(A/N: Did they change this site again? It's weird. If anyone ever wants to chat with me, get an account on the Tim Burton Collective and we can PM each other or something. It's awesome. Cheers!)
"I heard you walk through that door late last night," said Reya's mother as Reya grabbed herself a bagle to put in the toaster. "Got something you want to confess?" she asked.
"I wasn't doing anything bad, mom," she said. "I went for a walk and lost track of time."
"I saw who you came home with," she said, looking at her from her newspaper. Reya knew she was in trouble this time and wished her mother could have at least waited till she was more awake. "You two looked mighty comfortable together."
"We didn't do anything, mom," she said, looking at her.
"Really, Reya? And how old is he? Late thirties? Late fourties?"
"I don't know how old he is, mom. And what's it matter? I'm an adult now. I can make my own decisions."
"Yes, but I want you to make good decisions," she said, placing her hands on Reya's shoulders. "He's a lot older than you, is that safe?"
"You don't understand the things me and him have been through."
"Reya, are you having sex?"
"What! No! My god, mom!" she shouted. "And it's only eight thirty!" she cried, looking at the clock. "Wait... is it monday?"
"The day has nothing to do with it, Reya!"
"You don't understand. Mondays... they're cursed!"
"Again with your superstition? Reya, when are you going to grow up?"
"Oh no..." she muttered. "It's monday the thirteenth isn't it?"
"It's saturday," she said. "Reya, this isn't healthy. I mean, he's robbing the cradle!"
"I'm not in a cradle, mom, and there isn't one to rob in this house."
"He's using you, Rey-rey."
"For what? What is there to get to through me? He's Willy Wonka! He's got everything!"
"Including a child girlfriend."
"Oh, mom, don't even. We're not doing anything bad. And both of us have already talked about things like sex-"
"He asked you for sex?" she cried, looking ready to have a heart attack.
"No! I told him up front I was waiting for my wedding night and he said he respects that."
"But for how long, Reya?"
"Mom, you haven't known him as long as I have. And I can tell when that's all a guy is interested in. Why do you think I waited so long before dating? Do you think I would just leap for someone out of desperation? I love him, mom!"
"You don't know what love is, you're just a child!"
"No, I'm not. He risked his life to save me that night, remember? The gun was pointed at him and he didn't even run. I'd do anything for him, mom. He means so much to me that if I was pulled away from him... it'd be like a part of me went with him. He held me when I was crying the night I ran away from the hospital, right before Dad died. He's been there through so much, never once stepping back, even though he's had so many chances to. I love him, mom."
Her mother shook her head and stood up. "I can't make your decisions for you anymore. You do what you think is right." She started to leave, but Reya stopped her, giving her a hug.
"Trust me, mom," she said softly. Her mother simply hugged her back, and then went on, getting ready for work.
"It sounds like she's trusting me, but reluctantly," she said softly.
"Guess I'm not exactly on her list of favorite people anymore, huh?" he said. Reya smiled and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. She'll come around."
They had gone for a drive, and he had parked at a hill, and lead her to a place through the trees, on a taller hill with a beautiful veiw of the town and village lights. There was a large log laying down and they sat with their backs leaning against it, listening to the crikets chirping in the night.
"I wish we could just go, you and I," she said after a minute. "I wish we could just run away and not look back. Like, go to a place like Paris or something."
"And do what?" he asked.
"I dunno. Get married, start a family away from everyone who knows us."
"You wouldn't want your mother at your wedding?" he asked. "My dear, that would break her heart."
"I guess. When I think of these things, I don't think of the details."
"Just caught up in the moment?" he asked, smiling. She kissed him briefly and turned her gaze back to the lights.
"I've never been to Paris. Bet it's pretty."
"It is," he said. "You'd like it there I think."
"The problem is, I don't speak French," she said.
"I'll go with then, be a translator. Together we could cause mass chaos."
"One step at a time there, pal," she said, smiling. He kissed her cheek gently and she relaxed. His lips moved to her neck, and he nipped at her. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to give you a hickie," he said.
"Yeah, that'll win over my mom," she said, shaking her head. He chuckled and kissed her lips tenderly.
"Have I told you lately that I love you?" he sang and she laughed. He kissed her again, and they spent the rest of the time talking and flirting until they headed back to the real world.
(A/N: When I was working at this event called The Ultimate Challenge (a ubber cool, fun thing sponsored by Youth for Christ) there was a display set across from our humungous inflated obsticle course where a group of people from Africa, called I-Themba, would to African dances and then teach them to anyone who wanted to learn for free. Before the place was open and all the other people started coming in, we had just finished setting up the obsticle course and had about a half hour to kill before the doors opened so we started racing them through the course. I raced one of them named William and he beat me by a landslide. He beat everyone in our group, and when he was walking back to his stand, he turned to us and sang, "Have I told you ladies... that you SUCK!" and walked off laughing. We heard that again about five million times afterwords, but it was still funny. He was awesome and I thought of him while writing this chapter. R&R!)
