"Huh? No, nothing, I was just talking to myself hehe," she outrightly replied looking for some escape, almost choked up.Moments later they heard some chatter not far from them. They all look at the source of the voices and there come into sight Lance holding the tray of gla.s.s wines while Ingrid was carrying Clark and her focus was on the path listening to Lance and she seems to get pleasure from what Lance is telling her.
Clark look into the table and was happy when he saw Clifford, however, the child remembered his mother"s plea about Cliff. The boy"s countenance fell and he move his gaze away from Cliff and lean on his mother"s shoulder. Clark becomes sad and Ingrid felt the sudden change in her son"s expression. She tightened her embrace to her son.
"And who is this good-looking boy?" Helen rose and went to Ingrid and her excitement grew more when she saw the boy even though he is still leaning on Ingrid"s shoulder.
When Clark heard his name, he leisurely pulls his head away from his mother and looked at her.
"Oh my! Clint, you come here! Hurry!" her husband was curious on his wife"s reaction.
He rose up went over her and looked at the child closely. He gasped and then looked at Cliff and then back to Clark and back to Cliff again and then to the child again. He becomes dizzy on shifting his gazes to the two.
"Clint, am I just seeing things? Are we thinking the same thing?" Helen whispered to her husband.
"hmm..." even Clint could not believe what he is seeing.
Though, he have seen this child before but because he did not yet met his son in those times yet. But now, he could not deny the resemblance between him and this child. He also felt connection to the need the first time he saw him.
"There"s only one way to find out." He thought. Except that it won"t be easy because he knew that Ingrid will never, ever allowed anyone to do it.
"h.e.l.lo," the child greeted them shyly, not the usual way of being lively.
"Hi, there, my boy! Can I carry him, Ingrid?" Helen asks over for her permission.
Ingrid, on the other, hesitated, when she sensed that Helen seems to test something.
"Is it okay, son?" she asked the child. Clark nodded and he without verve moved from her mother"s embrace to a stranger.
Ingrid then motioned the househelp to serve the sautéed veal medallions with crab and asparagus, topped with cheese sauce. She busied herself with the preparation for the dinner and Lance helped her with it.
The moment Helen held the child, she felt something strange as if she held his son when he was just a child.
"Deja vu?" she kissed the child"s cheek and squeezed him with her embrace. The child is still quiet.
"What"s wrong, my love?" Helen asked the child.
"Nothing. What"s your name, ma"am?"
"I"m Helen Briggs," her face shine brightly when she heard the child.
"Nice to meet you, ma"am. You have the same last name with uncle Cliff, are you related?"
"Hahaha he is my son. Don"t call me ma"am, just call me, granny Len, if it"s okay with your mom and your grandma.." Helen Briggs amus.e.m.e.nt to the child grew.
"He is very famous, isn"t he? My mom knew him, aunt Liane knew her, too and I even saw him on TV." then the child looked at Clifford with amazement. She also looked at Ingrid and Rose.
On the other hand, Clifford was busy observing Lance and Ingrid move in sync while they arranged the utensils, as if they did it together for a long time. Lance plastered amused smile on his lips and he constantly gazes at Ingrid. Clifford felt defeated in this battle, he could not move because Ingrid"s parents are around. His greatest advantage is Clark.
It was Clifford"s turn to be given the utensils. Ingrid just slides her arms under Clifford"s chin to avoid bodily contact with him. But Clifford used this opportunity to hold her hand. When he caught her hands, Ingrid was caught off guard by his soft hold. The plate almost fell and Ingrid"s left foot twisted that causes her to lose her balance.
Ingrid just closed her eyes and waited her fall. But before her b.u.t.t nearly touched the ground, she was already embraced by Cliff and he lifted and carried her into his arms.
"Argghhh!!" she tried to squirm from him but her left foot is throbbing in pain.
"Hush. Don"t move."