Chapter 4
It was already morning the next day when Gray arrived home. He stayed at Natsu's apartment last night as they drank their worries away. He had mentioned a bit of his problem to Natsu so his anger lessened.
"Sorry man, but you told me your father had been suffering from the loss, right? Isn't it good that he is finally opening himself up to someone? Not that I agree with him marrying a woman our age, though. But it's not like it's illegal."
What Natsu said made Gray silent and he started to think of things in a more rational manner. He was so absorbed in his own emotions that he failed to think of his father. Now that he could ponder on it clearly, he was sure Silver didn't mean for him to feel this way. He loved his wife and son so much that when he lost one of them, he had never been the same.
Still, it wasn't that easy to accept someone else as his father's wife.
When Gray entered the foyer, he looked around, checking if there were any changes. He even went to the living room and when he saw his mother's portrait still intact, he wondered if it didn't bother the new wife too much or was there not enough time to hide it away? Whatever it was, he would know in the following days.
He wasn't expecting he would find someone home, since Silver usually left early in the morning. But when he heard noises coming from the kitchen, he thought of a possibility. Could it be... that new wife?
Gray wanted to make sure, so he entered the kitchen, careful not to make any noises. And then he saw her.
He stood there, at the entrance, as he gave her a once-over. She was wearing an oversized shirt, and shorts. Her blue hair was tied in a ponytail and she was naturally pale like what SIlver mentioned before. She looked only an inch smaller than him but she gave the feeling that she was really small.
Her right cheek which was the only visible side to him had a tinge of pink, probably because of the heat from the frying pan. She was pretty, he'd give her that but not to the point his father would forget Gray's mother.
He wasn't saying appearance was the only reason someone could love another. He didn't believe in love himself, but he acknowledged its existence. He was just wondering what made his father so enamored with her that he'd marry her and bring her to their house. After all, if Silver wanted to keep a mistress by his side, he could do so and Gray wouldn't know of it.
Gray turned around, planning to escape while she hadn't noticed him. It was already rude of him to peek at her, he wouldn't dare to stare more. He just... didn't foresee he would make that much noise, but his feet did and before he could fully face his back on her, she turned her head to him.
Surprise flickered her eyes and she stood on her spot silently. He could see her troubled expression by his unexpected appearance and that made him awkward.
"G-good morning," she greeted as she touched her chest as if trying to calm herself.
"Yeah, morning," he replied before running out of the kitchen.
Gray proceeded upstairs, to the east, where his room was located. There were also no visible changes on the second floor so he didn't have any idea where she slept. Did they sleep together? For some reason, imagining his father with the bluenette left a bad taste in his mouth. He wouldn't get used to seeing a young stepmother, would he?
Seeing her in flesh, Gray could see that his father didn't lie about her. She looked nice, polite, with good manners. She could also cook and she was pretty.
Gray ruined his hair in frustration. Now, he didn't know what to do. He planned to ruin their marriage, but after his talk with Natsu—everything changed.
The young woman appeared to be harmless without any hidden agenda and if only she wasn't so young, he might've given the two of them a chance. And Silver, he seemed happy every time he talked about her.
If...if this new wife of his managed to make his father happy, was Gray really going to destroy it just because he didn't like it? Wasn't he being selfish? No one would blame him, not his friends, not even Silver, but would he be able to forgive himself knowing he denied his father the prospect of happiness he had once forgotten?
He ran his palm on his face. He needed sleep.