The next morning was a bit less awkward than Sin expected it to be. She awoke to an empty bed, sheets folded neatly on the other side and an outfit laid out for her to put on. She knew it was Damien’s doing as she had become accustomed to it since living with him. She didn’t always like his outfit choices and would sometimes swap certain things she knew he wouldn’t notice too much. She had learned the art of compromising since Lex was born so wearing what Damien wanted wasn’t that big a deal to her. After a quick shower and getting herself ready for the day she got dressed and made her way downstairs the same way Damien had taken her the night before. She had realized it was incredibly easy to get lost in this house and she needed to pay close attention to directions. 

Sin walked into the dining room to see everyone seated except for herself and Dustin. Walking in she greeted everyone and took the seat next to Damien. She was greeted in return nicely, except receiving a grunt from Damien’s dad. He hadn’t even looked up from whatever he was reading on his phone to acknowledge her. Sin placed a sweet kiss on Damien’s cheek and began to put bacon and sausage on her plate. Eyeing her plate, Damien made a peeved sound and placed fruit and eggs on her plate as well. Ignoring him, the fruit, and eggs, Sin began to dig in. Damien always argued with her about the way she ate. But she honestly did not care, she stayed fit and had a nice body with nice curves. He loved those curves so she hated when he complained about her eating. Sin turned to Lex asking him a million questions about how he was feeling and if he was okay. He shyly told her yes and then gave her a look that begged her to stop. Damien and Sin had agreed months ago that after Lex’s rough days they would act like nothing happened so he would feel ‘normal’. Whatever that meant. But Sin couldn’t help be worried since they were in an unfamiliar place with people he wasn’t use to. Disregarding that said people were actually Lex’s family and might mean him no harm at all. But Sin couldn’t trust they yet, there was so much up in the air surrounding the situation. 

When breakfast was just about over for everyone Dustin walked into the dining room and stood looking toward Sin. She regarded him and waited for him to make the first move. 

“I think the kids should go so we can all talk,” was all he said. His mother ushered the twins as well as Lex, who seemed just fine to go with them. Sin relaxed after seeing her son so comfortable and followed every into a room that could be classified as a den. It gave off man cave vibes, but also had a large desk and chair at the end of it that was full of papers. 

They all found places to sit while Dustin stood in the middle. Sin didn’t know where he was about to go with this discussion and anxiety fluttered in her stomach making her physically sick. But before she could make herself any worse Dustin turned to address his parents. 

“When I was looking colleges you both told me it was no point because I would easily get into NYU. But you guys never asked if I actually wanted to go. You just pushed it on me like it was what everyone wanted, but it wasn’t what I wanted. So I applied to Maryland. They have a really good business school and I really needed the space from you two. It was like you were punishing for me for Damien leaving and that wasn’t fair. I was able to talk to the academic dean about enrolling under a different last name so people wouldn’t know me based on the family business. When I got to Maryland things were going great. I had managed to make some friends that new nothing about my background other than that my parents had money. I had even managed to fall in love and yea it had only been about three months but it was real.” He stole a quick look at Sin who was looking at the ceiling trying to deal with the revelation. Damien had slid his hand into hers and she didn’t know if it was for her comfort or his, but she took the comfort regardless. Dustin continued talking to his parents, “But mom kept hounding me about coming home and I knew it wouldn’t make sense if I kept avoiding them because I was supposed to be at NYU. So I caught the train home one weekend at the end of November, that was the weekend we got into that big argument and I left that night to go back. Well I took the train back all night on Saturday and when I got back to the dorm was when I heard Sin having the conversation and thought she was cheating on me. I was pretty upset about it and I just felt so lost. So I decided to leave. I requested to do all my work online and our family has enough money that the school let me do whatever I want. I got a small apartment and waited out the semester there before coming home for winter break and transferring to NYU.”

Gloria looked and felt positively heartbroken. She hadn’t realized that Dustin was going through so much right under their noses and they hadn’t even bothered to pay attention. Her resentment towards her oldest, and trying to take care of the youngest two had left her without much time to consider Dustin. What kind of mother could she be if she had so obviously neglected one of her children? Her voice broke with a sob and she ran out of the room. Dustin went to take a step towards her but David stopped him. He looked into his father’s eyes guilt and sadness almost clouding his vision, but his father’s eyes were trained on the right side of Dustin’s head, looking at Sin. 

“This is all your fault,” David told her and walked out of the room to go find Gloria. 

Sin took his words and placed them in a place in her brain to deal with later. While she didn’t see how Dustin’s situation with his parents had anything to do with her entering his life, His father’s words and harsh expression weren’t something she was ready to unpack. Instead she looked at Dustin’s defeated expression as he sat down. She had the feeling this was a story that he never expected to have to tell his parents and it was because of this exact reaction. The three of them sat in silence for a while. Everyone too contemplative to begin speaking. After what could have been two minutes or two hours Gloria reentered the room, but David did not. 

“I am sorry about my outburst earlier; would you please forgive me?” She looked at Sin with a sorrow filled expression and Sin realized Gloria apology was meant specifically for her and not her two sons. With a small smile Sin nodded her head at Gloria letting her know that she understood. 

“What’s his name?” Dustin asked abrubtly. 

Nervously she unfolded her hands and looked him in the eyes, “Lexington Andres Woods. But everyone calls him Lex, and I usually just call him Bug. I named him after the pizza place we use to eat from all the time. When I found out I was pregnant I craved it a lot. So much that I probably ate there once a day. So I named Lex after the owner. He started giving me free pizza when he realized I was pregnant and you had stopped coming around.” She realized she had rambled far too many details and took a long drawn out breath that sounded super dramatic in the now quiet room. Dustin looked at her but there was something in his expression she couldn’t read. But Gloria then asked a question for herself.

“How have you been taking care of him by yourself this whole time?” That was a question Sin could easily answer but she didn’t know if she felt divulging that information with Dustin and his mother. Damien mostly knew, but she had told him when he was just her boyfriend.  

“My grandparents and cousin helped me through my pregnancy and I worked up until my due date saving basically all my money. Due to the circumstances I had to inform school but they told me as long as I came back within a six-year time span I could resume and keep my scholarships. My scholarships covered everything including room and board but instead of staying on campus I chose to commute and used the extra money for Lex’s needs. The summer before my junior year I met Damien and at the end of my junior year we moved in together. I just graduated this past spring with my degree in criminal justice.” She tried to keep it as vague as possible while also placating Gloria.

“So my brother has been taking care of you for the past two years?”

The statement was like a backhand across her face. Sin had done really well for herself and she couldn’t believe Dustin was trying to reduce her to a gold digger. Dustin of course hadn’t meant it that way. Sin had missed the jealousy and longing in his voice, but Damien had not so he grabbed her hand tighter. 

“No,” she told him, “I very easily take care of myself and Lex. Damien tries to go overboard but I don’t allow him. He is allowed to semi-spoil Lex but that is only because I will not deny my son things from people that love him. I have never needed Damien to take care of me Dustin. I am perfectly capable of doing that myself. Plus, I didn’t even know y’all were rolling in dough like this anyway.” She said it was a shrug but it actually really bothered her.

It made her wonder what else Damien was keeping from her.