-58-Pomegranate.
"I love people who remember small details about me." [Christian]
....
Riley dials her mother's number. Knowing how happy she will be hearing Stuart is alive.
At the second ring, she picked up.
Smiling she speaks first.
"Hello, Mum."
"Hello, Ril-boo. How are you, my baby doll?"
"I am fine Mom. How about you?"
"I am good Ril-boo, now that you have finally called me. Where have you been?"
"Sorry, Mom. I was always here. Just have been a little busy with the office work."
"But you haven't called me since how long dear. Did you forgot about my existence?" She grumbles complaining to her.
"No Mom. It's not like that. I had called daddy many times to ask about your health. He might have forgotten to tell you about it."
"Oh. It must be so. Let him come home today, I will make him remember everything he had forgotten."
Riley giggled at her mother's funny response. She could imagine her waiting for her father with a broom. She shuddered at the thought.
'You are so done, Dad.'
"Don't laugh Riley Brown. It's a serious matter. How can he forget to mention your calls? Here I was thinking that you have forgotten about us. And now I got to know I was the one who was wrong here, I was overthinking like always."
"I will never forget about you, Mommy. I have the best connection with you. Even better than the one I have with dad. It goes beyond words. You understand me like no one else. So I know even if we didn't talk, I know you will be praying for me. And there is no one like you. So how can I ever forget a single person? Who repaired my life."
The smile returns on Milly's lips. Her eyes filled with tears of happiness. It seemed God had blessed her with so loving child without giving her the pain to go through labour. Smiling she answers. Her voice filled with sudden warmth.
"I am so happy, that you realize that my baby-boo."
"Aye aye. Let's not dive deeper into this discussion. I called you because I have great news to discuss with you."
"News. What Good news? Haw. Don't tell me you are pregnant?"
Hearing her assumption, Riley was speechless. What does her mother think? That she was having a honeymoon with Mindy for the last few months.
Immediately a naked chest of Mindy came in front of her eyes with bare chest and pajamas hanging low on his waist. A faded blue one. She almost drooled at the sight. His bright yellow slippers left traces of water on the floor as he walked to the Almira.
Taking out a shirt Christian turns around. glancing her slack-jaw. He noticed how she was unable to move her gaze away from him. Her gaze traveled through his head to toe. And he nearly shivered in seeing the desire inside them.
'Aha. So you want me, Riley Brown. What a beautiful feeling it is! If I knew, I only had to come in front of you half-naked to get your attention. I would have executed it millions of times before.'
He cleared his throat and rubbed the nape of his neck grinning. But it seemed she didn't hear him. So to broke her stupor he grabbed another t-shirt and threw it on his shoulders. Wearing it ever so slowly.
'Let's see how you will react?'
She blinks her eyes and he could swear he heard her whining. Christian smiled at her reaction.
'So cute. I am all yours baby.' He muttered under his breath.
"Eh. Hope you won't mind Honey. I accidentally dropped my shirt in the bathroom. So I had to come out in this manner." His voice monotone, refusing to express his delight.
"Riley. Riley. What happened? Is everything okay? Why did you stop talking?"
Two voices at the exact time brought her out of her desired state.
Steadily she lifted her head. Her cheeks turning a little pink while her eyes glazed with desire. Little by little her eyes calmed down as she turned normal.
"No. No. It's. It's not okay. I mean, it's okay."
"Oh. Okay. Who are you talking to Homey?"
Inhaling and exhaling some deep breaths, she got up.
"Mom."
"Is there Mindy with you?"
"Yes, Mom. He is here."
"Give him the phone. I want to talk to him."
"But he just showered."
"It's okay Honey. If mom wants to talk to me Let me talk."
Hesitatingly she hands him the phone. His lips stretched in a genuine smile.
"Good evening Mom."
"Good evening son. How are you dear?"
"I am much better than the last time you saw me, Mom. How about you?"
"I am fine though, I want to meet you. It feels like we met ages ago."
"Don't say like that. We can come over right now if you wish to see us so much, mom."
"No dear. It might disrupt your plans for tonight. I think I am going to plan a dinner together and then I will invite you to join."
"That's a great idea. I would love that."
"Hmm. Oh, how about the problem of acidity you were facing last time?"
"Ah. It's slightly better. But it is still there."
"Oh. Why don't you try pomegranates? It contains 40% of vitamin C."
"I. Okay, I will try that."
"Hmm. Do you know how to select sweet pomegranate? It's important to eat the sweet ones because those are the ones that help in improving digestion."
"Really? How do we choose that without eating first?"
"Select the vibrant red. Usually, they are the ones whose seeds are sweet."
"Are you joking Mom? If not. I am sorry, I can not understand what you are trying to say? The vibrant red color is mainly the color of seeds and we can only distinguish it after we peel its cover off."
Milly was stunned, he was right. What was she telling him? 'A stupid weird joke!' She wanted to argue with him, for a few more minutes. But then it would embarrass her more. So she hummed a response and said through gritted teeth.
"Just select the red vibrant ones. I hope now you know how to select it."
She disregarded his words and said what she wanted to say.
Christian instantly snort unable to hold back a laugh as her words reached his ears. He barely could stifle it. So he placed his hand on the speaker of the phone.
Looking at him, Riley furrowed her eyebrows scratching her wrist. She couldn't fathom what he was laughing about.
Hahaha hahaha.
In between his laughs, he says pinching his thigh "I swear it wasn't intentional honey."
She threw out a semi-like smile at him. Waiting for him to stop laughing.