TNN ONESHOTS

Meet the parents- AMR & CV

*Trigger warning - self harm*

The tension in the dining room was thicker than the gravy, and Char could practically taste it. Her parents were being overly polite to Mia, a sure sign they disapproved.

Mia, oblivious, chatted about her passion, a topic that usually lit her up. But tonight, her voice wavered slightly under the weight of Char's parents' thinly veiled scrutiny. Char shot Mia an encouraging smile, but inside, she was bracing for impact.

Later that evening, Char found Mia huddled on the stairs, tears silently streaming down her face. "Hey," Char whispered, sitting beside her. "What's wrong?" Mia shook her head, unable to speak. Char gently pulled her into a hug. "It's okay," Char murmured. "You can tell me." After a moment, Mia choked out, "Your parents...they don't like me, do they?" Char's heart clenched. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn't lie to Mia. "They're just...cautious," Char said, trying to soften the blow. "They don't really know you yet and after what happened with my ex." Charlotte tried her best to comfort Mia and defend her parents, even though she knew how they were really feeling and why.

Once Mia had calmed down slightly, Charlotte stood up. Fueled by a fierce protectiveness, Char marched back to the living room where her parents were discussing the upcoming garden club meeting. "I need to talk to you both," Char said, her voice trembling slightly. "Mia is an amazing person, and she deserves your respect. I know you might not understand her interests or her background, but that doesn't give you the right to make her feel unwelcome in our home." Her parents stared back, surprised by her outburst. "We just want what's best for you, dear," her mother began, but Char cut her off. "What's best for me is to be with someone who makes me and my girls happy, and Mia does. So please, try to see her for who she really is, not who you think she should be."

Char's mother, a woman known for her composure, was visibly taken aback. A flicker of guilt crossed her face, quickly masked by a practiced expression of concern. "Darling, you've misunderstood," she began, her voice softening. "We simply want to get to know Mia better. It's our responsibility as your parents to ensure you're making the right choices."

Char scoffed, "Right choices? As if love is a multiple-choice question!" She saw her father open his mouth to interject, but she held up a hand, silencing him. "I'm not asking for your permission, I'm asking for your respect. Mia is kind, intelligent, and passionate. She challenges me to be a better person, and that's more than I can say for some of the people you've tried to set me up with." The room fell silent, the weight of Char's words hanging heavy in the air.

Her mother sighed, finally relenting slightly. "Alright, Char," she said, her gaze softening. "We hear you. We'll make an effort to get to know Mia better, to see her through your eyes. But you have to understand, this is new for us. We just want you to be happy." Char nodded, a glimmer of hope flickering within her. "That's all I ask," she said, her voice softening. "Just give her a chance." Turning, she headed back to the stairs, ready to face Mia with a renewed sense of determination.

Mia watched Char move towards the stairs, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What was that about?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Char took Mia's hand, leading her towards the kitchen. "That," Char said, "was me finally standing up for myself, and for us."

Mia's eyes widened. "But why? I mean, I appreciate it, but I didn't realise your parents were...like that." Char sighed, running a hand through her hair. "They're not always like that. They just have a certain idea of what's 'best' for me. But I'm tired of trying to fit into their mold. You've shown me that there's more to life than their expectations."

A warmth spread through Mia's chest. "I didn't do anything," she protested, but Char shook her head. "You did everything," she said, her eyes locking with Mia's. "You showed me how to be true to myself, how to love without reservation. And that's something worth fighting for." With a newfound sense of resolve, Char turned to face her parents, ready to navigate the complicated terrain of family and love, with Mia by her side.

The rest of the evening was a careful dance of polite conversation and subtle probing, with Char's parents attempting to understand Mia, and Mia trying her best to make a good impression. By the time they were finally driving home, a comfortable silence settled between them. "That was...intense," Mia said, breaking the quiet. Char chuckled nervously, reaching for Mia's hand. "Tell me about it. But hey, at least it's over, right?"

Back at their shared home, the weight of the evening finally crashed down on Mia. "I need some air," she said suddenly, grabbing her keys. Char looked at her, concern etched on her face. "Everything okay?" Mia forced a smile. "Yeah, just...a lot to process. I'll be back soon. I love you." With a quick kiss, she slipped out the door, heading towards her car.

As she drove, the city lights blurred around her, mirroring the chaos in her mind. Why did Char have to defend her? Was she really that different from what her parents expected? The questions swirled, each one adding to the knot in her stomach. Pulling over to a quiet overlook, Mia cut the engine, plunging herself into silence.

The vast expanse of the night sky seemed to mock her worries, reminding her that sometimes, the best thing to do is just breathe and let the universe unfold.

*

The slam of the front door echoed through the silent apartment, making Charlotte jump. "Char I'm home." Mia called while putting her keys away and kicking off her shoes.

Relief washed over her as she could hear her fiancé's calming voice, but that feeling was quickly followed by a fresh wave of panic. In her lap, the small razor lay innocently, but on her arm, a thin lines of red were blooming. It had been an accident, a moment of distraction while lost in thought, but the sight of it sent her spiraling.

Mia found her on the sofa, curled in on herself, her breath hitching. "Char? What's wrong?" she rushed over, kneeling to take Charlotte's face in her hands. That's when she saw it – the blood, the razor, the sheer terror in Charlotte's eyes. "Oh, baby," she breathed, her voice thick with emotion.

Charlotte dissolved, burying her face in Mia's shoulder, sobs wracking her body. "It was an accident, I swear, it wasn't meant to actually happen," she choked out, the words muffled against Mia's shirt.

Mia held her tight, whispering soothing words, trying to calm her racing heart. Guilt gnawed at her. She shouldn't have left, not when she knew Charlotte was struggling. "It's okay, I'm here now," she murmured, pushing back the urge to blame herself because that wouldn't help anyone right now.

Her fiancé was her main focus. "Let's get you cleaned up." Gently, she guided Charlotte to the bathroom, her hand steady. "Sweetheart this may sting." She whispered as she washed the cut, applied antiseptic, and bandaged it carefully. "All clean beautiful,  all clean." She whispered while wrapping her arms around Charlotte gently.

The redhead carefully lifted her girlfriend from the side and carried her through to the bedroom. "Don't let go." Charlotte snuggled closer to her partner as she tried to put her down on the bed. "Baby, let go just so I can put you down and climb in next to you." She whispered but Charlotte shook her head, tears threatening to fall again.

Mia carefully placed Charlotte on the bed, gently pushing her off when she tried to cling to her. "Baby, let me get into bed and then I can hold you," Mia whispered, trying to soothe her. Charlotte's sobs echoed in the room as Mia quickly changed into her pajamas. She climbed into bed and immediately wrapped her arms around Charlotte, pulling her close.

"What's wrong, baby?" Mia asked softly, stroking Charlotte's hair. It wasn't normal for Charlotte to get herself in such a state when Mia moved away. Although she wont admit it, she was scared for the response.

Charlotte buried her face in Mia's chest, her tears soaking through her shirt in a matter of seconds. "How can they not love you. You are caring, gentle, attentive, thoughtful, you are even there when the girls have bad dreams and you know i have work." she mumbled, her voice thick with emotion.

Mia held her tighter. "Baby as long as you and our two trouble makers love me i dont care what other people think. Yes it bothered me earlier because i thought they liked me and i was scared you would see their side but now I've had time to process everything, I'm okay. We are okay" she played with her hair while whispering words of comfort and reassurance.

They lay there for a long time, Mia gently rubbing Charlotte's back until her sobs subsided. Eventually, Charlotte drifted off to sleep, her body pressed against Mia's. Mia stayed awake for a while longer, watching over her girlfriend. She knew Charlotte had been stressed lately with work, and now all of this ontop of that. The redhead made a mental note to plan a relaxing weekend getaway for them both, just the two of them.