Chapter 318
Eileen was silent, her eyes wandering the room as if lost in thought.
She spun around, glaring at Egbert with a mix of annoyance and exasperation, "Who asked you to take charge?."
"Exactly." Flossie was the first to regain her composure after the shock of the revelation.
She spoke out loud, "Used protection, didn't you? No bun in the oven. You don't have to step up to the plate."
Eileen's silence returned, her gaze fixed on Flossie, unsure of what to do next.
Flossie walked over, took Eileen's hand, and said soothingly, "It's okay. Eileen, I was young once too. We're living in the 21st century. All of us older folks are pretty open-minded. I mean, who hasn't had a few flings before settling down?"
Chad, standing not too far off, chimed in, "You didn't."
Flossie instantly snapped at him, "Mind your beeswax."
Chad shrunk back into silence.
Flossie continued to reassure Eileen, "You see, I was foolish enough to fall head over heels for my first love. Chad was my first, and did I draw the short straw? I never got the chance to play the field before tying the knot. Don't go making my mistake."
Eileen was at a loss for words. She struggled to clarify, "The video must have been edited wrong. We didn't buy any condoms."
Flossie froze, "You didn't use protection?"
Eileen remained silent.
Rosalind finally caught on and, as if resurrected from the dead, grabbed Eileen's hand, asking breathlessly, "Is that true?"
Eileen nodded vigorously, "We bought chewing gum. The editing's all messed up."
Rosalind exhaled deeply, visibly relieved to have survived the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Egbert, realizing his plan to stir the waters had failed, sat down in disappointment.
On the TV, Eileen and Egbert's episode concluded with the controversial condom aisle scene.
The continuation of their story would have to wait until next week.
As the show moved on to feature Aurora and Calvert, Rosalind, drained of energy, simply turned off the TV, unwilling to watch any further.
A peculiar silence descended upon the living room, likely due to the family's recent discussion of Eileen and Egbert's contraception debacle, leaving the atmosphere awkward and charged.
Karin then peeked her head from the second floor, calling out, "Eileen?"
Seeing Karin was like spotting a lifeline for Eileen, who responded eagerly, "Yeah, I'm here. I'm coming up."
With that, she scurried up the stairs, eager to escape the tension below.
Once Eileen left, all eyes in the room turned to Egbert.
Burton, less opposed to Egbert's involvement with Eileen, rose to his defense amidst the family scrutiny, stuttering, "Egbert, could you come upstairs and help me with my homework?"
Egbert gave Burton a look, then stood up and replied simply, "Sure."
After Karin had summoned Eileen upstairs, she revealed, "Eileen, Derek wants to see you."
Eileen, taken aback, glanced toward the study. A minute later, she entered the study to find Derek sitting behind the desk. The computer screen beside him still displayed the video from "Romantic Revelations," paused on the controversial condom shelf.
Eileen's heart skipped a beat, fearing Derek wanted to discuss that very issue.
Sighing, she braced herself to explain the situation once more, but instead, Derek picked up his teacup and gestured for her to sit on the couch. Seated awkwardly, Eileen listened as Derek sipped his tea, asking, "It's brewed with the Western method, right?"
Eileen nodded and offered to make him a fresh cup, only to be stopped by Derek, who didn't want to let her out of his sight, given the recent family turmoil.novelbin
Derek, noticing Eileen's discomfort, reassured her that Rosalind was just worried and hoped it wasn't too much of a bother.
Eileen looked up at Derek, who was so different from the father she remembered, and her heart ached.
Without her around, Derek had aged, with white hair at his temples and wrinkles etching his face.
It wasn't just Derek, but Rosalind as well, who had given birth to her at an advanced maternal age back in the day, and neither of them was getting any younger now.
Feeling a little hard inside, Eileen said, "It doesn't bother me."
When she finished, she couldn't help but say, "I don't bother you either, Dad."
Derek froze, the whites of his cloudy eyes turning a little red as he sucked in a breath and took another sip of the already cold tea in his hand, then said with a little quiver in his throat, "Alright."
Eileen smiled, and the strangeness between them that had arisen from being separated for so long seemed to dissipate a little at that moment. Eileen took the initiative again and asked, "Have you eaten yet noon?"
Derek smiled and nodded.
Eileen was a little embarrassed, "Mom is not allowed to go down, you won't be angry, right?"
Derek waved his hand and said magnanimously, "I won't be mad at her."
Eileen looked at Derek.
Afraid she wouldn't believe him, Derek asked, "Do you think I've been good to your brothers?"
Eileen thinks about the information she has looked up.
Derek was very good to his brothers. He took care of each of them, not favoring one over the other, not being biased. If he were to be biased, she'd probably be the only one he'd be biased towards.
Because she was lost for so many years, Derek spent the most energy on her over the years. Whenever there was news of her, even in the middle of the night, he would get up and rush through the information.
Eileen acknowledged his care with a nod, to which Derek revealed that his kindness was all for the sake of Rosalind's happiness. As long as Rosalind was happy, so was he.
Eileen tugged at the corner of her mouth, managing a strained smile, "Alright, enough said, I get it. I can take a hint."
Derek chuckled again.
Eileen had been chatting with Derek in the study for quite a while.
It wasn't until it was nearly time for the evening social that Derek finally said, "You should head downstairs, they'll be looking for you soon."
Eileen stood up and asked, "Aren't you coming down too?"
Derek shook his head, "No need."
Sensing Eileen might take it the wrong way, he quickly clarified, "It's not that I don't dare to join the party without Rosalind's permission, I just prefer the quiet of the study. I like my quiet."
Eileen pretended to buy that explanation.
Leaving the study, she made her way downstairs.
As she passed by one of the rooms, Eileen noticed Egbert inside.
Egbert was sitting in a chair, guiding Burton through his homework.
At that moment, Burton happened to ask, "Egbert, what's the penalty for bigamy?"
Then Eileen heard Egbert pause before replying in a weary tone, "Two mothers-in-law, I suppose."
Eileen looked at Egbert and wasn't sure whether to laugh.
Egbert must have been seriously haunted by the shadow of Rosalind.
Turning her head away, Eileen couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Her laughter drew the attention of the two inside the room.
Burton immediately called out, "Eileen."
Eileen entered the room, flipping through Burton's textbook, she asked, "Homework?"
Burton nodded, "Yeah, due on Monday."
Eileen put the book back and then asked Burton, "Could you get me a glass of water, please?"
Without hesitation, Burton agreed, "Sure thing," and went off to fetch it.
With Burton gone, Eileen let her gaze fall back to Egbert, who was still flipping through a book in his chair.
She pulled the book from his hands. As he looked up, she leaned forward, quickly pecking his lips.
Egbert was startled.
Eileen let out a soft laugh, took a step back, then cupped Egbert's cheeks, leaned down, and kissed his lips once more, "Are you okay, Egbert?"