A couple minutes later, Lucia’s mother came back with a tray filled to the brim with brownies and sat down on the couch next to Lucia and me.
“So, how did you two meet?”
Lucia’s mom asked with a smidge of interest present in her voice.
“We bumped into each other in the library on the second day of school.”
Lucia said curtly.
“Was it love at first sight, then?”
“Nah, it took me two to three weeks or so to develop feelings for this guy.”
“For me, it took about a month.”
I said before sitting up straight.
“Huh, really? How’d you last that long, Otto?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say that… this girl has a tendency to rough up essentially everyone that she meets.”
“Hey! I don’t hurt everybody that I meet… just the people who piss me off.”
Lucia said with a smidge of indignation in her voice.
“That’s everybody that you meet.”
Lucia’s mom and I said in unison.
“Whatever...”
“Anyhow… despite what you say, she hasn’t ever actually hurt me specifically… unless you count insults.”
“Hah… Lucia loves you that much?”
Lucia’s mother said with a bit of disbelief in her voice, contemplating what I said for a couple of seconds before recomposing herself.
“Surely, you’re exaggerating.”
I said, sarcastically before coming to a somewhat grim realization.
I’ve definitely had this exact same conversation before, right?
“…Are you 100% sure that you’ve got the correct person, Otto? You didn’t fall victim to some sort of traumatic brain injury before all of this stuff happened?”
Lucia’s mom inquired, while blatantly ignoring my question.
“Mom, are you trying to scare him off on purpose?”
Lucia said with annoyance evident in her tone.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s just all happening so fast. Just a year ago, I’m pretty sure that I saw Lucia pick a fight with a mailbox because she bumped into it by accident.”
She replied before clearing her throat a little.
“Anyway, where are my manners? My name is Rosalind Hawthorne, but you can just call me Rosa.”
“Nice to meet you, Rosa.”
I said flatly.
“So, where are you from, Otto?”
Rosa… you could’ve led with any other question and you chose that one?
“It’s kinda hard to explain.”
“We’ve got time to spare.”
Rosa said with a smidge of curiosity present in her tone.
“Really, it’s not all that interesting.”
“Less interesting than watching carrots grow?”
Rosa remarked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Ah… so that’s where Lucia gets her stubbornness from.
“Okay fine, I’ll tell you. Though, please note that, what I’m about to say will make me sound a little bit crazy.”
“You’re dating Lucia currently and probably have also met Ameil. If you weren’t at least a little insane, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Rosa replied, nonchalantly.
In turn, Lucia just rolled her eyes before covertly taking my left hand in hers.
“Alright, so I’m basically from a completely different world.”
“By that do you mean a country or…?”
“More like a different reality, at least that’s how he explained it to me.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“Huh… ain’t that something?”
Rosa said before leaning back on the couch.
“So, Lucia’s first boyfriend is a maro, go figure.”
“You’re gonna believe me just like that?”
“If Lucia believes you, why shouldn’t I? It’s easier to gain a bear’s trust than hers.”
Rosa remarked while smiling at me.
“Regardless, since you don’t look like you’re in the mood for that sort of talk right now, we can move onto less pressing matters… like how many kids do you two want?”
“Uh…”
“Mom, what the actual fuck?”
“I’m kidding! I’m kidding… mostly.”
“Mom!”
“Alright, calm down. You wouldn’t want to burn half of the house down again like you did last year, right?”
“Hmph.”
Lucia huffed before sinking in her seat a little.
“So, Otto, what was it about Lucia that caused you to fall in love with her?”
Rosa asked curiously.
“Would it be alright if I just told Lucia that?”
“I see that Lucia is not the only possessive one in the relationship.”
“Mom, don’t make me set you on fire…”
Lucia said with an exasperated look on her face.
“Oh, really? But Otto is right next to me, you wouldn’t want him to get caught in the blaze as well, right?”
“Are you… seriously holding my boyfriend hostage?”
“Perhaps.”
Rosa remarked with a bit of a sly expression on her face.
“Now, back to the topic at hand. I don’t mind if you keep it a secret with her, but in return you have to promise to come over more often.”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Good, I’d like to get to know my son-in-law better.”
“We’re not even married yet!”
“Yet?”
“…I’ve said too much.”
Lucia remarked with a smidge of embarrassment present in her voice.
Rosa just smiled mischievously in response.
“Anyhow… as fun as it is to tease the two of you, I think I’ll leave the both of you alone for now. I haven’t finished cooking dinner yet.”
Rosa said before getting up from her seat and walking into the kitchen.
“Well, that was certainly… something.”
“That’s one way to describe it.”
Lucia said after resting her head on my shoulder.
Then she started whispering into my ear.
“…Say, Otto. What was it about me that made you fall in love, anyway? I’m kinda curious.”
“It’s just that… you make me feel like I matter. Before I met you, I essentially had no motivation to do anything. But, ever since I’ve met you, it’s like some sorta fire has been lit under my feet… how about you?”
“For me, it’s the fact that you’ve never been afraid of me and just kinda have always treated me like a normal girl… before I met you, everyone else I've ever met has looked at me like I’m some sort of volcano waiting to erupt. But you? You look at me like I’m some sort of priceless jewel.”
Lucia said in a somber tone.
“Well, that’s because you've got two of those in place of where your eyes are supposed to be.”
“Hah, is that supposed to be some sort of compliment?”
Lucia remarked before pressing her forehead up against mine.
“Take it as you will.”
I replied with a large grin plastered on my face.
A couple minutes later, Lucia’s mother came back with a tray filled to the brim with brownies and sat down on the couch next to Lucia and me.
“So, how did you two meet?”
Lucia’s mom asked with a smidge of interest present in her voice.
“We bumped into each other in the library on the second day of school.”
Lucia said curtly.
“Was it love at first sight, then?”
“Nah, it took me two to three weeks or so to develop feelings for this guy.”
“For me, it took about a month.”
I said before sitting up straight.
“Huh, really? How’d you last that long, Otto?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say that… this girl has a tendency to rough up essentially everyone that she meets.”
“Hey! I don’t hurt everybody that I meet… just the people who piss me off.”
Lucia said with a smidge of indignation in her voice.
“That’s everybody that you meet.”
Lucia’s mom and I said in unison.
“Whatever...”
“Anyhow… despite what you say, she hasn’t ever actually hurt me specifically… unless you count insults.”
“Hah… Lucia loves you that much?”
Lucia’s mother said with a bit of disbelief in her voice, contemplating what I said for a couple of seconds before recomposing herself.
“Surely, you’re exaggerating.”
I said, sarcastically before coming to a somewhat grim realization.
I’ve definitely had this exact same conversation before, right?
“…Are you 100% sure that you’ve got the correct person, Otto? You didn’t fall victim to some sort of traumatic brain injury before all of this stuff happened?”
Lucia’s mom inquired, while blatantly ignoring my question.
“Mom, are you trying to scare him off on purpose?”
Lucia said with annoyance evident in her tone.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s just all happening so fast. Just a year ago, I’m pretty sure that I saw Lucia pick a fight with a mailbox because she bumped into it by accident.”
She replied before clearing her throat a little.
“Anyway, where are my manners? My name is Rosalind Hawthorne, but you can just call me Rosa.”
“Nice to meet you, Rosa.”
I said flatly.
“So, where are you from, Otto?”
Rosa… you could’ve led with any other question and you chose that one?
“It’s kinda hard to explain.”
“We’ve got time to spare.”
Rosa said with a smidge of curiosity present in her tone.
“Really, it’s not all that interesting.”
“Less interesting than watching carrots grow?”
Rosa remarked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Ah… so that’s where Lucia gets her stubbornness from.
“Okay fine, I’ll tell you. Though, please note that, what I’m about to say will make me sound a little bit crazy.”
“You’re dating Lucia currently and probably have also met Ameil. If you weren’t at least a little insane, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Rosa replied, nonchalantly.
In turn, Lucia just rolled her eyes before covertly taking my left hand in hers.
“Alright, so I’m basically from a completely different world.”
“By that do you mean a country or…?”
“More like a different reality, at least that’s how he explained it to me.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“Huh… ain’t that something?”
Rosa said before leaning back on the couch.
“So, Lucia’s first boyfriend is a maro, go figure.”
“You’re gonna believe me just like that?”
“If Lucia believes you, why shouldn’t I? It’s easier to gain a bear’s trust than hers.”
Rosa remarked while smiling at me.
“Regardless, since you don’t look like you’re in the mood for that sort of talk right now, we can move onto less pressing matters… like how many kids do you two want?”
“Uh…”
“Mom, what the actual fuck?”
“I’m kidding! I’m kidding… mostly.”
“Mom!”
“Alright, calm down. You wouldn’t want to burn half of the house down again like you did last year, right?”
“Hmph.”
Lucia huffed before sinking in her seat a little.
“So, Otto, what was it about Lucia that caused you to fall in love with her?”
Rosa asked curiously.
“Would it be alright if I just told Lucia that?”
“I see that Lucia is not the only possessive one in the relationship.”
“Mom, don’t make me set you on fire…”
Lucia said with an exasperated look on her face.
“Oh, really? But Otto is right next to me, you wouldn’t want him to get caught in the blaze as well, right?”
“Are you… seriously holding my boyfriend hostage?”
“Perhaps.”
Rosa remarked with a bit of a sly expression on her face.
“Now, back to the topic at hand. I don’t mind if you keep it a secret with her, but in return you have to promise to come over more often.”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Good, I’d like to get to know my son-in-law better.”
“We’re not even married yet!”
“Yet?”
“…I’ve said too much.”
Lucia remarked with a smidge of embarrassment present in her voice.
Rosa just smiled mischievously in response.
“Anyhow… as fun as it is to tease the two of you, I think I’ll leave the both of you alone for now. I haven’t finished cooking dinner yet.”
Rosa said before getting up from her seat and walking into the kitchen.
“Well, that was certainly… something.”
“That’s one way to describe it.”
Lucia said after resting her head on my shoulder.
Then she started whispering into my ear.
“…Say, Otto. What was it about me that made you fall in love, anyway? I’m kinda curious.”
“It’s just that… you make me feel like I matter. Before I met you, I essentially had no motivation to do anything. But, ever since I’ve met you, it’s like some sorta fire has been lit under my feet… how about you?”
“For me, it’s the fact that you’ve never been afraid of me and just kinda have always treated me like a normal girl… before I met you, everyone else I've ever met has looked at me like I’m some sort of volcano waiting to erupt. But you? You look at me like I’m some sort of priceless jewel.”
Lucia said in a somber tone.
“Well, that’s because you've got two of those in place of where your eyes are supposed to be.”
“Hah, is that supposed to be some sort of compliment?”
Lucia remarked before pressing her forehead up against mine.
“Take it as you will.”
I replied with a large grin plastered on my face.
