Family dinner, forreal this time

You expect Karina to be upset, but she only seems annoyed at being made to wait. The realization isn't surprising, though, when you consider her scores. Why would she be upset or angry with you? She loves you, more than anything. Her infatuation bleeds from her in rays, visible to everyone around her with half an ounce of social awareness.

Thought, the realization awakens a troubling line of thought as you follow Karina and Nadia into the kitchen. You've accepted that the app is helping those around you to be true to themselves, but is that all? Or, are they sacrificing some component of their personalities to be a part of this, for lack of better words, harem? Only a few days ago, Karina would have sprinted out of your front door with tears down her cheeks at the sight of Nadia on top of you. Now, she barely blinks an eye. Is that a reduction of the image of her own self-worth? Or, was it a natural consequence of loving someone to such an **** degree?

And, really, should you even worry about it? There's no doubt that you cannot stop whatever is happening to you, no more than you can stop the passage of time or the movements of the sun, so why bother? The girls are already like a pack of hyenas, ravenous for you.

You sit down at the kitchen table, chuckling at yourself over your poorly chosen metaphors. Maybe their hunger for you is what blinds them against what would be jealousy. A starving man will be content when given a loaf of bread if hungry enough, despite what his neighbor carries. For a short while, at least.

The thoughts mistify in your mind as you see the spread that Karina and Mia have prepared for you and Nadia. Pan-seared chicken, sauteed green beans, and freshly whipped potatoes. A true home meal, unlike any you've had in a while. A thin layer of sweat coats both of their faces, giving them an even more haggard look after their afternoon nap (or whatever they were doing). It smells delicious. You sit down across from the two girls, with Nadia beside you.

"Quite the dinner," you murmur, picking up your fork and knife from the faded kitchen table top. Nadia hums in agreement. You waft the scent of the hot food towards you with your off-hand, poking your nose out in a theatric display of enjoyment.

"I know." Karina rolls her eyes. "Mia and I had to watch a YouTube video to know how to make this stuff, while you two couldn't even behave for ten minutes." Mia chokes a bit and elbows her friend in the side, shooting an unheard whisper to Karina with an incredulous face.

"What?" Karina continues. "It isn't my fault those two were in there fucking like dogs in heat."

A warm blush grows on Mia's cheeks. Despite the changes in the girl's personality lately, she is still a naturally shy person. You're sure this type of talk, around Nadia at least, is bothering her.

"Enough, Karina," you say, not ungently. "You're making Mia uncomfortable."

Karina rolls her eyes again at your comment, but a faint, whisper of a smile grows on Mia's face as she picks up her fork and stabs it into a steaming green bean. "Thanks," she murmurs, then plops the foot into her mouth. You enjoy the warmth on her face as she savors the food before Karina cuts back in.

"Whatever. I'm over it. How's the food?" She shoots you her best, innocent smile, as she spears a green bean on her fork and sucks it through her pursed lips with a knowing, not-so-innocent wink.

You savor each bite of the chicken, the green beans, and the potatoes. "Delicious. I meant it. You girls really surprised me," you say. Nadia purrs in approval beside you, and she munches on a bite of chicken. "Mhmm," she mumbles.

You really are surprised. You'd never seen Mia cook in the years you've known her, and Karina tended to stick with hot pockets and salads. To see them craft a meal so expertly... reminds you that they're true adults now. Independent women. Karina may be your daughter, and Mia may be sleeping on your couch, but they can handle their own. To a degree, at least.

Your thoughts darken, and the image of George sinking into the black wharf water flitters through your mind. The sound of him hitting the waves with a violent splash. Then silence. You feel the cool water around you, pulling you down, as the chain tied to your foot sinks you to the floor of the bay. Shimmering waves create a dancing ceiling of beams of light in the water, reflecting off of the face of your-.

A hand shakes your shoulder, then, "-alright? Lev?" Karina is standing beside you, while Nadia rests her hand on your right shoulder. Karina looks at you with worry in her eyes, says, "Daddy? Are you okay? You went silent for a while there, like you were lost in your own world or something. I was just kidding, earlier. I didn't mean to-."

"I'm okay," you answer, your mind snapping back to the dinner you're sharing with your family. "Just distracted for a moment, is all." Your voice feels hollow, and you will away an unbidden tear. Fuck George! You aren't even upset about what happened to him, so what's the deal with the sudden flashbacks and thousand-yard stare?

"We're here for you, you know," Karina says, then wraps her arms around your shoulders and pulls you to her chest. Considering the fact that you're sitting in a chair and are rather taller than your daughter, she ends up nestling your face directly between her breasts. Your nose even manages to find its way over the neckline of her tank-top to press into the soft, pliable flesh of her right breast, just above the maroon satin of her bra.

Despite the underlying sexuality of your physical connection, your daughter's embrace helps. It seems to mend that broken part within you, if only for a moment. Nadia continues to rub your shoulder, her worry seeping into you from her touch. Mia sits silently across the table, her brow furrowed.

"I'm okay," you say again, your words barely escaping the confines of Karina's chest as she nuzzles you tighter. After a few more moments of her caressing your hair, you pull away and blink sharply, trying to subdue the emotion that is roiling within you. You share a glance with Nadia, and despite the worry you see on her face, you notice an odd, mischievous shimmer in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Karina asks.

You nod and give her a weak smile. The images of George are still there, in the back of your mind, but you try to trudge past them.

"I am. Now, let's get back to dinner."