Matinus kept glancing out of the corner of his eye. It was strange watching his mom - well, his step-mom - sitting beside Colin on the grass. His attention would be pulled when Nioma would find a weird-shaped rock or something equally silly to show him, but Matinus kept looking and feeling.
It was a different love than what he felt when Sanria and his dad were together. She loved her dad and was protective of him, but the feeling Matinus felt was how when his dad and Sanria were together, their hearts kinda melted into one another. She adored his dad. With Colin, though, it was different. Matinus could feel something more here, something old that wasn't as lovely as what he'd been feeling when his dad and Sanria were together. He put his finger on it at the same moment Nioma splashed him by dropping a large stone in the stream. Colin was scared, Sanria knew it.
Matinus wiped the water from his cheek and snapped at Nioma. She looked sad for a moment, then chased after a squirrel. He sat there, feeling more. Colin was scared of something and it made him want Sanria all to himself. But, Sanria, mom, didn't feel the same. Like she knew he was afraid and it made her tired. Like she was being nice. Like she loved him less than she loved his dad.
Matinus kept stealing glances and feelings, but for a moment he was happy. He felt Sanria loved his dad more. Then they kissed and Matinus had to look away. It just looked wrong. He was happy, sure, that all the adults were getting along, but he found himself wishing it was just his dad again. Like Sanria belonged to his dad, not to two guys.
He sighed as Nioma came up, waving a muddy stick around. He shooed her away, then his mom got up and Colin got up and their time was at an end. Nioma led the way back through the forest, skipping and singing at the top of her lungs, then Sanria and Colin, then Matinus - watching, feeling, ingesting. He wasn't really sure how to feel. This whole thing was a little more than confusing. It was awkward.
