The morning after the yacht party, Steven lay wide awake, his mind alive and thinking of the events of last night. Feeling Lucy rouse herself awake next to him, he decided that was a perfect time to prepare for the day. They got up without exchanging a word, each going through their morning routines in a quiet, tense atmosphere. Steven showered quickly, letting the hot water wash away his remaining anger and frustration and then dressed in a pair of designer jeans and a cashmere sweater.
Downstairs, Lucy was already sorting out breakfast for the kids. As he walked downstairs, the leftovers of a party greeted him; empty cans, junk food rubbish, and a few stray items of clothing. Clearly, Cindy had taken advantage of their absence. Reaching the kitchen, he noticed Lucy giving him a brief, unreadable glance before heading upstairs to ready herself for the day. They would have to talk later, but not now. Now he had more important things to deal to; he took a seat at the table, studying his children. Cindy was absorbed in her phone, Derek and Kayden were arguing over some game they were playing, while Kameron quietly ate her cereal. “Alright, listen up,” Steven barked firmly to his children while still keeping his voice controlled. “I heard about the unscheduled party last night, Cindy, care to explain?”
Cindy rolled her eyes without looking up from her phone. “It was just a few friends, Dad. No big deal.”
“A few friends? The house was trashed,” Steven retorted with a sharper tone. “You know better than this. What if something happened? What if someone got hurt again?”
Cindy finally looked up. There was still defiance in her eyes, but with a hit of recognition at what he was suggesting. “Nothing happened, okay? Everyone was fine. You and Mum are always out at your fancy parties. Why can’t I have one too?”
“Because there’s a difference between responsible behaviour and recklessness. You need to understand the consequences of your actions. This isn’t just about you, Cindy. It’s about the safety of everyone in this house.” Derek and Kayden had fallen silent, sensing the tension, while Kameron was looking up at Steven with wide eyes, clearly uncomfortable with the argument. Surprisingly, Steven noticed this. “We’ll talk more about this later,” Steven said conclusively and a little more softly. “For now, no more unscheduled parties, particularly while you’re grounded. Understood?” Cindy muttered something under her breath but nodded reluctantly.
After breakfast, Steven made a call to a local handyman. It was time to get those security cameras he’d ordered last month installed. He had already paid the yearly subscription to the company for the three cameras and storage and access through them to link it all through his phone. What he mainly needed was someone to help put them up and talk him through using them and how to access it all on his device. As he hung up, Steven felt a slight sense of relief. The cameras would give him some peace of mind, a way to keep an eye on things even when he wasn’t around. He knew trust was a fragile thing in his household, but at least he could ensure everyone’s safety.
When Lucy came back downstairs, ready for her day, Steven had ordered the kids to help him clean up the mess downstairs. He heard Lucy yell, “Hey love, I’m going to lunch with friends. I’ll be back later. I hope you have a great day. Love you.” but he didn’t responded.
Once the five of them had tidied and the house had returned to a far nicer state, the kids went off to do as they usually do, Steven didn’t know or care, and he went grab the box the cameras had arrived in. Walking out front with it, he put the box down on a marble garden plinth before opening it to start reading the instructions. Unaware that Cameron had followed him out and was watching what he was doing from beside him.
@ChayChay05 - Lucy mentioned
@eunoia - Danny - Ready when he is.
Sutton
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