“I told her you found a friend.”
“Oh, the friend…” Alex nodded to herself. Right. Her mother wanted her to make a friend, “Huh, I almost forgot about it… hey, Lauren, want to meet my mom?”
Lauren’s heart soared at the sound of Alex’s question. Between her and Logan, Alex had chosen her to meet her mother. Well, she did know her true identity unlike Logan but who cared?
“I—”
Lilly shook her head frantically, “Uh-uh, you can’t bring Lauren.”
“What?” Alex exclaimed, “Why can’t Lauren be the friend I introduce? She actually knows more than Logan does.”
“That may be true but Logan found out first. You do remember that she wanted me to keep tabs on you about this so I told her about Logan. The friend she knows you have is Logan. If you bring Lauren instead, they’ll find out about your secret being exposed twice.”
That and maybe we had schemed this previously in order to push you into making a decision about him. It would have happened a lot earlier but Alex already went ahead of them.
Alex blinked her eyes twice at her aunt, “Logan? Meet mom? Tell me you’re kidding.”
A ringtone played through the air.
Alex knew that sound well.
She heaved a dreaded sigh. The inevitable had come. For a while, she thought she could avoid Logan finding out her identity. She could have used it as leverage against her parents if they ever did find out about Lauren.
Now, she had no room to escape.
Lilly gave her a sympathetic smile before leaving the room. She also gave Lauren one last look.
Lauren watched Alex in concern. Sluggishly, Alex reached for her phone. It vibrated on her side table. She twisted her torso and stretched her arm in slow motion. It almost looked like a movie, Lauren mused to herself.
Alex stared at the phone in her hand for a good second. It rang seven times by now. Before it the call could be auto-cut, she answered it in loudspeaker.
At this, Lauren skipped to her side and listened to the conversation.
“Hello?” Alex spoke first.
“Alex, darling!” The silky voice of her mother came out of the phone, “How are you?”
“I’m doing good. Aced my English project last week” she supplied. With her mother, it had always been better to add some detail to not let her feel shut out from her introverted daughter.
“Wonderful!”
“And you, mom? How are you?”
Angeline beamed from the master bedroom of the Greenwood Household. She and her husband had just come back from a trip to Bali. It had been such a good opportunity to meet up with her friends. They had lived separate lives for so long and had reconnected weeks ago.
Safe to say, she had lots of fun hunting for food and for beautiful sceneries.
They eventually had to part once again. Chibu had gone back to India. Delilah had another trip planned in Malaysia. Naia had taken a cruise down at the Carribean and Hana had a book tour ahead of her. It would be about a month before she could have free time again.
Who knew where they would be by then?
“Exhausted” Angeline answered. She turned on the lights of her vanity mirror, checking if she had any new blemishes, “Your father went in the bathroom just now. He’ll be there for another hour. You know how he likes to soak in the bathtub after a long time away from home.”
“Ugh, that is not a picture in my head, mom.”
Angeline took the bath towel she placed on the table and scrubbed it against the back of ears, “I think you already know why I called.”
“No, I don’t.”
Angeline rolled her eyes at the mirror, “Alex, you are a terrible liar. I bet your nose is twitching.”
“My nose doesn’t twitch!” Alex scoffed into the receiver.
Her mother chuckled, “Whatever you say. Now, when will I meet this Logan? Is tomorrow night good?”
“T—tomorrow?” She heard her daughter choke.
“Come now, darling. The sooner, the better. You know… before you ship him to Timbuktu.”
“And when would I get the money for that?”
Angeline smirked, “Stop trying to delay the conversation, dear. Can you please answer my question?”
“What question?”
“Alex!” She scolded playfully. Why did her daughter have to inherit her wits? “Fine. If you want to play it that way, I could always stay over for a week.”
“No!”
“Is that any to treat your mother?”
“I mean, no” Alex quickly explained, “You can’t meet Logan tomorrow. He’s sick.”
She sighed inwardly in relief. That had been close. If her mother stayed over, no doubt she’d sniff out every nook and cranny of Alex’s life in town. Alex couldn’t allow that to happen.
“Tricked you into it, didn’t I?”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.”
Lauren laughed quietly. Alex turned to glare at her. She knew she shouldn’t find it funny but she did. Their mother-daughter relationship was different from hers with her mother. They rarely had a playful argument such as this.
“Oh, I know I have a great sense of humor. No need to tell me” Angeline teased, “So your friend is sick. What are you gonna do about it?”
Alex felt lost for words. She couldn’t tell what her mother meant by that, “Uh… wish him well?”
“Alex!”
“What?”
“Oh, I blame myself for your lack of social skills” Angeline lamented, “How could you be this inconsiderate?”
“I’m… sorry?”
“Didn’t I teach you how to cook?”
“So?” Alex really didn’t see where mother was going with this. It wasn’t like Logan was cooped up in a hospital. If he was, she knew that the normal custom would be to bring him a fruit basket.
“Did you even think about visiting him?” Her mother demanded.
“Not yet?” Was that so bad?
Angeline tsked, “Okay, Friendship 101 time. To be a good friend, not only you should wish him well but also you should visit him and see how he is doing.”
“Do I really have to?” Alex groaned.
“Why? You don’t think he’d do that for you?”
This time Lauren really needed to do her best not to burst out laughing. Alex’s mom was a genius! She literally cornered her daughter and gave her no room for an excuse.
“He kept your secret safe, right? This is the least you could do to show him your gratitude” she continued to say.
Lauren had to hold her stomach upon seeing the look on Alex’s face. It was a crossover between a deadpan and a glare. She could almost hear the grinding between Alex’s teeth. Her jaw must be locked tight.
“Okay, okay, I’ll visit him” Alex surrendered to her mother’s schemes. She could tell there was more to it than what her mother said.
Angeline’s smiled wide, her eyes turned into slits. A house visit was a golden opportunity! Alex could meet his family. If they loved her, that would strengthen her re—friendship would Logan. They could invite her over to dinner. If he had a younger sister, Alex could totally bond with her.
If all goes well, Angeline could invite them to their gatherings too.
Then, everything would be perfectly wrapped in a bow.
Well, it definitely would be if Logandra tied the knot.
She squealed in delight at the thought. Lilly’s stories sounded fun. She couldn’t wait to hear more when she meets Logan.
