[Kylevan]

The sound of the front door opening informed me that my parents were finally home.

They both leave home and arrive at the same time because they were using the same car. Every morning, my dad drops my mom to her work before driving off to his office. And in the afternoon, he picks up my mom from her work along the way.

I ran downstairs to meet them. I didn’t turned off my workstation. I wasn’t worried that they might see what kind of thing I was doing there. My parents respects my privacy. They trust me enough to leave me alone.

I found both my parents at the kitchen sorting out items from three large grocery bags, which I thought perfect. The shopping was done and the supplies were filled again to last for a week.

“Hi, mom,” I said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. “I was just about to tell you that the fridge was empty and you need to go shopping. But here you are already done shopping.”

“Well, even though you are doing the chores more than your father and I do, I’m still the mother and I always have that motherly instinct and feeling if the supplies were running out,” she answered teasing me. “And turns out, I’m right,” she added with a wink.

Gee, I love my family. For all the time they lack spending with me, they make up for it by other means, especially with love and joy.

I helped my mom stack the supplies inside the fridge and the rest on the cupboard. And then, I set up the table for dinner. My mom sat on her place be the side and I went to fetch my dad from the family room.

I found him in his habitual watching of the evening news.

“Dad,” I called. “Time for dinner.”

“Right behind you, D.”

D. That was his pet name for me starting when I turned fifteen. Before that, he used to call me Danie.

We went back to the table and ate the vegetarian feast I prepared. We don’t mind because we are healthy eaters. We don’t eat anything from fastfoods, and we don’t order pizza deliveries either.

“So, D. How’s school?” my dad asked.

“Nothing much,” I answered.

“Nothing much, eh?” he was teasing me.

“Oh, dad,” I replied pretending that I was hurt. “You’re probing me. Now I feel like I’m six years old.”

“I’m just teasing you D,” my dad said. “It was just so fun seeing you annoyed.”

“Ha ha,” I answered with fake sarcasm.

My dad laughed at this. He always does. Even my mom joined him. Times like these that we can all enjoy moments as family.

When dinner was finished, my dad stood up to resume his position in the family room. Before he even turn his back, I said, “Dad, it’s your schedule to wash the dishes.”

“Wait, what?” he managed to say. “We don’t have schedules for that. You’re just getting back at me for teasing you earlier.”

My mom and I laughed. And then, I went to wash the dishes. My mom went upstairs to rest.