"So Eli, how long have you been doing karate?"
Eli sat his fork down. "Uh, since the beginning. When Sensei Lawrence reopened Cobra Kai, we all kinda joined together." He looked at Odessa. "Dess was the one to get me to stay."
Odessa smiled at that. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Yeah, well, someone needed to. Look how far you've come since then."
The way they smiled at each other, it reminded Christian of a young him and Thalia. He looked at his ex wife and saw her smiling. Their daughter was in love. The hatred he felt for himself grew because he wasn't there to witness it from the beginning. "So, does that mean we're past the father-boyfriend talk?" Christian joked.
There was another awkward pause. Odessa and Eli looked at each other. He sent her an apologetic smile. She ate the pasta on her fork in silence.















After dinner, Odessa led Eli to her room and she closed the door behind her. She released a heavy sigh. "That was torturous." She said and leaned her back against the door.
Eli sat on her bed. "Could've been worse. He could've been a raging asshole."
Odessa rolled her eyes. "He's not already?" She sarcastically asked.
"I mean. . ." He started to say. He was worried about saying the wrong thing. "I don't see it."
She titled her head at that. "What are you saying? You actually like him?"
"I don't know him well enough to know that!" Eli quickly responded. "But from what I see now, he's trying, Dess. That's a lot more to a most parents do."
"He should've tried three years ago." She snapped and walked to the other side of her room.
Sensing her anger, he sighed and moved on the bed to face her. "I know. You're right. But. . .Dess, he's here now. And he's helping us with the tournament. Maybe. . .Maybe you should try giving him a chance?"
Odessa knew he meant no harm by saying it. But her own pint up anger towards her father wouldn't allow her to see otherwise. She looked at him and glared. "I know you think you understand the situation but you don't. Only Oliver, Gray, and Hailey do, so I don't appreciate you telling me what I should do about the man who abandoned me."
Eli stood from the bed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He quickly apologized and went to hug her. He took her by the arms and wrapped his around her shoulders. "I didn't mean to push it."
Odessa inhaled a deep breath and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. She closed her eyes. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap." She said, frustrated with herself. They broke apart but his hands remained on her forearms. "I'm just not use to him being back and now he's apart of our training, and. . .I don't know how to handle it."
Eli nodded softly. "I get it. I really do. Go your own pace. I'll be by your side no matter what."
Her frustration lifted and Odessa smiled. She kissed his lips quickly. "Okay, come on." She said and led him to her bed. They sat down and she laid on her side. "Tell me what you were upset about earlier."
Eli was hoping she'd forgotten about it. He sighed and leaned his head back. "It's really nothing, babe." He excused.
She wasn't convinced. "Don't act like I don't know when something's bothering you." She slapped his arm. "Spill."
The boyfriend huffed and looked down at her, seeing her expecting expression. Eli leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Okay, okay. . .Robby said something during training and it kinda, just, set me off."