[b]Ingrid frowned & stared after Andreios as he left, feeling guilty that she'd just put so much on his shoulders. She didn't fully understand his situation, but she could tell her cared a great deal for Ava. It looked like he was almost in pain to see her daughter act so nonchalantly around him, like he was in love. & perhaps he was. With a small smile, Ingrid watched Ava brew the tea before them & tried to think of a way to help Andreios out a little; Ava didn't remember him, but Ingrid knew when her daughter had a crush.

"Ava," Ingrid said softly, "That young man who was just in here... was he your boyfriend?"

Just as Ingrid expected, her daughter, flinched, almost spilling their steeping tea all over the carpet. Her mother's smile widened a little & she sat up in her chair. Ava was all too transparent, even two years later.

[i]..._..._...[/i]

Walking out of her mother's cabin about half an hour later, Ava went to Andreios with a thermos of warm tea & her cheeks red & warm. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that she would like this particular brew, & her meddlesome mother encouraged her to give him the present. But Ava was actually a bit happy that her mother was so amused; usually, the woman was so absent, like her mind wasn't all there. But today, her teasing & encouragement for Ava to flirt with the man was just the thing she needed to be reassured that she was going to be okay, even if she was alone in her cabin all the time.

"Mister Andreios, I brought you some tea," Ava said, thrusting the thermos to him almost violently, "I'm sorry made you wait for me so long. But I'm ready to head home now."[/b]