“Mom, what brings you here?” Serenity asked with a smile.
“Am I not welcome?” Tania replied, returning the smile.
“No, it’s just that I was surprised. Please, have a seat, Mom,” Serenity invited.
Tania declined, saying, “Seren, can you step away for a moment? Come have a meal and go shopping with me.”
Serenity responded, “Mom, can you give me a moment? My nephew fell asleep in my store, and my sister isn’t here yet. I can only leave once she arrives.”
“We can wait. Sonny’s safety is more important,” Tania assured her.
She chose not to comment on her daughter-in-law’s frequent care of her sister’s son, as she loved Sonny too.
Zachary had already reached out to the coach who used to teach him and his brothers martial arts. Since the coach was quite old, he recommended that his son take over teaching Sonny instead.
Tania took a seat.
Jasmine paused her reading, greeted Tania, and then went to pour her a glass of water.
Though Tania was Serenity’s mother-in-law, their interactions had been limited. Serenity wasn’t as comfortable with her mother-in-law as she was with Nana; she wondered whether Tania was genuinely there to invite her shopping or had other motives.
“Seren, Ms. Sox, please sit,” Tania encouraged.
Noticing Serenity and Jasmine standing and staring at her, she added, “There’s no need to be so cautious around me.”
Serenity and Jasmine exchanged glances, and Serenity returned to her spot behind the cashier. Observing her mother-in-law’s well-maintained face reminded her that, during their few interactions, Tania had never put her in an uncomfortable position or caused her distress.
Though feeling flustered, Serenity thought it might not be such a bad thing. Perhaps her mother-in-law simply wanted to find someone to go out with.
Shopping with her.
“Mom, I’ll call Zachary first to let him know I won’t be attending the meeting with him.” Tania then asked, “Did Zack invite you to go with him?”