And Our Parents

Part 19 (As Long As You're Mine)

Freen paces back and forth across the quad while Kenny and Becky watch from their outdoor café table. Passersby turn their heads, but Freen shows no sign of shame as she screams into her phone in Thai. It seems her conversation with Irina is not going well.

Becky turns to Kenny. "I don't know if I properly thanked you."

"For what?"

"For rolling with it so well when you found out about us."

"I didn't think I did handle it particularly well, until now." Kenny pauses, and furrows his brow, listening intently to the one audible side of the argument. "Is she speaking Thai, or French?"

"I think both," Becky says.

They watch and listen as Freen's arguing with Irina over the phone switches phonetics and cadence every so often between French and Thai, and eventually, to yet another language.

"Is that... Mandarin?" Kenny says.

Becky shrugs.

Finally, Freen screams a last word and hangs up. Then, she strides back over to the table, beaming like the sun. "Why do you two look so glum?"

"Uh, what did Irina say? What was all that yelling about?" Becky asks.

"Don't worry," Freen says with a smile. "She will not say anything. But it's going to cost."

"That's not so bad then. You've got money," Becky says. "How much does she want?"

"It would be easier if she was interested in cash," Freen says. "But she has plenty of money, in her ways. She wants... other things. I have to go meet her to negotiate the terms."

"You're joking."

"People think I am the scary one," Freen says. "They don't know Irina."

Becky bids Freen goodbye, dumbfounded, but supposes it's best for her to stay out of the way and let Freen handle the situation. After all, she wanted space when it was her turn to deal with Kenny.

"Have I mentioned today how lucky I am to have you as a brother?" Becky says.

"You can always stand to mention it more." Kenny grins sheepishly. "Now that that excitement is over, while you're here, want to plan Mum's bachelorette party?"

"Only if you promise not to call it that," Becky mutters. Then her phone chimes – a calendar alert. "Shit, I forgot I'm seeing a house this afternoon. I need to get out to Needham to meet Hugo. Let's talk later this week."

Becky gives Kenny and extra-long hug goodbye then hops in her car and drives out to the quiet suburb of Needham, where she pulls up in front of a charming, white ranch-style house with a neatly manicured lawn. Hugo is already standing outside the door, and he waves as Becky gets out of her car.

He shows her around the house, pointing out the features – hardwood floor here, half bath there. "Not terribly large, but it's well situated, and the schools are good, you know, if you and the girlfriend plan to go down that route."

Becky freezes in the midst of examining the moulding in the living room.

"Sorry," Hugo adds. "That was terribly unprofessional, but I feel like I'm entitled to one or two of those, after you brought your girlfriend along on our date."

"I suppose you are," Becky says. "Though I didn't 'bring her'–"

"Let me show you the kitchen."

Overall, the house is nice, and well within Becky's price range. Is it purchase-worthy? Becky considers the pros and cons.