To Love A God

Promises

Loki looked at his plate of food in amazement and Rika couldn’t help but smile, “It’s not poison, Loki,” she repeated, “You can eat it, I promise.”

“What is it?” he questioned and poked the bun with finger.

“It’s called a hamburger, love,” Rika, joined my her sister and grandmother, laughed.

“Yes, so you have said,” he looked sideways at her, “But what is it?”

“It’s a beef patty with tomato, lattice, pickles, ketchup, and mustard on bread,” Rika explained using her own burger to point out what was what.

“Ah,” he sighed not really understanding, stilling eyeing the food with suspicion.

“Look, grab it like this,” Azure offered taking her burger with both hands, “And eat it.”

Loki mimed Azure as she, too, bit into her food. 

Rika sat back in her chair, tapping a French fry on her plate, watching Loki’s face as he ate his first bit of modern human food, “So?” she inquired.

Loki held up a finger as he chewed, setting the burger back down on his plate, and swallowed before answering her, “Well,” he said wiping his face with the napkin set in his lap, “Generally, I like it.”

Rika grinned wide at her future husband and leaned over to kiss his cheek, “Good,” she said against his smooth skin, “I’m glad. Now, eat up.”

Loki took a drink from his glass and looked at it in astonishment, “What is this delicious beverage!” he demanded, “It’s fantastic!”

Azure snorted a laugh and coughed as she tried to dislodge the food she had accidently inhaled, “It’s called soda,” she laughed patting her chest.

“I love this!” he exclaimed gulping down every drop of the liquid, then let a loud belch.

They all laughed together at Loki’s discoveries as they ate dinner together.

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“Grandma?” Rika asked as she helped the old woman with the dishes after supper.

“Yes, child,” she answered pushing her long silver locks back from her face looking at Rika with her glacier blue eyes, “I have noticed the ring on your finger. This is no surprise to me.”

Rika spun to face her elder, but realized the of course she knew! There was hardly a thing that went by this old woman did not know of. Rika smiled and shook her head, looking at her boots, “After ten years you’d think I would stop being shocked at that,” she stated resting her hands in her hoodie pocket, listening to her sister and Loki chatting in the living room. Azure was attempting to explain “steampunk” to the poor man. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“You know I already approve, Rika,” she remarked as she walked to Rika, standing in front of her, “And you know, also, that I gladly give my blessing to your union.”

Rika’s eyes pricked, “I know,” she replied softly, “But I also wanted you to be there.”

Her grandmother smiled a soft, knowing smile, “Of course,” she answered Rika’s unspoken question, “I would not have it any other way, my child.”

Rika leaned down to her small, frail-looking grandparent, hugging her tightly, “Thank you,” she whispered trying not to show the tears through her voice.

“My,” her grandmother sighed pulling back after a time of holding her granddaughter, “What a wonderful young woman you have become. Looking at you now, you never would have guess what a hell child you had been. Oh, the trouble you would conjure up! Quite the mischief maker, you were, always getting into trouble. But now, here you are, a grow woman, engaged. You have grown so much. You’re parents would be so proud of you if they could see you now.”