When they got home, she went straight to the kitchen, Rafaele trailing behind her.
"Do you want to make breakfast?" a smile was on his face.
"Yes"
"let me help you"
"okay"
They worked together preparing breakfast, the kitchen was silent apart from the giggles Rina made when a mischievous Rafaele would smear flour on her cheeks or he would break into an impromptu dance.
"Hmmm, what is going on here?" Luna Rosa asked in a teasing voice.
"Oh good morning mother" Rina said as she laughed.
Only then did she see the other people with Luna Rosa including her own mother who had a disapproving look on her face.
Rina greeted them all and quickly set the dinner table.
They started breakfast.
"I am so happy to see you at breakfast Rita, I missed your cooking" Rain told her.
"Thanks Rain and just so you know, I have started the plans for the werewolf regional meeting." she informed him, a twinkle in her eyes.
"So we are taking golden boy Damien down?" Rain asked eagerly.
"of course" Rina replied.
"yesss!" Rain cheered.
"The meeting is a serious affair not for your personal vendetta" Rafaele lectured, but his advice fell on deaf ears.
After breakfast, Rafaele went to freshen up and get ready for the day while Rina cleared the table with Jax who offered to help.
When she was done, she went upstairs to her parents quarters. She had to see them.
As she opened the door to their quarters, she was impresseed. It was made up of two rooms and their own bathroom. Luna Rosa had given her parents the best and Rina was grateful.
"Hey princess" her father said as he hugged her.
"hello father" Rina said as she hugged him back.
Her mother was at the back but she made no attempt to hug Rina.
Rina was confused what she had done. Was she angry because Rina hadn't come to see her since?
"I will go freshen up dear" her father said and kissed her forehead as he left the room.
Rina wanted to beg him to stay but this was to be expected. Rita hadn't been that close with their father, Rina was.
Rita who she now was, was close to their mother who was looking at her disapprovingly.
"Hey mother" Rina said tentatively.
"Why did you call her mother?" she asked.
"call who?"
"Luna Rosa"
Rina was confused, was this why her mother was angry?
"She is Damien's mother so I regard her as my mother too" Rina explained.
"well you shouldn't, I am your only mother. We agreed on this before, she was Luna Rosa"
Rina looked at her in confusion, was her mother part of the reason, her sister wasn't close with her mother in law.
"Okay mother" Rina said in order not to cause arguments.
"and what is the meaning of your display this last week?"
"My display?" Rina frowned this time.
"Yes, the whole depression display, staying in bed, being weak!"
Rina was confused this time, wasn't she allowed to mourn?
"I was sad mother, I lost my sister" Rina told her.
"That's not an excuse, you are Damien's mate, you shouldn't have left the grief take over you. You looked pathetic" she hissed.
The mother Rina had knew wasn't the mother in front of her. While her mother had been blunt with her not sugar coating anything, she hadn't been like this.
But then Rina had always been with her dad. Was this what Rita had gone through?
"mother, I was in a really bad place, I had just lost the other part of my soul, forgive me if I don't look perfect enough for your vanity" Rina spat out.
Her mother took a step back.
"I don't recognize you anymore Rita" she said sadly, it seemed all thru fight had left her.
"neither do I mother." Rina replied.
She left the room.
Rina was in her room pacing, was this how her mother and Rita was?
As long as Rina could remember, her mother and Rita had been a girl club she couldn't get into. She wasn't girly enough or interested in whatever they were doing, as a result she had been left out.
She hadn't minded though, she had been too busy with her father.
Had their parents mode of parenting had a part to play in this mess.
Should they have made an effort to play equal roles in their daughters life?
Rina was confused.
Her door opened.
"Girlfriend" Tracy squealed.
Rina smiled, her friends well Rita friends were here. She forgot her inner turmoil for a while as she hung out with them.
They stayed for a while helping her plan the meeting. Soon, they had a budget, all she had to do was present it to Rafaele and hope he didn't make too much changes.
Rafaele came back and they had dinner together as a family.
Rina noticed her mother still looked miffed but she ignored her.
After everyone had retired to their rooms, Rina went to Rafaele's study.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked when she entered.
"I wanted to give you this" she walked closer to him.
"What is it?" he asked peering at the outstretched papers in her hand.
"It's the budget for the werewolf meeting" she told him.
He looked at her surprised as he took it, "You are still planning it?" he had thought with her current state, she wouldn't be involved in the planning.
"well, we made a deal, didn't we?" she asked.
Rafaele smirked as he reached out and drew her into his arms.
Rina found herself sitting on him, she blushed.
"So have you thought about what you want?" he asked.
"You will know soon"
His fingers lightly brushed the bare skin of her back in the backless gown she wore.
"Hmmm! What if you don't win?" he asked.
"I always win Rafaele" she told him.
"Riri, Riri, Riri... I always win too" he whispered.
Rina gulped and when he pulled her closer to him, angling his face to kiss her, she melted.