There's No Need to Argue

(DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince: Parents Just Dont Understand)

"You're not much of a chatty Cathy, are you Cath?" Barbara laughed, massaging Cath's feet.

"I guess I'm more of a listener." She blushed.

Barbara was a plump woman in her late 50s with rosy cheeks and curly red hair. She owned the beauty parlor in town and she was good friends with Marlisse, who was in the seat next to Cath's. They were getting their nails done.

"Cath's a shy girl. She doesn't leave the room unless Levi's right at her side." Marlisse said, "I was surprised I got her out of the house today."

"Oh, honey, your Levi is such a gentleman. I can't believe he's going to be a college senior this year. They grow up so fast." Barbara cooed, "What are you going to be this year, Cath?"
"I'm going into my sophomore year." She said, "I'm majoring in English."

"Ooh, he got himself a bookworm." The ginger grinned, "Is he reading now?"
"I don't think so, he's still pretty attached to his audiobooks." Marlisse shrugged.
"What a shame. He'd be perfect if he could read," She laughed, "And if he didn't have his father's hairline."

The older women were giggling at that, but Cath didn't think it was funny. She folded her arms and frowned.

"Levi can read just fine. He has a hard time focusing on books, but he is not illiterate." Cath said, defensively, "And I like his hair."

Marlisse smiled, "We're just teasing. People come here to relax and unload. Being a mother of five is a hard life, there's no harm in talking a little dirt."
She clenched her jaw, "He'd be really hurt if he heard you say that."

"Are you going to tell him that I said that?"

"Of course not."

"Then there's nothing to worry about. You'll understand when you're a mother someday." She lectured, "Sometimes you just need to stop pretending your kids are perfect. It takes a lot of energy."

Cath rolled her eyes, "It must, if that's how you feel about someone as good a person as your son."

"So, how about those sandwiches at the bookclub the other night!" Barbara segued into a less serious conversation.

Things got less tense as they sat down for a late lunch. It was a much calmer environment which Cath could really appreciate. They went to a little diner around the corner from the parlor, and it reminded her of the one Rose from Dogfight worked at.

"So, Cath, have you been enjoying your stay out here? I don't see much of you." Marlisse asked as the waitress walked away with their orders.

"I like it," She shrugged, "But Levi is always so tired by the time we see each other, we just go right to sleep."

"I think he's up to something. He's a hard worker, but I'm honestly surprised that he hasn't been trying to weasel his way out of working just to spend time with you." Marlisse said, looking over her freshly-painted, baby blue nails. They matched her eyes, "You don't have to stay in that room all day, by the way. I can't imagine there's much to do up there."

Cath just smiled.

The whole family was usually busy, so the house stayed pretty quiet. She stayed upstairs with Little Baz binge-watching Levi's DVD collection, e-mailing Wren and working on a new fic. Every so often one of his sisters would take a break and hang around with her for a while, but Levi never seemed to stop working. It wasn't much different than being at home, except on the ranch she got to litter box train a rabbit and cuddle with her boyfriend at night.

"Your smile is so lovely," Marlisse touched Cath's hand, "It's like your entire face transforms."

"I've never been a smiley person, my sister is though." Her face went flat.

"You're always smiling around Levi."

"He's always smiling," Cath spun her straw in her glass, "It's contagious."

Their food came out just in time to drop the subject. The waitress chatted with Levi's mom for a few minutes about their daughters before walking away. It was such a small town that everyone knew one another. It made Cath uncomfortable.

"Hey Mrs. Stewart." A timid voice said as the door opened. Marlisse waved, "Hey- Oh! Hey Cath." It was John.

Way too small.

"Hi." Cath said in a very dull voice.

"You two have met?"

"Yep, last night. We all went to karaoke." John bit his lower lip and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Oh, wonderful," Marlisse grinned, "Is your aunt and uncle back in town yet?"

"No, they left me to fend for myself." He laughed, "I'm actually a little disappointed, but they'll be back next weekend."

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight, so you won't have to be alone?"

John looked at Cath with a little smile, "You already have company, you don't have to take me in too."

"I insist."

"Well, alrighty then, I'll see you tonight." He fidgeted for a moment, "I'll get out of you ladies' hair for now."
They watched him walk away to a table by himself. Cath almost offered him a seat with them. Almost. He was much less excitable than the night before.
"So, tell me about your twin." Marlisse finally spoke again after they turned back to their meals.
Cath told her about Wren and her dad. How her mom left when she was 7 and how it changed them all as a family. She was careful not to get into detail though, she saw first hand how much the women here seem to like rumors. It still peeved her off that she would let someone talk about her son like that. The fact that she tried justifying made it even worse. They made small talk about school and their various interests. Dipping their toes in to test the water.

She wanted to text Levi, but didn't want to be rude, so she kept her phone put away. This could be going worse, Cath. She could have hated you from the start.


Levi's grandmother was a very eccentric woman who did not act like she was an 85-year old living in a senior assisted living facility. She was tiny with wispy, blonde (but mostly grey) hair that she wore in a braid down her back. Cath could tell immediately after walking into her room that there was tension between Marlisse and her mother-in-law.

"Oh hello, dear! I'm so glad you came to see my old bones!" Jeanette stood up to greet them, "And Marlisse, you're looking far less aggressive today."

"It's nice to see you too, Jeanne..." She frowned.

"Hello," Cath waved.
"Oh, please take a seat," Jeanette waved toward the couch, "Would either of you like a drink? Apple juice, White Russian, coffee?"

"What's a White Russian?"
"It's vodka, Kahlua and cream." Jeanette winked, "I'm only joking."

"We'll just have water, thank you." Marlisse sat with her hands sitting restlessly in her lap.

"Well, fine then," She poured a pitcher of ice water into two cups, "So, Cath, Levi tells me so much about you! I've been wanting to talk to you alone for quite awhile... Talk to me!"
"Uhm, I'm 19, I'm an English majo-"
"I meant things Levi hasn't told me! Anything that boy does that bothers you, or maybe things you wish he did more often. Anything."

"Oh. I guess it would be nice if we got to spend more time together." Cath was blushing, but kept her composure.

"Nothing else?"
"No, we're really happy together."

She forced a smile.

"How sweet, you two are honeymoon phasing."

"Honeymoon phasing?"

"You know, when a couple falls in love and they're super gooey? That is the honeymoon phase," Jeanette explained, "You can't find a flaw in one another, every moment away from each other feels like an eternity, and the bed is never boring."

"We don't- I mean I've never-" Cath stared desperately at Levi's mother, "I swear, we wouldn't do-"
"Jeanne, do you really think that's appropriate?" Marlisse frowned.
"It's young love, Marlisse. You were young and in love once too."
"I wasn't sleeping around before I was married."
"I never said you were, but you did marry my son, and I know that he's never been one to go slo-"
"What was Levi like when he was younger?" Cath blurted out, trying hard to change the subject, "When he met my grandma she told him all kinds of embarrassing stories. I figure I should ask too."

Both of the older women were staring at her, not quite ready to stop their argument. She knew Marlisse well enough to know that she was a strict Catholic woman, but getting to know Jeanette, it made her wonder how her and Levi's father ended up together. They came from very different lives. Cath didn't really know Levi's father though, he was on a fishing trip with his brother-in-laws and wouldn't be back until Wednesday. She was a little afraid of what to expect.

Things did get better once they started telling her stories though. Jeanette talked about different Halloween costumes he's had. His mother told her about his first crush in the second grade and how he asked her to be his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.
"He had John give her a card that said 'i think your beutifull, luv your secret amirir' and then met her outside on the playground with a bouquet of tiny daisies and dandelions and a bag of Skittles. He even wore his Sunday clothes, it was the cutest thing." Marlisse had her hand over her heart and stifled a laugh, "But she told him 'no, you have cooties' and took his Skittles."

"No way! That's so sad, poor baby." Cath said, laughing hard.
"He cried for two days, it was so sad, but to be honest his father and I had the hardest time keeping a straight face. It was so funny."

They sat there for two hour filling her head with little Levi stories. Jeanette gave her a stack of pictures of him that she had doubles of to take home. She said she had a really good feeling about their relationship, so she knew the pictures were in safe hands. The senior home was an hour out of Arnold, but Cath felt much more comfortable with Marlisse after they loosened up around each other. She was glad she went out with her.


"Oh, gosh. There's John's truck. I'm sure the house is a mess and my children are whining about being starved half to death." Marlisse rolled her eyes, "A mother's work is never done..."
As they got closer they noticed everyone outside playing a game. Levi was on one foot smacking Shiloh on the arm when he noticed them pulling up. His face lit up as he ran up to the cab.

"Mom and Cather, all in one piece!" He yanked the driver's side door open and fell onto their laps, "So, how was your day out?"

"It was nice." Cath brushed his hair out of his eyes. He needed a haircut.

"It would have been better if your grandmother wasn't a total headcase." Marlisse frowned at her son's legs over hers.

"Did you seriously fight with Grandma in front of her?" His eyes went wide and his grin vanished.
"Let me just say that-" She started.
"Christ, Mother, you couldn't play nice for one day?"

"She started it," She finished, "Cath will have my back on this one. She was uncomfortable. too. And I really wish you wouldn't use the Lord's name in vain."
"That doesn't count," Levi had a cheeky smile, "Cather is always uncomfortable."

"Shut up." Cath gave a little shove.
"But wait there's more," He stuck his tongue out, and wiggled out of the cab, "Congratulations, ladies, we cooked dinner!"

It was a really cute dinner, too. It was outside on the picnic tables sitting over little torches to keep it warm. Each kid, John included, made something. Shiloh made chicken, Abigail made a potato salad, Mary grilled corn on the cob, John made lemonade, and Levi baked an apple pie. Marlisse pulled them all into a big hug and kissed the tops of their heads. She looked grateful and very proud of her children (& John). Levi pulled Cath aside and pressed his lips on her forehead, leaving his nose in her hair.
"You okay?" His hands were on her hips, rocking them back and forth.

"Not at first," She admitted, "But it got easier."
"Did you miss me?"
"I always miss you."
"I have a surprise for you tonight." He grinned.
"What is it?"
"A surprise."