“She is single! I don’t see why I can’t pursue her.” Ian sighed.

“She… I have been told to inform you that you can’t flirt with her any longer.” Thought unintended, Ian’s words came off as something Katherine had told him.

“If she wants me off her track, she should tell me herself.” He shook off Ian’s hand from his shoulder and fumed as he walked away.

Ian heaved a sigh of relief. The crisis was averted for now.

– – –

“Katherine, I am delighted to finally meet you,” Anna spoke up, smiling as she stepped forward with her arms wide open. Katherine jumped up, leaving Cage flabbergasted on the floor. It seemed to be the easiest thing to do, Katherine stepped into Anna’s welcoming arms and got the hug. It had been a long time and a sense of warmth only mothers could give washed over her. She even smelled wonderful, like mothers did. It seemed that she smelled great generally and Katherine had to wonder if body scent was also hereditary. This Cavanaugh family genuinely smelled good.

Or was this in her head?

“I’m sorry you saw that…” Katherine tried to apologize only to be hushed by Anna. The woman rubbed her back just as Cage did.

“Honey, I am so glad I saw that. My son is finally in love and happy. Which mother doesn’t want that for their son?” It was truly beautiful to see, it reminded her of her youth when she got together with her husband. “He’s so loved in return and its beautiful to watch.” She let out a dreamy sigh as she stroked Katherine’s hair. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”

As they pulled away, Katherine smiled beautifully, hoping that she looked perfect. “I’m happy to meet you, too. Cage talks about you all the time. I was wondering if I could join pampering day.” She smiled shyly, looking down at the floor as she spoke about the details of Cage’s wonderful relationship with his mother. She would very much like to join, if Anna allowed it.

“With my son’s busy schedule? I’m surprised that he didn’t hog all the time talking about himself!” Katherine snickered, knowing that was mostly true. “Henrick, come say hi to Katherine,” Anna called, looking over her shoulder at her husband.

“Lovely meeting you,” Henrick said, extending his hand forward. Katherine reached forward, lost for a moment as she saw Cage’s father. She had seen pictures of him but seeing him up close. The man was absurdly handsome, much like Cage. The same blue eyes and facial features. Now that she looked closer, Cage was a mix of his mother and father. But she could imagine how Cage would look decades later looking at their faces. Henrick had an air of composure and class about him that was hard to come across. “Thanks for letting us come. We’ve been meaning to meet you. There is no better way than to cheer for you from the stands!” His toothy grin reminded Katherine so much of Cage that she had to look away.

When she was younger, she had a thing for older men, Henrick Cavanaugh was exactly her type.

Katherine felt her cheeks heating up. They were too nice. “Thank you so much for coming,” she replied meekly. “I’ll take you to the room. Someone might see us here.” She looked around suspiciously before leading them away.

When they had walked for a bit, Katherine spoke up. “Thank you so much for the gifts. It meant a lot,” she muttered. Anna perked up as she placed her hand on Katherine’s shoulder.

“I’m so glad you liked it. I was happier going through Cage’s closet and sending you the shirts, too.” She sounded sly and Katherine had to bury her head as she walked forward.

Henrick cleared his throat, trying to contain his chuckle. Cage, on the other hand, had shoved his hand in his pocket and was enjoying watching his girlfriend be pampered and loved by his parents.

“Anna, stop teasing the poor girl. When she goes up on the stage, she’ll look like a tomato,” Henrick said from the side, amusement clear in his voice. Cage interrupted quickly, saving her from further embarrassment.

“Stop bothering my girlfriend! She’s really shy.” Cage shoved his parents away from Katherine’s side and planted himself firmly beside her. Katherine squeaked as she felt a fresh wave of embarrassment wash over her.

“You’re already trying to separate her from us? You clearly want to hog her time,” Anna protested.

“My girlfriend, my rules!” Cage replied with a smug grin. Henrick sighed as he shook his head.

“For all those teenage years when we told him that he had to follow our rules while living under our roof. I see he has taken a page from our book.” The family dynamic was wonderful. Unlike Katherine’s family where she was still the child who needed to be guided and persuaded to take a certain decision, the Cavanaugh’s seemed to view their kid as an adult, an independent being who they could trust and lean on.

“I can see why you have such a good son,” Katherine spoke up. The three turned to look.

“It was a lucky draw, really. But don’t let him fool you. He has his moments…” Katherine leaned forward, interested to find out more.

“Now, now. Let’s not mention those!” Cage begged. Katherine had to snicker as she watched him fiddle nervously. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.

“Well, the boy has spoken. I can’t mention his bad behavior. You’ll have to find out on your own!” Anna clapped her hands together.

– – –

It had been half an hour since they reached the room when the staff informed her that she would have to go to the venue. Katherine scrubbed her face as she apologized.

“I’m so sorry. We have to set up before the audience arrives. You’ll be in the crowd, right?” she looked around the room for reassurance.

“We’ll be cheering you on from the side,” Henrick smiled from his spot. Cage was lying on the bed casually despite his parents’ warning to not be rude.