SSO Winter Prompts 2020

10. Candles (Raptor)

[AN: In my headcanon, Raptor's real name is Torgny (nickname Tor), and he is Jewish.
I am not Jewish but did what research I could, hopefully I'm not too far off the mark.]

"Don't be so nervous, girl!" Tor laughed as he walked Rebecca toward his mother's house, amused by her fretting. She had asked about her clothes, what she should do, if she should have brought gifts, and if this was really okay.

"I can't help it, this feels like a big deal!" Rebecca whined, afraid she would mess up her first impression on Tor's family.

"It's just my ma!" he laughed again, putting his hand between Rebecca's shoulders to support her, and keep her from bolting.

"What about the rest of your family? I didn't even ask who all was going to be here!" she started to worry all over again, shushed by his hand rubbing her back while he chuckled.

"It's Hanukkah, not Pesach!" he exclaimed before adding, "holiday rush has everyone else busy, so we'll celebrate as a family over the weekend and meet as often as we can for the next eight nights."

"What's Pesach?" she asked, not familiar.

"Passover."

"I thought it was just called Passover... ahh!" she groaned and rubbed her face, "I'm going to embarrass myself in front of your mother!"

"After everything you've done on Jorvik, this is what freaks you out? Not impressing my mother with knowledge of Jewish holidays?" he teased, trying to get her to unwind.

"Your mom not liking me is worse than having to save the world!" she insisted again, looking at the door warily as he knocked.

"Hey yo, Ma!" Tor greeted as the door flew open, Tor's mother appearing with a smile.

"Hello M-oof!" Rebecca couldn't finish, caught up in a tight hug from the woman.

"You must be Rebecca! Torgny told me so much about you! Please, call me Hanna!" she introduced herself, holding onto Rebecca's shoulders to keep the dazed young woman up.

"Yes! Hanna! It's very nice to meet you!" Rebecca returned with a laugh, the warm welcome breaking her nerves.

"I see how it is, no hugs for me," Tor joked as he slipped inside, his mother chuckling and rolling her eyes.

"Come inside, dear! I am sorry it's just the three of us, everyone gets so focused on Christmas and New Years that they forget other holidays exist. But that gives us more time to get to know each other!" Hanna drew Rebecca inside and then hugged Tor properly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Rebecca stayed back and observed, fascinated with the holiday she had never celebrated before. She didn't understand the traditional prayers in Hebrew, but she did understand that it was important to mother and son. She watched them light the first candle, and listened attentively while Hanna told her the story behind the holiday and the miracle. Then food was brought out, the serious religious part was over, much to Rebecca's surprise.

"Is there more after this?" Rebecca asked a bit sheepishly, worried that she was missing something.

"There's more food if that's what you mean!" Tor laughed, helping himself to a sufganiyot.

"I mean, I dunno, I guess I just keep thinking of this as like, Jewish Christmas or something, but it isn't," she confessed, flushed.

"You're American, right?" Hanna asked, continuing after Rebecca nodded, "I'm sure there people tried to make it into that. I'm positive the ugly Hanukkah sweater trend started there, taking from the ugly Christmas sweater idea. You'll have a much easier time celebrating Hanukkah if you forget Christmas altogether."

"True, and it'd probably be a bit much to have a huge celebration every night!" Rebecca pointed out, taking a latke to try.

"Here," Hanna stopped her before she could take a bite, dropping a spoonful of applesauce on it. Rebecca raised an eyebrow but took a bite.

"Like it?" she asked, watching her expectantly.

"I don't know what I was expecting. Never thought potatoes and apples would go together," Rebecca admitted, taking another bite before Tor presented her a latke with sour cream on it. She ate it, humming and nodding, "That's pretty good too!"

Hanna grasped her chest in mock shock, joking, "oh dear, another one!"

"Mom only likes applesauce with her latkes," Tor explained with a grin.

A few hours later, Tor and Rebecca bid farewell and left, stuffed with fried food and laughs.

"You survived! You didn't embarrass yourself! And I think my mom likes you, I knew she would," Tor praised, nudging Rebecca.

"Even though I suggested ice cream on latkes. I seriously thought there would be like, some long synagogue service or something, and the whole extended family," she admitted, relieved an hours long nighttime mass with the entire family wasn't involved.

"Wrong holiday, but if you want to spend hours at a synagogue I'll be sure to invite you!" he teased before putting an arm around her. "I am glad you came."

"I am too," she said, following his lead and looping an arm around his waist and adding with a grin, "It was an enlightening experience!"

His groan made her laugh, even as he playfully pushed her away. In the window behind them shone two candles and a mother's smile.