The next day, during lunchtime, Sterling was waiting at the entrance as a car entered the premises. A woman came out of it making Sterling's jaw drop. 'What the fuck? That's a mother of a twenty-year-old? She looks even younger than dare I say Mom!' He got his composure back. Eva's parents arrived with Eva as they walked up to the man of the house. "So, are you the young man who stole my little girl's heart?" The man in front of him had the look of a man who had lost his hair taking care of his family. He looked great in a suit for a man of his status. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sterling!" George, Eva's father shook his hand. "This is my wife, Isabella!" George introduced his wife.
Sterling looked at her and blinked twice. Isabella looked at him top to bottom and suddenly she pulled him into a hug pressing his face against the space between her neck and bosom. After welcoming the guests inside the house. In the living room, David and Ophelia were waiting for them. Both parties sat opposite each other and Sterling took a seat next to his girls. He gazed at his mother who nodded to assure him. "So, Eva told us about your recovery, Mr Johnson," George asked.
"David is fine. We don't need to be formal. Well, it's going well but my muscles have been affected by the coma. Unfortunately, the doctor who was in charge of my treatment was a fraud. It's a good thing that my son was able to uncover that." David gazed at his son with a grateful look. It made Sterling feel a little guilty for stealing from his wife but the decision was already made.
"Wow, from the looks of it, I can see you're not making things up to support your son's case," Isabella said as she rested her elbow on the side of the couch. "Here is what bothers me a lot, why did your son run away all those years ago?"
"Mom? I told you not to ask about that!" Eva yelled at her mother.
"It's okay, Eva! I can answer that." Sterling assured his girlfriend and directed his attention to her mother. It seems like she wasn't playing around. Sterling could see that Isabella had doubts about this sudden visit.
"I ran away because I wanted to get away from my father's shadow. He was taking care of my needs by putting himself in more struggle. He was working hard to take care of my mother and my sisters. I wanted to show him that I can contribute too. I wanted to show him that he shouldn't be afraid of what might happen." The words hit David like a sting of a bee. Sterling didn't reveal the real reason but his words underlined the actual reason that only David could understand. He looked away regretting the way he treated his only son. "I'm thankful for the time I spend with him. Even though he was careful and a strict parent, he taught me many great things which led me to survive the four years." Sterling then turned his attention to his father. "I'm sorry for leaving. I haven't apologised to you with all the other issues we've been dealing with. Thanks for everything you've done for me."
"That's wonderful, isn't it honey? He's a good kid with so much maturity for his age." George said.
"Sterling, I need you to be honest with me. What are your intentions? You've arranged a family gathering all of a sudden but you haven't properly introduced yourself as Eva's boyfriend. As a matter of fact, you're already a father from what I heard, and the mother of your child is still living under the same roof as you. How can I trust someone like you with my daughter in this kind of situation?"
"Isabella, that's too much!" George tried to speak up.
"To answer your question, yes! Lisa is living with me. And Eva is aware of it. She doesn't have a problem with it. So, I don't have a problem with it."
"Son, I think it's for the better if you could share your situation with George and Isabella," David spoke up.
"They can't trust you if we don't open up!" Ophelia followed. Sterling sighed and grabbed Eva's hand. He held her palm as she warmed him up for the truth. Sterling explained his special relationship with his girlfriends. It shocked Eva's parents. Surprisingly, George was the one who was angry at first. He couldn't support the idea of polygamy. He started arguing with David and Ophelia. Eva started crying so Sterling instead of arguing comforted his girlfriend. Isabella was watching all this by the corner of her eye. She huffed a little to form a sweet smile. George turned around to see his wife staying still in her seat.
"AREN'T YOU GOING TO SAY SOMETHING?"
"Stop screaming at me, George? Look at your daughter!" Isabella pointed at Eva who was crying on Sterling's shoulder.
"Eva...I...!"
"You were so happy when she announced to us that she was presenting a stable boyfriend. I noticed she was worried but you were too blind to see it. Now it makes sense." Isabella stood up and walked up to George. "Every night, when I check on her while she was sleeping, she had this peaceful smile on her face. Then I noticed her pillow cover looked strange. It was a man's sweater. She goes to sleep like that every night. No woman would go that far unless she loves their partner so deeply. When I realised it I became already supportive of her relationship no matter what. She has to share her man with others so what? Eva is happy with him, George! Isn't that what matters the most? Yes, I did ask him some uneasy questions because I wanted to get to know my potential son-in-law."
"Actually..!" Brenna showed up. "I'm the one who will end up marrying Eva!"
"What?×2 Both George and Isabella were in shock.
"I am also kind of in a relationship with Eva so with Sterling being polyamorous, he won't be able to marry all his girlfriends. So, when the time is right, I will be the one marrying her!" Brenna built up her courage to speak her mind but her tone showed her concern for rejection. Eva's parents sat down on the couch. George and Isabella looked at each other. They understood that David and Ophelia were already aware of the situation.
"Brenna, you said you've always wanted kids! Eva doesn't share that idea, honey! Plus, it wouldn't be weird for you, right? What if you walk in on your brother and Eva?" Isabella asked.
"Like that hasn't happened before!" Eva finally cracked up. "Mom, you don't have to worry about me and her. Marrying Brenna and being with Sterling is the best way I can move forward with my love life!"
"Still, I've seen you talk about having kids when you visit us. Isabella is right? Eva has different desires..." As George was explaining, Brenna continued.
"I see what you're saying. Eva, shall we?"
Eva got up and walked up to her parents. "Mom, Dad, you're going to be grandparents!" As soon as Eva spilt the beans, a moment of silence filled the room. Catherine walked into the living area just to witness everyone staring at each other without saying anything. She didn't know what was going on so she passed through everyone and left the house. Isabella moved first to hug her daughter.
"You finally accepted the joy of being a parent, aren't you my little baby!" George was also tearing up. He quickly pulled up his phone and dialled someone.
"Hey, I won't be at work for two days...Guess who became grandpa..! That's right! I'll call you later." He moved on to see Sterling and Brenna. He pulled both of them into a hug. "Welcome to the family, you two! I don't know how you're going to make this work but as long as you're all happy, it's all that matters!"
_____________________
"Wow, Ophelia! You are indeed a nice cook. No wonder Eva likes spending her time here, other than the obvious reasons!" Isabella appreciated the food that they were having.
"Oh please, you must have had much better food!"
"I think you should be a chef, Ophelia! You have the skills to become an excellent chef in a high-end restaurant." George said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"I will think about that!" Ophelia served the dessert as she was thinking about what had just happened. She moved to the kitchen and Sterling followed her. "Sweetie, you didn't finish your plate!"
"It can wait! What's wrong?"
"I'm not used to getting this much of compliments for my cooking."
"I give you compliments all the time."
"Sterling, weren't you only being nice because I'm your mother?" Ophelia crossed her arms.
Sterling chuckled and rested on a kitchen counter. "Mom, why would I say stuff just to make you happy? I'm not nice because you're my mom, you're a talented person and you just didn't have the chance to show it off."
"It's not that, Sterling! Last night, I was preparing something for the guest. I used some vine to give a flavour but a few seconds later, my dish exploded. I must have made a mistake in the quantity. How can I be a chef if I make mistakes like that?"
"Mom, did you check what was in the vine?"
"I don't know, Dad brought it from his travel!"
"That explains!"
"What?"
"Nothing! Mom, it's not your fault that Hunter buys shady stuff. Maybe, the vine didn't go well with your mixture. It happens. That shouldn't stop you from taking chances. Mom, we all think you're an amazing cook. If you can make a career out of it, we will all be happy."
Ophelia formed a weak smile and hugged her son. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Do you think we can..?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter! We have guests! Now, go finish your plate and see what our guests want!" Ophelia pushed her outside of the kitchen.
In the dining area, the others were enjoying their meal. "Oh, Sterling, there you are! Your father has been telling me how you've renovated the house." George said.
"Oh, it was only possible with the help of my friends."
"Friends!"
"I used to work at a bar where I met a group of construction workers. They became close friends of mine. They even reduced the price for their fee and overworked to make this happen."
"That's great! What do you think of doing afterwards?" Isabella asked.
"I was thinking of doing my bachelor's online in chemistry. I'm currently working on a project with...one of my girlfriends!"
"We will have to get used to hearing that!" George took a sip of water.
"A project, you say? What kind of project is it?"
"A functioning uterus for transitioning!"
"What?"×2
"We will have to get used to hearing that!" Brenna took a sip from her glass.
After Sterling explained the project he was contributing to with Tiff and her sister, he felt the presence of his rival. Hunter entered the dining area. "I see that we have new members in the family." The sight of Hunter got a mixed reaction from the table. "I'm Hunter! Ophelia's only father! Get it!" He went to take Isabella's hand to kiss it. She reluctantly showed it because she didn't want to offend the household. "What a lovely lady, you are! I see where Eva got her looks!"
"So, you're the kids' grandfather?"
"The one and only! David's daddy is out of the picture so I became his daddy!" Hunter smirked at David. Surprisingly, David didn't react like Hunter was expecting. He just ignored it. Sterling nodded at his father appreciating his self-control. Ophelia joined the table and served her father. "So, I take that you're okay with Sterling's strange behaviour."
"I don't think it's strange! At least, he's honest with his partners." George answered.
"In my time, they're called side chicks. I can't think why someone of your stature would let your little girl become a side chick to a guy like Sterling. I wouldn't blame you if you forbid Eva from seeing him. I can't let my Ophelia be someone's second choice, you know. I hope we share the same opinion on this."
"Maybe it's true. But as you can see, my daughter will be a priority as everyone else here. It doesn't matter how you and I feel about this arrangement. She's happy and no one is hurt or forced so why can't Eva marry Brenna and also be in a relationship with her brother-in-law?" Isabella pointed out her point of view.
"What?" Hunter didn't know about the marriage part. "Brenna, you're marrying Eva?"
"Yeah, you would have known it if you bothered to return Mom's calls!" Brenna glared at him. Hunter couldn't show his disapproval which could derail his plans. He controlled his emotions just to see Sterling taking his meal proud of his achievements.
_________________________
After the guests had left, Sterling went back to his room. Hunter was waiting for him on the balcony. "You know I am used to sensing your presence around me, right? Your dramatic appearance doesn't scare me at all."
"What's the deal with your sister marrying Eva?"
"As you can see, I can't legally marry my sisters so instead of that, they're getting married to my girlfriends in paper but in reality, it's my fucking harem." Sterling rolled his sleeves and pulled his chair to sit on it. "What do you want?"
"You still haven't answered my request!" Hunter held his hands behind his back and walked around the room. "Even someone like me can't handle a harem consisting of this many women. You can't handle them on your own."
"How can I trust you?" Sterling rested his chin on his arms and asked.
"I mean...wait, are you considering my offer?" Hunter was surprised. He was expecting full full-fledged battle but considering his situation, he fell for it. The competition with his grandson was exhilarating for him because of his being an obstacle in his way made his game even more thrilling but Hunter hadn't made any progress worth mentioning so when the easy way was presented to his face, he couldn't help but take it. The alternative was more expensive and could be out of his hands. "Why?"
"As you said, I have my hands full with all of them. Then again, if I have to trust you, you should demonstrate it, don't you?"
"In what way?" Hunter listened carefully.
"Show me your skills! Because all I've seen is an old man with only words and no action!"
"How dare you? You know how many women succumbed to my charms!"
"I fucked Ophelia, and you didn't!" The moment Sterling said it, Hunter gritted his teeth. "Tomorrow, I'm going on a trip. I won't be any sort of disturbance. Show me your game! From the results of what you do, I will let you know my decision."
"Are you..?" Hunter smirked. "You do realise, I can just take them away from you! The moment you come back, they will be begging for my cock underneath me!"
Sterling scratched his ear and said. "Except they're all in love with me. Do you think they would just give up on me and run after you? You have to one-up your play. Now get out of my room!" Hunter rubbed his chin as he left the room. After assuring his exit, Sterling dialled his brother.
"Jon, he bought it!"
[Finally! Now, he will be constantly making advances on your family. Which will give them enough to get suspicious. But are you sure about leaving them alone? I can deliver the solution to Valentina's lab.]
"No, Tiff said it's an occasion for me to finally meet her sister. Don't worry, the house has a great guardian who can contact me." Sterling opened the door and went outside. Cerberus jumped on his foot and sniffed it. "And he's a good boy!"
[So, Hunter is going to be alone in a house filled with beautiful women. I can't even think of what could happen!]