Chapter 4

It had been a week since the event at the park and I haven't seen Samus at all. I have been going on my walks past her house at the usual time, but I haven't seen her outside. I came to the conclusion that she may be avoiding me. It was a random conclusion that had no evidence backing me up at all, it's just my mind coming up with this idea. It would be nice to see her once again though.

I never really understood how she of all people managed to calm down my heart, something that no one, not even Ike could do. There was something about that woman as I stared into her eyes while her hand was pressed up against my heart that made me feel like I had some sort of connection. Nothing more other than something was pulling me towards her. Like some sort of invisible force that makes me was to go back for more. All of this sounds very idiotic.

Besides I shouldn't be thinking about her at all, I should be focused on my studies or concentrate on my friends. This random woman pops in my life out of nowhere and now she is the center of my attention? That doesn't seem right especially since I seem to forget about my friends once my mind wonders off. It's not fair.

"Zelda."

I snapped out of my thoughts and frantically look around me. All of my classmates are already leaving the classroom with their stuff in hand. Next to me, Ike, waved his hand in front of my face in order to get my attention. It worked.

"Wait, is class over?"

"Yeah, it's been over for five minutes. You okay?" he spoke softly. "You seem to be staring off into space."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about things."

"Was something bothering you?"

I shook my head. "No, just thinking."

He stared at me. He looked like he wanted to believe me but doesn't know how to press on. "You do know that if you ever need to talk to someone that I'm always here, right?"

"Ike I'm telling you, I'm fine." I smiled and gathered my belongings. "It's very kind of you to worry about me but I was just thinking about something random, trust me when I say that there's nothing to worry about."

"If you say so," he sighed. "Something's been up with you lately and I don't know, I just can't stop worrying."

"You always seem to be worried about me..." My eyes gazed downward to the ground feeling a sad smile form on my face. "Even with the tiniest things, you get worked up." Getting up from my seat, I made my way towards the classroom entrance with Ike following behind me.

"Hey, do you want to go do something?" I turned and faced Ike who had a faint blush on his cheeks. "Maybe today or tomorrow, or you know, whenever you want to. I mean, I can wait but I just want to ask-"

"I'm sorry, I don't really feel like doing anything. I was just going to stay with my parents and maybe work on my homework."

"Oh," his tone dropped. "That's okay, I kinda figured you would have been busy or something. Would you...um, would you like me to drive you home?"

I shook my head. "That won't be necessary, my mother told me that she would pick me up this morning."

"Oh, then I might as well head on to my car then. I'll see you around, okay?"

After saying our farewells, Ike left to the parking lot while I went towards the front of the school where they drop off the students. While waiting for several minutes, I took my phone out from my pocket and started fiddling with it. A few minutes passed by then mother picked me up in her car.

"How was your day, sweetie?" my mother asked me.

"It was slow."

"School can get like that. I remembered that the days that were the slowest for me were the days that I always felt sad. Tell me, is something bothering you?"

I shook my head without replying a single word.

"Honey, I know something has been off about you. I know that you're acting different." This again. "You haven't been acting the same since you returned from your walk a few weeks ago. You've been sluggish lately, and you don't seem to have the energy as you used to have."

"Mother, I'm just tired with all of the studies that I've been having." I smiled faintly as I pulled out my earbuds from my bag, putting them in my ears as soon as I took them out. "It's just hard, that's all. If you do not mind, I'll just take a nap."

"Of course, sweetie."

The day passed ever so slowly. My mother, father, and I sat around the table and quietly ate the turkey dinner that my mother prepared.

It's usually like this, just sitting in the kitchen without saying a single word to each other. They want to talk, I can feel it but no one starts the conversation. I have nothing to say to them, it's not that I hate them or anything. I actually have nothing to say.

"So your mother tells me that your day at school was slow," my father begun. "I guess nothing eventful must of happened."

"Mhm... Was it like that for you both when you were my age? Just randomly having a slow day?"

My mother chuckled. "Oh of course especially since your grandparents had me take after school programs. All of the stress got me so worked up that I actually ended up passing out in the middle of the hallway."

I gasped. "That actually happened?"

"Oh yes, it did sweetheart," my father responded. "I was the one who carried your mother to the nurse's office." My mother reached to his side and held his hand, giving him a loving smile.

"Was that how you both first met each other?" I asked. He chuckled and responded with a slow nod of his head. "That is so sweet, I never knew that's how you met each other."

My father smiled. "You never asked."

"Father!"

"Now, now you two, go on and eat your dinner I know it won't eat itself." My mother pointed her fork at me. "And you need all the energy you can get since you're feeling so sluggish."

Chuckling softly, I took a bite of the turkey. "Yes, yes mother."

"If you want, you can take it easy on yourself with your studies."

I stared at my mother who was returning my gaze with a smile. "Since something is stressing you, then it must be because you're overworking yourself with school."

"Mother..." I smiled. "Of course, I actually feel like I do need to take it easy on myself. Thank you so much for understanding."

"Especially since you didn't directly tell us anything," my father added.

"Which is why we can never stress enough when we say that if you need to talk about anything, you can always come to us darling. We do worry about you and we care."

I turned away, almost feeling slightly embarrassed. "Mother, father, you're smothering me."

"I don't see it as smothering." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a bear tight hug. "Now this is what I call smothering!"

"Father. Can't. Breathe!"

"Oh Daphness, let her go. After all these years, she's still being crushed by your grip and I don't think it's going to change anytime soon."

"Are you calling me fat, woman?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You know I'm not," she chuckled.

"Besides, you know you love me the way I am."

"Why? You still act like you're in your early twenties."

"I have you know, I'm only in my early thirties," he huffed. My mother only stared at him.

"Father! Grip!" I gasped.

"Oops, sorry." He let me go and we both burst into a fit of laughter. My mother soon joined in.

After dinner, we took our family session back to the living room where my mother and father sat in the largest couch while I sat in the recliner chairs. The television was on a channel that was showing a comedic show about some cartoon rocks or something that my parents loved watching on their spare time. I watched it with them but I wasn't paying much attention to it. I was more or less letting my mind wonder around the living room and stared at the furniture.

My mother and father acted like they're my age, carefree of the world that was around them. My mother said that she was pressured into surpassing her classmates in her classes so she could uphold her family name. I wondered if my father had the same thing happen to him as he was growing up, or if he always had this laid back attitude towards the world. That placed another question in my head. Was my mother uptight until she met my father?

"Are you okay, Zelda?" I snapped out of my trance and stared at my father. My mother may have left to get a drink or something because it was only my father who sat on the couch. "You were staring at the coffee table for a while."

"Oh, uhm yeah, I guess I was just a little tired," I yawned.

My father patted the cushions next to him and smiled. "Why don't you sit with me?"

"Okay..." I got up from the chair and sat on the couch next to him. I rested against him and stared at the television.

"A lot of things seem to be going through your mind right now."

I shook my head. "N-no, it's nothing father honestly."

"Princess, you know it's written all over your face. Your mother might not see it, but I do." I sighed since my father wasn't going to take a 'no' for an answer. "You know, you remind me a lot of her."

"Mom?"

"Mhm. Especially how you end up getting worried about things that you can and can't control. I know one of them is school since you were home schooled almost all of your life and it is understandable why you're struggling to juggle so many unknown classes." I nodded in agreement, knowing full well that he's right about that. "I'm guessing the other thing might be about boys. Am I correct?"

I jumped up. "B-boys?!"

"I'm only guessing since you're spending time with your friends, especially that Ike friend of yours." Ike? "I can see it in his eye whenever I see you with him, he likes you."

"L-likes me?!"

"I wonder if it's time I give you that talk? Is it even appropriate for me to tell you."

"F-Father! N-Now doesn't seem appropriate!" I shook my head. "Besides, I...don't know if I feel the same way for him..."

He patted my head. "I figured. I always thought that maybe your interests were on something else other than guys." I stared at him, wondering what he meant by those words. Does he think that I'm not interest in finding a boyfriend, or is it that he thinks that I'm busy with other things? He only smiled, turned the TV off and stood up. "Alright, well it's time for bed and I think you should really sleep."

"Of course father."

"Goodnight my little Princess." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and headed upstairs.

"Goodnight, father."

My mother returned to the living room and asked where father went. After I told her that he went into their room, we gave each other our good-nights and she returned back to her room with father. I headed up to my room back upstairs as well and lied down on my bed.

Today was different. Usually they act quiet around me as if they have to restrict their conversations when I'm around. We do have our moments together but nothing lasted through most of dinner, which surprised me. In fact, we don't usually have dinner together. Most of the time I'm just reheating the food my mother made for lunch after they left to their rooms. But not this time. I...I enjoyed it. Is this how normal families act towards each other at dinner? Do they usually laugh and have fun together?

I wished we could have more of this.

After several consecutive yawns, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

A/N: FINALLY. I had such a horrible writer's block with this chapter that I thought I would never type this out. So just a little family quality time that Zelda truly needs. A short chapter but I'm glad that i was able to post something to get me going! See you next time~!