"Are you for real?" She lit up and he nodded. "Thank you thank you thank you" she said lifting his hand to her cheek.
Larry smiled at her show of joy. "Why are you so happy?" He mocked.
His face was clear of the sadness earlier.
She lifted her head and grinned widely. She couldn't think of what to say or do. "Thank you" ahe said again.
"Can you stop thanking me" he mocked.
"Why didn't you tell me you know who I am?" She asked moving off the course.
The question caught him unawares. Although he knew that it would come out since Clary met Melissa and Drew but his thought didn't drive towards there.
"Why are you not answering?" She asked.
"Nothing".
"You haven't answered me" she pestered.
"I have".
There was smiles playing around his lips which he was trying to hide but he wasn't doing a good job with it.
Somaria gave him a quizzical look. She didn't see reasons why he should act pompous now.
"Are you saying you intentionally didn't tell me?"
Larry nods.
Somaria shone her eyes. "This is pride" she blurts out.
Larry burst into laughter.
"Yes I'm serious. I don't see any big deal in you reminding me that we've met before" she said plainly.
"Why did you forget in the first place?" He joked.
"Is it a crime to forget?" She asked with deride.
"Yes. I don't have a common face. My look is rare" he teased.
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say OH but no sound came out. She gave him a surprised mocking look instead eyeing him at the same time.
"What's with the look?" He asked knowing the reply to his question.
"Who deceived you that you have a rare look?" She asked.
"No one. I know myself" he boasted.
"If you had said that I shouldn't have forgotten your face because you are handsome, I won't have argued" she said in mockery.
"So you think I'm handsome?" He said giving her a smiling look.
Somaria didn't reply she just looked at him.
"No qualms. Ladies tells me every time.
"What a pompous guy" she grumbled.
He grinned and then laughed.
"Ria" he took her hand.
She gave him his attention knowing he was going to say something serious.
"You made Clary feel like he's got a mum. None of the ladies around me ever did it. They all pretend to be nice to him knowing he is the key to my heart but you are different. You didn't even mind the way I treated you. You still helped me with my boy and made him happy to the extent that my ever silent boy couldn't stop talking. I thought I'll be back to meet the same statement" he said in a low voice.
"What statement?" She asked.
"Daddy you better go get married. That would at least make me stay at home whenever you are on a trip" he said with a stiff smile. "But you changed that Ria. You changed my boy's sad request to a happy narration of how he spent all his days with you. I can't just thank you enough" he squeezed her hand gently
"You are not the only one to be grateful. I too was grateful for trusting your boy to me. He's such an adorable little kid that I wish he is mine severally" she said with so much enthusiasm.
"You can't take him away from me? He's all I've got" he said softly.
Ahe looked at him and chuckled. "I'm not taking him away. It's only a wish" she smiled.
He returned her smiles holding her look. "I know".
Somaria felt awkward as they looked into each other's eyes as silence slowly make it's way to them.
"I need to get going" she said breaking the silence.
"Why?"
She felt the question was absurd. "Why what?"
"Leaving so soon?" He asked.
"It's getting late. Tin will scold me for coming late" she replied picking her bag.
"Then spend the night" he said casually still looking into her eyes.
Somaria thought ahe heard wrong. "What sis you say?" She asked confused.
"It's not as if we are gonna swallow you" he said with an impassive look.
"You are joking right?"
Larry burst into laughter at her serious look. "Of course I am".
She dashed him a stern look and then laughed.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I called your phone all through yesterday but you didn't pick up" Dale told Tyndall.
She has refused to visit him in his house but told him to come over which he did. Somaria wasn't at home. Ahe took Clary to his father. Ahe didn't know what's keeping her.
"Yes. Sorry I didn't hear it ring" ahe replied with a smile.
"Where were you?"