#ILoveYou #YouLoveHer

#ParentsExpectations

Nathaniel

Now Mich is on my couch, nursing a bottle in hand.

"He has a girlfriend," she said with much emphasis.

I shook my head.

"I mean, who doesn't update their Facebook relationship status? And seriously, take some couple selfies, guys, and maybe I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself," she said in one breath.

"Is she pretty?" I asked.

"Super pretty and super nice to me. God, I hate myself."

"Tia wouldn't like you using the Lord's name in vain."

"Gosh-"

"Hey, but at least you two are talking again."

"She isn't Chinese though," she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"His parents might not even accept her-"

"Don't go there, Mich."

"I'm sorry, but I did. I am. I've never met his parents, but I'm sure they'd love me. I mean, your parents loved me, right?"

"I suppose-"

"See? Parents love me."

"That's not the point, Mich.

"Right, I never seem to get the point." She took a deep breath, and didn't say anything more.

I have to be honest though, seeing her miserable is quite a sight. And I don't sympathize her at all.

It's karma.

Michelle

I thought for a while, and said, "You know, I may be talking about him, but I could have been talking about you. I mean, you're on the same boat."

"It's not a bad boat," he replied.

"Did you tell your parents about Tia?" I asked. they have been seeing each other for weeks now, despite their pretty awkward first date.

He cleared his throat, and then took a long sip of his beer.

I smirked.

"No. I'm waiting for the right time," he said.

"Oh my gosh, her father already gave you his blessings, and your parents never even met Tia," I said with much emphasis. "Do they even know that you had a girl space friend named Tia? Who may not be Chinese, or Catholic-"

"Stop talking-"

"Fine. Tia may not be your parents' ideal daughter-in-law-"

"You really think that you are?"

I nodded. "Your mother once said so-"

"Yes, my mother also once agreed that we take a family vacation to follow you out of the country- But we all know how that ended up."

"What?"

He didn't reply.

"You did what?" I reiterated.

He took another long sip.

"When did you do that?" I continued asking. Is this his so-called failed attempt at stalking. Did he actually flew to another country for me?

"When you first left," he finally answered. "We obviously didn't run into each other. You wanted serendipity, and I failed to give that to you. I'm sorry."

I am quite speechless.

"My mother was there. She said if it wasn't meant to be-"

"I am so sorry," I said. "I didn't know..."

He cleared his throat, and said, "That's all in the past. I have a girlfriend now. And she's not flying off spontaneously and leaving everyone who loved her behind."

"He didn't stop talking to you. You stopped talking to him and everyone else," he added.

There was a time when the only time I'd talk to Nate was during holidays...

And it was because he greeted me first.