"Aww that's so sweet. Dad's so romantic."
I saw my mom kiss my dad on the cheek as if that memory made her very happy.
"It was. I will never forget that moment you're father said those words to me. It meant more than everything to me especially after never having some special in my life before. We dated for a couple of months before I met his parents in Pokémon for the first time."
Her expression saddened a bit and I already knew where this was going, but I still wanted my mom to talk about it.
"I didn't know what to expect but since the first moment I met his mother I knew she didn't like me."
*October 10th, 2535
"Do you think they'll like me babe? They haven't met me before so I don't know what they are going to think. I want them to like me at least."
"They will love you Leaf. You're smart, beautiful, and extremely caring. They would have to be crazy not to like you."
I kissed my boyfriend on the cheek and took his paw as he led me to his parents cabin. He knocked on the door and my heart started beating faster making me even more nervous. I tightened my grip on his paw and he whispered everything will be alright.
I gave him a tight smile before the door opened. A older male Leafeon greeted us with a smile.
"Hey son. Who is this pretty young lady?"
"Dad this is my girlfriend Leaf. Leaf this is my dad Freon."
"Hello..."
I said shyly as he held out his paw which I nervously shook.
"Don't be nervous. I'm not going to bite."
I couldn't help but laugh as we headed inside to a particularly cozy cabin.
"Dear our son brought a special guest. Come say hello to her."
"Alright alright I'm coming."
A female Leafeon came out of the kitchen wearing a tomato apron. She looked at me like she examining me from head to toe. I felt like I was being watched like a Ratata.
"She's not really pretty."
"Mother!"
She looked at Leafy like she felt only slightly guilty before addressing me again.
"Girl come over here so I can get a better look at you."
I nervously did as she said as she placed a paw on my face squishing it and examining every detail.
"What's your name?"
"Leaf ma'am."
"How old are you?"
"18."
"Hmm..."
She glared at me as she kept looking at my face. I could only imagine what she was thinking.
She let go of my face and I took an awkward step back.
"She's alright. Is she your girlfriend son?"
"Yes mom. We've been dating for about a couple of months now."
"Okay. Nice to meet you Leaf was it?"
"Yes ma'am."
"She's a very fidgety Pokémon. Whatever. Dinner will be ready in 15 more minutes excuse me. My name is Leafie with an 'ie.'"
"Nice to meet you Leafie."
She nodded ever so slightly before she left to continue prepping dinner. His dad went to sit down at the table to keep reading a book. I stayed near the doorway not sure what to do. Leafy placed a hand on my shoulder after he saw how nervous I was.
"Hey babe it's going to be okay. I'm here with you."
"O-okay."
Soon after we all sat the table and ate in silence. His family was a bit much. It was hard to imagine he was raised by someone so cold. Or maybe I was just reading to much into it too soon. I barely know them. I don't know what their really like. Luckily his dad broke the ice with a curious question.
"So Leaf do you go to the same college as my son?"
"Yes. I'm studying business and botany."
"What's botany?"
"Study of plants, how they grow, what is the best environment for them, how to grow healthy plants, and things like that. I personally like to study flowers, so I can open a flower shop one day."
His mom dropped her fork as soon I mentioned the shop. She did not look happy at all.
"A flower shop?"
"Yes ma'am. I've wanted to open one since I was little."
"And your parents, do they support your aspiration?"
"I- I don't have any parents. I grew up in an orphanage."
His mother looked at me like she couldn't believe I said that. His father was sympathetic and patted me on the back.
"I'm sorry dear. I'm glad you found my son then. We would love to have you. We'll be like your family."
His mother choked on the water she had been drinking and started coughing. We waited for her to clear her throat before she spoke.
"Leaf come walk with me. I would like to talk to you in private."
"Yes ma'am."
~
"Uh oh that doesn't sound good mom. What did grandma tell you?"
"She asked me more about how I grew up. Then she told me how she and her husband started the garden from the ground up. She intended for her son to inherit the garden when they were ready to retire. And then her grandchildren as so on. But she was afraid that wouldn't happen because he was dating 'someone like me'."
"She really said that?"
"Yes. She said my plans and her plans for her son wouldn't mix together. She knew her son would support my goals and not become a berry farmer and she didn't want that. And if I wanted to keep dating her son I would have to abandon my dream of opening a flower shop. She was quite the traditionalist."
"What did you tell her in response?"
"I'm going to keep dating Leafy whether you allow it or not. I'm not going to abandon my goals and he does support my dreams and he still wants be a berry picker beside me. This was not up for discussion anymore."
"Badass mom."
"Did I ever regret saying that to her though. From then on she never wanted to speak to me. It put a strain on my relationship with your dad. Because if his mom hated me, could we really work out without her approval?"
"Sounds tough mom."
"Yes. Especially since I really did want your dad's family to be mine since I never had one. And like I said if his mom hated me for altering the future she had planned for her son, she wanted nothing to do with me. I was afraid he would eventually listen to his mom and then break up with me because of his mother's pressure. So I broke up with him."
"You what?! You never told me this."
"Yes. Being an orphan I wanted a family that loved me. And if his mother couldn't accept me for even being an orphan and changing her son's future I just couldn't cope and decided to end it."
"When did you break up with dad?"
"About 6 months into our relationship."
"How did dad respond to that?"
My mom went quiet and I looked at my dad to see he had some tears in his eyes.
"Dad?"
He saw my concerned face and quickly wiped the tears out of his eyes. To my surprise he continued the story. I guess mom couldn't because it looked like this part made her sad.
"Well I was mad at my mother for ruining my relationship. I didn't speak to her for months. I couldn't believe she could be so cruel to the girl I loved. Didn't she want to see me happy?"
"Aww dad."
"I could hardly focus in school and at home tending to garden because I kept thinking about your mother. My father noticed and kept trying to cheer me up but I hardly said a word to him. I spent more times alone and crying because I missed your mother so much."
"How did you guys resolve your relationship after all that happened?"
"Well my mother came up to me one day while I was alone in my room and she started crying."
"Why was she crying?"
"She said,'I'm so sorry son I ruined your relationship. I now see she made you very happy and without her you're miserable. I should have never judged her and trusted you more. You live your life with her the way you want to. If you want her back go get her and I promise from now on I will do my best to make up for what I've done. If you really love her go and get her back. You will forever have my approval.'"
"Wow that was unexpected. What did you do then dad?"
"I went to go find your mom and try to fix our relationship. She was sitting alone reading a book beside a fountain when I found her."
~ March1st, 2536
"Leaf?"
She looked up from the book in surprise.
"Leafy what are you doing here?"
I went over to her, held her paw and cried in her lap.
"Leaf I want to be with you! I have missed you every day since we broke up! Please can we try to fix it and be together again?!"
"I missed you too but, what about your mother?"
"Leaf she told me to come and get you back. She wants us to be together since she's seen how miserable I am without you."
"She did?"
"Yes. She wants to try and make up with you too, but she wanted us to get back together first! And I want to be with you Leaf! Please say yes! I don't want to be apart from you anymore! I want to..."
I started crying loudly not caring if anyone was watching. I just wanted my girlfriend back.
"Leafy."
I looked up at her with bloodshot eyes to see she had started crying as well.
"Y-yes Leaf?"
"Come here you big dork."
I smiled as I sat beside her and hugged her tightly. She hugged me back trembling in my arms.
"Does this mean we're together again?"
"Yes. I missed you so much."
"I missed you everyday. "
"Oh Leafy..."
I tilted her head up and kissed her with as much passion as I possibly could. We sat there kissing for a while, before we sat there snuggling not saying anything for the next few minutes.
"Do you want to get some yogurt? And start again?"
"I'd love to."
"As long as I'm with you I'm up for anything."
"Leafy."
She turned pink before she kissed me one more time. We got up and went to go get yogurt together arm in arm.
~
"Awwwwwwww that's so cuuuttteeeee."
My mom smiled at dad and kissed him, which made him laugh as he kissed her back.
"How was grandma's relationship like with mom after that?"
"They had their disagreements but they tolerated each other for my sake. Soon she was working alongside me at my family's garden as we continued going to college together. And we really became her family."
"Yes and before we knew it two years had passed and the question where our future was heading came up again."
