A Half-Baked Life 8 (Tamberlane Webcomic, Human!SI)
Tamberlane knew something was up with her parents. And... she was upset that she couldn't investigate what this mystery was all about since she was stuck with Milo.
Since Oakewood had been busy with extra chores, Milo Academique, one of the recent additions at the library, had been put on 'babysitting duty' and he was... weird. Not unpleasant or creepy, but he tended to lose himself in his 'science' moments.
It was silly, but the horse/macaw hybrid would just storm her with so many questions and, for someone that hardly liked that sort of intense attention, the girl would feel herself quick to panic. Why was science so scary? When she asked this to her dad, he merely said that:
"Science is not scary, it's Milo that's a dummy."
And that absolutely made sense since science at school was actually nice to learn. It was the subject that explained how stuff happened within other creatures and flowers. It even helped her care for a few flowers she was nurturing in her room!
Still, that wasn't the priority of today's big dilemma. After all, Tamberlane couldn't just ignore the fact that- that her parents were going out on a date! With each other!
Tamberlane didn't realize this quickly when she mentioned of the planned event that her parents told her about and why she would end up with Milo, but when she told Marie and Piper about it, both had gushed over the idea that her parents were going out for a 'romantic rendezvous'.
To the young girl this was... important! Like, super-important!
While it was true that her mother and her father were always around and together when she was there too, it was also true that they were not in a relationship. From what Uncle Oakewood was willing to tell her, the two were 'friendly, but there for her out of parental duty'.
It felt odd when compared to the situations of fellow classmates. Whenever two parents were together, it meant they were in love with each other and then, through case or union, came the children. But that wasn't the case for either her mom or her dad.
In fact, the love they shared was the one they aimed back at little Tamberlane. And while the girl didn't mind much the strange situation since that didn't lead to any issues on her part, that 'weird' thought that kept her wondering how things would be if they were truly in love was now there to gnaw at her with insistence.
First, Tamberlane tried to focus on homework or just doodling. It was basic stuff, but as a hour into her parents being gone went by, Tamberlane felt the urge growing and growing until she felt she should at least check.
But how?
Milo was always keeping an eye on her, studying her 'behavior' and checking on her drawings from time to time. So, how was she supposed to get out of his reach to see where her parents were at this point?
It took her a moment of intense thinking to ultimately find the solution to this problem: what if, instead of sneaking away on her own, she convinced Milo to tag along, be a 'responsible adult' and also get something that could urge him to follow her plan?
This was possible through a very simple thing that she had almost forgotten about: Tamberlane wasn't the only one that was subjected to Milo's 'scientific' queries. No, her father was targeted too at times. But where Tamberlane's meek and polite disposition with adults tended to refrain her from stopping this kind of attitude, her father was more 'stonewalling' in these matters much to Milo's immense chagrin.
Still, this presented an opportunity and one that Tamberlane took without hesitation.
"Can we see what mom and dad are doing?"
"Why should we do that?" Milo inquired, perhaps expecting something silly as 'she missed them' or anything that he had already 'expected from her' time and time again when her parents were busy outdoors and couldn't keep an eye on her.
"Because mom and dad are out on a date. So I wanted to see how they were doing."
The reaction was telling to Tamberlane as Milo's eyes widened and he muttered something like 'he lied' before smiling and nodding at her request.
From her basic understanding, her dad had actually told a lie to Milo on what him and mom were doing, perhaps to keep the young researcher out of their business, but now Tamberlane told him the truth and... she hoped this was not going to backfire somehow.
She may not have her mom's bad luck, but Tamberlane recognized she had some of that clumsiness herself at times like this.
After a quick 'investigation' on where as Tamberlane remembered seeing her mom humming cheerfully while preparing a picnic bag, the duo ultimately found them in the local park area. A small clearing away from other goers, away from witnesses as they sat on the towel and ate calmly through the next two hours.
After the meal they were just chatting, sometimes talking about Tamberlane, and others mentioning how things would be if they were to actually get somewhere in a relationship. All of that was mesmerizing to Tamberlane since this was how it felt to see two adults 'talking about their actions'.
She had heard many times of how adults did that, think on how things affect everything that surrounds them. Tambry was lucky that she was a child and thus she didn't have big responsibilities, but the way her parents talked of this made her feel fuzzy inside as she could tell those few moments bringing up her name really meant a lot to them.
It was such a monumental experience for the girl, that she barely noticed that the spot was picked not just for the privacy it offered but... but it also gave way for them to have a beautiful view of the sun setting on the horizon right as it slowly vanished from the sight to give way to the night.
They were close, they were happy, nothing happened that ruined the moment and, for a while, Tamberlane braced for it. The biggest moment that Marie had told her about, when two loving creatures are truly smitten then they are bound to find the right time to share a kiss.
Yet, that didn't come to happen.
From the looks of it, the date's main focus was the descending sun. A wonderful sight, pleasant to the eye, and- it didn't yield the results Tamberlane had expected.
After all, her parents were just sitting beside one another, hugging closely and merely resting against each other with no sign of change or any major development happening as Milo decided it was time to leave because it was getting darker and colder for her to still be out.
"...They didn't kiss," The young girl hummed softly, steps aimlessly carrying her out of the woods and back to the library
"They did not," Milo agreed, face pressing on his journal as he rapidly scribbled new notes.
"But..." Tamberlane muttered, her confusion slowly morphing in unease at the situation. "Why didn't they do that?"
"I am not exactly an expert, so I can't say-"
"They should have kissed if they loved each other. If- If it had gone well, right?"
Milo actually paused a moment as he noticed the little trembling on the girl's voice, the young fellow fixing his glasses.
"Do they?"
Tambry nodded, her lower lip twitching in sadness. "Y-Yeah, isn't that the sign they are meant to be?"
"Not always," Milo argued quietly, offering a tiny comforting smile. "Your parents love you and each other. It's just that your mom is not that prepared with that sort of intimate moments."
Tamberlane frowned, actually caught off-guard by this remark. "But she hugs me and others a lot?"
"Well, that's normal affection, Tamberlane. What your mother is less prone to do is romantic gestures. It's not as much as she is unable to 'feel', but rather she doesn't feel these moments as intensely as others. It's just emotion and not much a desire to be too close."
"So... no kisses?"
"For the time being, that seems to be the case," Milo confirmed, yet frowned at her focus on kissing. "Still, the way they were holding each other... I am quite sure they are going to more dates from now on."
Tambry nodded-
"And that they love each other a lot. So, just take it as a win, Tamberlane. Your parents are in love."
Those cheerful word rekindled a smile on her face, leaving Tamberlane in a good mood through the remainder of the day and... her parents were unable to understand what good her in such a happy spot.
They just couldn't know that their Tamberlane was happy to know her mommy and daddy were finally becoming a couple.
AN
Meanwhile, inside Belfry's mind during the date: 'Should I kiss him? We are close, he is smiling and- *Gasp* Maybe I should and- and... ugh, why is it so difficult?!'
