Xaviers!

Colette rested her chin upon her hands as she listened with a slight smile and eyes half-lidded.

"Was it I who wore you down, Baseel, or was it vice versa?"

"I wore you down." Basil replied, sounding completely convicted of that.

Jessica rolled her eyes at her son and tried not to sigh, failing.

Colette turned her head to whisper softly to Basil in return. "And I am sorry for being so difficult for so long." She wasn't going to go into detail, how for some time she had feared she was to be a Sybil Vane to his Dorian Gray. All that had been put behind her thanks to their talks.

"Oh how rude of me. I have not even complimented you on your lovely home Madame Esther. Please forgive me."

It wasn't overly apparent what put Basil in a good mood, but he must have been in one because in a blink of an eye, his physical body was in attendance at dinner with everyone else's.

Esther hadn't noticed yet and started to respond - "Thank you, I've had a lot of time to w-" When she looked up from her plate she screamed out loud at Basil's reappearance, the first she had seen since he disappeared four years ago.

Colette froze in place, about to pop some asparagus into her open mouth, eyes scanning the table. From Esther's startled expression she followed the older woman's gaze to her boyfriend and smiled as she set down her fork.

"Ah, see? I was correct in saying zat you were looking handsome today." She gave Basil's back a little rub with her gloved hand.

Esther exclaimed something in that language that Colette didn't understand as she rose from her seat and threw her hands out to grab a hold of Basil's face. She was obviously trying to hold back tears, but failing.

Basil let her touch him, wrinkling his nose a bit at the attention but understanding why she'd respond in such a fashion. After a moment he hugged her, to make her feel better mostly. He looked at Colette as if to say sorry for the emotional display.

"So you've decided to come out of your warren krolik."

Jessica seemed just as surprised as the other two, but much less pleased.

Colette wasn't one to interrupt a moment between grandmother and grandson, closing her eyes and shaking her head as if to say that sorries were not necessary. While there may have been holidays and family get togethers where the two had been together, she could understand how important it must be for Esther to see her grandson again. She took the opportunity to speak with Jessica in a soft tone.

"Basil has made a great deal of progress at ze University in just one semester, especially when one considers zat we must also attend classes as one would at any ozer school. I am very proud of him, as I am certain you are as well." She didn't feel that she should divulge too much on the matter, being as it was rather personal for her boyfriend, but he did deserve some praise and encouragement.

The elderly woman and her grandson were still talking to each other in that language Colette didn't quite comprehend, though Jessica probably did.

"Not really." Jessica replied, ever honest to a fault.

"Zen you had better start, because anyzing less is a hindrance." Colette's voice was low and uncharacteristically serious as she stared at Jessica, lacking the usual bubbly gaiety she usually exhibited as she spoke directly to her boyfriend's mother, counting on her boyfriend's unexpected appearance to distract the others from their little chat. Her demeanor was back as quickly as it had slipped away, the girl happily resuming her meal as though she hadn't said anything at all.

"It is awful, but I have zis terrible habit of already zinking about tomorrow's meal while enjoying ze current one." She seemed to be talking to Amit now when she looked up from her plate. "I am looking forward to assisting in ze cooking tomorrow as well, if Madame Esther will have me. Zis type of cooking is one zat I have not have much opportunity to practice but I have been very eager to learn for quite some time."