𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒, k.jacobs

THIRTY FOUR.

THIRTY FOUR ;
gossip

real life !

Honestly, she should have seen it coming. It had been a while since they had officially gotten back together at this point and the fact that Karl's mother hadn't shown up on their doorstep until almost exactly one month later was more surprising that her actual surprise visit.

"She lasted longer than I thought she would," Karl muttered as he fell into place at Marleys side. The couple watched on as the older woman was greeted by an extremely excited Goose. "Think we should save her?"

Marley shook her head and leaned into his side, "Nah, she can afford to be licked to death for a few minutes, don't you think?"

"Seems fair enough," he replied, arm moving to wrap her around her shoulders and pull her closer. "You do owe me twenty bucks, though."

"I do not."

He nodded and shot her a smug smile, "You do. You bet that it would take her one week. I bet a week and a half."

"Okay? It took her almost four. We were both wrong, dummy."

Karl snickered and lightly nudged her side "I was closer, dummy."

"That wasn't the bet," she argued, frowning up at him. "Shouldn't we go rescue your mom?"

He glanced back towards his mom who was sitting on the floor with Goose in her lap, a fond smile on her face as she watched them bicker.

"She looks fine to me," he finally said with a shrug as he waved at his mom. "Right?"

"Oh, no i'm having a terrible time, actually," she said as she scratched behind the dogs ear. "Please, continue talking about me like i'm not sitting five feet away! I don't mind at all...although I am a little hurt by your lack of faith. I can mind my own business for longer than a week and a half, thank you very much."

Karl offered her a sheepish smile, "If it makes you feel any better, I did say a week and a half. Marley is the one who doesn't believe in you so you should scold her, not me."

"She likes me more than you," Marley teased when his mother only shook her head at him. "I only guessed lower because he guessed first, by the way. So it's his fault entirely."

Karl sighed and moved to rest his cheek against her hair, "Everything's my fault these days, huh?"

Before Marley could say anything, his mom let out a short laugh and nodded. "Most things are your fault these days," she corrected. "Don't try and steal my thunder for getting you two back together."

"You!?"

She raised her eyebrows at him in amusement as he stared at her, "Well, it sure as hell wasn't you that told Marley what happened, was it?"

Marley couldn't help the surprised laughter that bubbled out of her. "Stop looking at her like that, Karl. You know she's right."

He sighed and hid his face against her hair, "I told her to scold you."

"I didn't do anything wrong," she hummed, as she wrapped an arm around him. "Did you know the entire time then?"