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Chapter Twenty Two

"Honey?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Do you.. think.. that you like Lukas?"

I suddenly choked on the chunk of toast in my mouth, and Mom came around the corner from the kitchen, patting my back. It being a normal Saturday with Papa coming home early soon, I didn't expect to hear such a serious question coming from my mother. Finally able to swallow the piece, I looked up at her, a hand to heart.

"W-What?"

Mom took a seat beside me, putting down her towel. "W-Well, I-I was just thinking." She smiled slightly at me and said, "You're awfully close to him, don't you think? Everyday after dinner, you talk to him before going to bed. And then, every morning, you call him while you head to school."

"T-That's because he's my friend!" I exclaimed in a short stutter. My cheeks flushed when Mom raised an eyebrow at me, unconvinced by my response. Shrinking like a turtle, I mumbled quietly, "I-I don't think I like him... not until you mentioned it." Looking up at her, I gave her a small ghost of a smile. "I mean, he's my friend. I'm fine with him being my friend, because it's enough. Besides, he lives off in a different area, and dating someone I don't know could really mess me up."

"But.. you do know him," Mom said quirkily, holding my hand in hers. "Tell me: what's his favorite color?"

"Yellow. He claims it's an underrated color, and will literally debate over it being the best color."

"Food?"

"Lasagna. He likes the cheese the best."

"School subject?"

"He doesn't have one. He dropped out to pursue his YouTube career, and he said having a favorite is pointless."

Mom pinched my cheek lightly. "I told you so, Meredith. You know a lot about him." She smiled when I blushed, realization washing over me. "And now your cheeks are all red because of him..!" My hair fell over my face, hiding the blush, and Mom leaned over, trying to catch my eyes. My gaze flickered to her, and she gave me a soft smile. "You know I won't be judgmental if you like him. All I want to know is if you have any romance in mind, with you growing up so fast."

"I-I guess... maybe I might..." I mumbled, my ears burning red. Mom held my face in her hands, kissing my forehead. "I-I don't know, Mom. I mean, just a few months ago, I didn't know how to be a good friend." Embracing her, I closed my eyes tightly. "Lukas was the one who taught me how to be a friend."

Mom pulled away and stood up. Patting my head gently, she put a finger to her lip and winked, whispering, "Let's hope he can teach you how to love, yeah?"

She walked away with the towel in her hand, leaving me blushing in my seat.

~~~

Twisted_Kills:
I gotta go help my sister again, so see ya later

Miss_Massacre:
See ya! 👋

Sighing heavily, I looked up at the ceiling. Lukas and I chatted for a while, since his webcam broke earlier that morning. We talked about a few of our insecurities, deciding that we should become more used to each other, even if we didn't know each other in real life. I couldn't help but wonder what Lukas's attributes could have been. It was always hard to assume who had what unless they used it. I also keep on thinking about what Mom said today. My cheeks flushed, and again, I sighed and walked out of my room. Mom was in the living room, reading a book about cats. She noticed my presence and put her book down.

"What's wrong, Meredith?" She asked, curious as to why I suddenly came down the steps.

Sitting down beside her, I looked up, my cheeks red. "U-Um, I keep thinking about what you said earlier today. About Lukas."

"Mhm."

"A-And I was wondering..." I suddenly trailed off, my sentence cutting itself. Awkwardly, I picked up and continued where I left off. "I was wondering... if you could help me."

"With what?"

"W-With.. this weird feeling in my chest I get whenever he's present."

Mom's eyes sparkled immediately, as if waiting for this moment, and she nodded eagerly with a smile on her face. "Of course!"

I smiled back.

Papa isn't going to like this as much as Mom does.

~~~

"Good morning, Papa!" I exclaimed happily.

It was now Sunday, the next day after what previously happened. Papa woke up earlier to work on a client's requested table, one of the biggest projects he had. Though he was more of an engineer, being a carpenter wasn't out of the picture either. Mom was out to buy groceries, so I was in charge of making sure Papa ate something. In my hand was a platter of Papa's favorite biscuits and the other had a cup of black coffee. Papa looked up from his design plan, smiling.

"Good morning, Meredith," he said, watching as I placed down the food on his table. He gave me a puzzled glance, saying, "Those are—"

"—the biscuits Mom won't let you have out of pettiness? Yeah. They are," I replied. Winking up at him, I whispered softly, "She doesn't need to know that."

Papa put his hand on my head, patting me. "That's my girl," he said proudly with a grin, taking a sip of his coffee.

I giggled lightly. "Better hurry before Mom comes back."

Papa's hand glowed green, and the room followed in suit. Smiling, he slyly responded, "I have all the time in the world."

"Your puns still suck, Papa!" I said loudly, slipping out the room.

"Wow.. I love you too, Meredith!"