For most of dinner, Tory had poked and swirled the pasta around, taking a few bites here and there. He forgot what the dish was called. It tasted good and that's what mattered to him. Still, he hadn't been incredibly hungry but he knew how much he could leave on the plate as to not come across as rude.

He made small talk with his mom and stepfather. He told them about the novel's premise and couldn't help but smile at their initial expressions. Tory was quick to list the importance of the novel's theme and threw in a few good points about what he was learning. Their little conversation halted as Domnik joined them.

"Mm... that happens." Sarah said to Domnik, and gave him a small, hesitant smile from across the table. She more or less believed the older boy but it was a difficult task to know how to be a step parent to someone who was an adult but at the same time, lived at home. "You may want to reheat your plate, though."

Tory's pasta managed to become more interesting and he pushed it around on his plate with more enthusiasm than before. Was garlic in it? Looked like garlic. Cool...

"Dom, sometime tonight or tomorrow you should speak with Sarah and I about, you know, finances," Stephen casually said.

Tory's eyes narrowed. Why were those three having whatever talks? If it was a family thing, Tory didn't know why he wasn't invited.

"About what?" Tory left his pasta alone and gazed at the faces around him.