daughter’s relationship. They fought like cats and dogs and then he’d find them cuddled up taking naps together or stop talking secretly whenever he entered a room.

“You are way too young to comprehend relationships, far less for a marriage.” Brad responded steadily, giving his daughter a little wink. Eva smiled at her father in admiration.
Harvey hung his head back and laughed. “You’ll find that Eva’s level of comprehension is far advanced to what you may think, father.” Harvey shot his sister a sly look and she panicked, shifting her gaze to her food. He could almost hear her heart hammering through her chest.

“We were talking about you and how chipper you were.” Eva interjected to redirect the heat away from her. She could tell her parents minds were churning at Harvey’s cryptic aside. She shot Harvey a gaze that loosely translated to *fix it.* Harvey shook his head, it was now or never.

“I met someone.” He revealed, taking another bite out of his mother’s famous baked potatoes and pork chops, he had a healthy appetite tonight, going in for seconds. He had refused the sautéed vegetables but his mother had piled them onto his plate nonetheless. Harvey pushed them to the far corner of his plate with his knife and fork while he waited for his family’s reaction.

“Oh my!” Angela rested her elbows on the table top, her eyes widening and her pitch going up.

“Here we go again.” Eva rolled her eyes. What was so special in Harvey seeing someone? He’d just be single again in no time. She wondered if her parents forgot how fickle Harvey had proven himself to be, he usually couldn’t see a woman past a two week mark.

“Before we get excited,” Brad cast a sideward glance at Eva, he had to be careful in his words. His daughter was still young and impressionable. “Are you serious about her?” he returned his gaze to Harvey. Angela resting her hands on Brad’s leg under the table for support. She was eagerly waiting for this day. She wanted Harvey to settle down with someone he loved, preferably before she and Brad got too old to deal with grandkids.

“Been seeing her for the past three weeks and I intend to keep seeing her.” He casually cut a piece of pork, picked it up with his fork and placed it into his mouth. Brad and Angela was silent, how to express their excitement without being overbearing?

“Well that is his longest relationship to date.” Eva chirped in, breaking the silence. Harvey would have been offended, but it was the truth, so his response was merely,

“Fair enough,” he shrugged. “Still surprised she made it through three weeks with you, she have belly.” Eva nodded to an invisible tune.
Everyone turned their attention to her now. “Belly?” Angela echoed, the colloquial slang appearing off in Eva’s tongue.

“My bo— ” Eva halted instantly, almost signing her own death warrant. She noticed Harvey’s eyes lighting up like a theme park. “friend,” she swallowed hard, to give the impression that she had a minor problem talking and eating at the same time. “she’s from Trinidad and Tobago. Her parents recently migrated; she’s been teaching me their local slang.” She told them.

“So, when you say ‘she have belly’ that means..” Brad prompted her explanation.

“That Harvey’s newest female friend has gumption. It’s almost like she’s fearless, but in a more mocking undertone.” Eva tried to explain.

“Then are you mocking her or me?” Harvey questioned, truly interested. Now he knew why his sister probably found this boy appealing.

“You.” Eva replied mercilessly. “If she’s met you and still decides she wants you then she have belly.” Eva restructured her initial argument, her eyes widening sardonically, her lips pressed in a straight line.

“Brat.” Harvey muttered, pulling away her pork chop and placing it on his plate.

“Hey!” she began to complain. She hadn’t even taken a bite yet.

“Calm down you two.” Angela placed another slice on Eva’s plate, she stuck her tongue out at Harvey. There was no way she was about to make the same mistake again.

“Daddy can you cut my pork up into pieces, please?” She handed the plate over to Brad and he set to work. He’d been doing this for her since she was old enough to eat solid foods.

“Anything for my princess.” He uttered, his mind focused on making them into small enough pieces to fit her mouth.

“What’s your love interest’s name?” Angela circled back to her son’s confession.

“You actually know her.” He said nonchalantly. Brad paused in his work and cast a glance in his wife’s direction.

“Mia Evans.”
Eva spat out the soda she just took a healthy gulp off; the fizzy liquid running down her chin and soaking through her t-shirt. “My teacher!” she growled, pulling a few napkins to dab against her mouth and neck.

“Fate works like that sometimes.” Angela glanced at her furious daughter. The liquid on her sizzling off as her blood reached dangerous levels.

“Wait a minute,” Eva dropped the tattered napkins on the table. “Isn’t Mrs. Evan’s married?”

“Married?” Angela looked horrified. Brad instantly dropped the utensils in his hands, “Son, when we said we want you to settle down, we kind of meant with your own family, not someone elses.”
Harvey was shaking his head profusely. “Mia is not married.”
A chorus of, “Are you sure?” aimed right at him. He felt mildly disoriented.

“She isn’t married.” he assured them, he think he would have known if the woman he’d been seeing for the past three weeks was married. There was no way she could have hid something like that. They dropped it, well, all but one. Eva could have sworn Mrs. Evans was married. She shook it off, she must have confused Mia with someone else.
****
“When am I getting to meet the mysterious woman you’ve been running around with?” Ethan stopped at a potential parking spot and was easing his way into the reverse park. They’d had a late meeting at their office and now they opted for some dinner. Ethan’s wife was spending the night at her mother’s, apparently her sister was having a bachelorette party. He’d sternly warned his wife that he was not allowing her to enjoy her time if her sister’s friends decided on strippers. For that reason, he kept his phone on loud so his wife can call him to pick her up if need be.

“Don’t want to scare her away just yet.” Harvey responded, looking out through the window. He’d asked Mia to see her tonight but she was busy, it being exam time in the school. Both him and Ethan were ditched by their women so a night out with some food and alcohol after a long day was the next best thing.

“A woman that doesn’t fall at your feet.” Ethan mused as he switched off the car and unhooked his seat belt. “I, for one, am ecstatic to be introduced.” He snickered. “We can have a double date at my house.” Ethan suggested, Harvey gave him a look, “When you guys are ready of course.” Ethan added on quickly as they both exited the car.

“Of course.” Harvey rolled his eyes. “Isn’t this your wife’s favourite restaurant?” he directed at Ethan and he nodded, pulling out his phone to take a picture of the building.

“Her punishment for abandoning me, tonight.” He said, giving Harvey a sly side eye as he sent the picture to his wife with the caption, ‘thinking of you.’

“She’ll strangle you.” Harvey laughed as they made their way indoors.

“I am counting on a little rough play when she gets back.” Ethan’s eyes darkened at the thought.
Harvey glanced around the room as he walked in, bring his eyes straight back to the path in front of him, his legs immediately pausing, bringing him to a halt. Ethan turned around and noticed Harvey had stopped a few paces behind him. He followed Harvey’s gaze, it was stuck to a female sitting beside Gabriel Evans. They sure had been running into him a lot lately.

“Know her?” Ethan questioned.

“Apparently not.” Harvey blinked a few times, there was no way he was hallucinating, that was Mia.