The Dark Society

82

As the 7 pm hour neared, the night remained filled with expectations. At long last, it'd be Luis and Sabrina's first date, and their parents' initial meeting. And yet, despite the atmosphere, Luis didn't appear worried, because he'd already revealed his interest to Tim and Julia.

More importantly, she was under extreme stress and needed a calming night out. In readiness, Sabrina recalled his appreciation for formal attire, and opted for a svelte, form-fitting black dress in harmonizing two-inch heels. In time, she'd arrive, appearing majestic, but with an expected apprehension. As a result, Luis seized her hands and presented a broad smile.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

Hereafter, Sabrina's eloquence conveyed a new sense of style and maturity. (Characteristics Luis had come to admire).

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

Graciously, Jim and Caroline stepped forward. As one would expect, the family resemblances were uncanny, and each smile stood dazzling.

"You're everything Luis said." His mother remarked as she and Sabrina traded pleasantries.

From the start, they appeared regal, but didn't exhibit pretentious or conceded behavior. As an effect, Sabrina felt consumed by a wondrous sense of relief. After all, it'd been tough to relate to people due to an invariable awkwardness.

Although, for inexplicable reasons, meeting Luis's parents felt special. As of late, Jim and Caroline had worked to befriend her antisocial parents. Thanks to this, they'd rediscovered their hospitality, and Julia and Caroline's wants to record everything.

"That's not a good thing." Sabrina whispered, staring.

"Better get used to it." Luis joked.

In a blink, she turned.

"We're going."

Thereafter, stepping onto the porch, they'd welcome the evening. All together, everyone had experienced the change of seasons many times, but tonight, each viewed the world with a different outlook.

"How do you feel?" he inquired, taking a hand.

"Overwhelmed."

That said, Luis smiled.

"Tonight will be perfect, I promise."

Late into the evening, everyone savored a light-hearted conversation over glasses of chosen brandy. And though discussing the children's futures seemed difficult, it's a matter that they felt competent to manage.

"Sabrina's beautiful." Caroline declared, sampling a cocktail.

"Thank you..." Julia retorted. "May I say, your son is handsome."

Smiling, she agreed.

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

Politely, Julia grinned.

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

Shifting, Caroline giggled.

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

Beaming, Julia nodded.

"Isn't it funny how life imitates art?"

Over the next few hours, Julia and Caroline delved into the details of their ancestries, not knowing it'd reveal a connection neither expected.