The Dark Society

82

As the 7 pm hour approached, Luis and Sabrina prepared for their first date and their parents' initial meeting. Granted, Luis appeared calm, having already shared his feelings with Tim and Julia.

Sabrina, however, was under extreme stress and desperately needed a relaxing evening. Remembering Luis's appreciation for formal attire, she chose a sleek, form-fitting black dress paired with harmonizing two-inch heels.

"You look beautiful," Luis said.

"So do you," she whispered back.

Sabrina's newfound eloquence conveyed a rekindled sense of style and maturity--a characteristic Luis had come to admire.

"Sabrina, these are my parents, Jim and Caroline Mortensen," he announced, gesturing toward them. "Mom, Dad, may I present Sabrina Kole."

Jim and Caroline approached, and as expected, their resemblance to Luis was uncanny.

"You're everything Luis said you were," his mother remarked as she and Sabrina exchanged pleasantries.

They appeared distinguished but didn't exhibit the pretentious or conceited behavior often associated with the English. As a result, Sabrina felt a wonderful sense of relief, as it had always been difficult for her to relate to others due to her invariable awkwardness.

Meeting Luis's parents felt particularly special because Jim and Caroline had befriended her typically antisocial parents, helping them rediscover a sense of hospitality.

Sabrina turned to her parents. "We're going."

They stepped onto the porch and welcomed the evening air. Everyone had experienced the changing of seasons many times before, but each now viewed the world differently.

"How do you feel?" Luis inquired, taking her hand.

"Overwhelmed."

Luis smiled. "Tonight will be perfect, I promise."

Later that evening, the parents savored lighthearted conversation over glasses of carefully chosen brandy. Since discussing the children's futures was a delicate matter, they approached the topic carefully.

"Sabrina's beautiful," Caroline declared while sampling her cocktail.

"Thank you," Julia replied. "May I say that your son is quite handsome."

Caroline agreed with a smile.

"I'm sorry for intruding, but we couldn't wait to meet Sabrina."

Julia grinned. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's nice to have guests for a change."

Caroline giggled. "They remind us of Jim and me when we were young."

Julia nodded. "Isn't it funny how life imitates art?"

Over the next few hours, Julia and Caroline delved into details of their ancestry, not knowing their conversation would reveal a connection neither had expected.