Love's Psychos

Chapter 41

Caleb had a lot on his mind that night. Having survived the ordeal that was meeting Akane's parents, or what remained of them, he had just finished explaining to his mother everything he'd been exposed to, all while picking at his dinner halfheartedly.

"Well, I don't personally see this as a deal breaker," she declared while they ate Caleb's personal version of Dorai karē together. "Homelife issues aside, she has yet to hit any of my major red flags."

"You don't think this qualifies?"

Angelika shook her head. "If she'd gotten defensive or refused to engage when you brought up her money problems, that would have been a red flag for me. My biggest concern since you started this has always been mutual respect. I needed to see that she respected you as much as you respect her. So far, she's yet to disappoint me."

"And threatening me with UV lamps?"

"Well, now that one was entirely on you," she insisted. "You called her a worshiper, Caleb. Of course, she was bound to get a little upset."

He sighed. "I guess you're right...."

Hearing the discontent in his voice, Angelika set down her chopsticks and sat up in her seat. "Alright, talk to me. What's wrong?"

He picked at a piece of perfectly grilled human thigh on his plate. "Mom...can I ask you something."

She nodded. "Of course."

"Am I crazy?"

Silence permeated the air for a moment as she considered her son's question thoughtfully.

"In what context?" she finally asked.

"The clinical one," he insisted.

Angelika placed her napkin on the table and leaned back in her seat. "Well, I can't help you there, unfortunately."

"Because it's not your area of expertise?"

She shook her head. "Because I consider the subject of psychology to be puerile. Especially where beings like you and I are concerned."

He nodded. "I get that. I do. But humor me for a second."

"Very well. Why do you think you're crazy?"

Caleb seemed to toss his thoughts around for a moment before continuing. "So we're both in agreement that...within the puerile confines of medical psychology...Akane is completely insane, correct?"

She nodded vehemently as if that should have been obvious. "Oh, certifiably so. Yes."

"And yet, I can't bring myself to find any fault in her. The woman speaks to corpses as if they're living, breathing people, has a friend at school who doesn't actually exist, and has on more than one occasion committed arson due to jealousy and fears induced by paranoid delusions. Rationally, I'm aware enough to know that these are not behaviors conducive of what most would consider a sane and mentally sound mind."

She nodded along, allowing him to continue.

"All the same, I can't condemn her for any of them. In fact, if I'm being perfectly honest, I believe they add to her charm."

Angelika smiled. Caleb wasn't aware of it, but he was blushing at that moment. Though she decided not to say anything and simply savor the sweet moment while she could.

"In what way?"

"Well..." He smiled, his face turning even redder. "...I think it's cute when she gets all huffy and territorial. And even though she's clearly crazy, I can tell by her delusions that she really just wants a happy home life which I don't think is wrong in any sense of the word. In fact, I find the way she behaves around her parents, dead or no, to be quite endearing."

She continued to simply listen along, beyond happy that she was here to witness her son doing this.

"Even when she threatened me with the UV lights...all I could think about at that moment was how attracted I was to her. To her cunning, her intellect. But more than that, her unwavering lack of fear. She does this thing where her eyes get huge, and I swear, it gives me the shivers every time, without fail. Plus, it's just so refreshing to see a woman in this country who is completely and totally unafraid to speak her mind to her partner."

He sighed woefully, resting his head in his palm.

"Rationally, I know most of her behaviors should disturb me. Or, at the very least, make me lose interest. But they don't. If I can't find fault in someone who is clearly crazy, then it stands to reason I'm crazy. Right?"

Angelika took all of this in and finally laughed mirthfully, much to her son's bemusement.

"I take it by the teasing nature of that laugh, you disagree, Mother?" he asked in a grouchy tone.

She shook her head, still slightly giddy. "Quite the contrary, actually. I believe you are, in fact, quite crazy, my son."

He sat up in his seat, a look of intrigue on his face. "So, what's wrong with me?"

"You're in love," she stated matter-of-factly before taking a sip of wine. "That's what's ultimately wrong with you. It's always been my experience that love is about the least sane emotion on planet Earth."

Caleb frowned in thought for a moment. "I've gotta be honest, knowing how deep my feelings for her truly run, I can't say I'm content letting her live in squalor the way she is."

"What do you intend?"

He tossed a couple ideas around. "If we pulled some strings, do you think you could get her power turned back on?"

She nodded. "That shouldn't be too terribly difficult."

Caleb rested back in his seat, scratching his chin in contemplation. "That would take care of the heat and lighting. But there's still all that dust. It can't be healthy for her lungs."

"Well, now with that part, you're on your own," she admitted. "Getting the power back on is one thing. But if what you've told me about the house is true, we can't risk sending a maid service or even my personal contacts in there."

He nodded in agreement. "As much as it pains me to say this. I may very well have to handle the mess myself."

Angelika rolled her eyes before returning to her food.

"Blessed Crimson forbid the day my son is forced to clean."