Chapter 51 – Too Much Attention.

  “While you and my other cousins married for political reasons, I choose to let my children marry for love.” – Al talking to his brother-in-w.

  After Kurt’s parents had finished gawking at the rings and finally accepted them, they moved back upstairs. They chatted for a little while around the kitchen table. Kurt wasn’t making lunch, instead putting out a spread of snacks and finger food that they could pick at all day.

  Beth had informed them that she had made reservations at Johnny’s Pce for dinner so they shouldn’t spoil their supper. Kurt had asked how long they would stick around this time but was disappointed to learn that it really was just a quick visit and that they would have to leave early the next morning.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I wish we could stay longer but we are unfortunately on a timetable.” Beth had said. “When we booked this trip, we had hoped the bridge would stay open longer, but this window is rather short, and we don’t want to miss it.”

  The inter-realm convergence gates or ‘bridges’ as they were known were much fickler than the constant connections various organizations used, simir to how the Order Stabilitas connected to multiple realms and pces.

  The only problem with those was the organizations that used them limited the traffic. They typically only issued long term, set limit passes to prevent the connections from being overloaded and colpsing. Those passes took a while to get and were often quite expensive or they obligated the holder to certain things.

  The bridges could take any number of people across them, as they were a natural phenomenon and not dependent on supplemental power. Every time one was established, they were able to determine a set window of time it would be open before closing again. The good news was that the closed period was always the same, fifty-five days.

  So, they sat and talked, Kurt’s parents asking many questions about his work for the order and how things were going. He in turn asked how they were and if they had made any progress in Al’s research. He said that they had some people coming to meet with them in the next week, hence why they couldn’t stay for much longer. He also hinted that they had made some discoveries, but it was too soon to know for sure.

  When the girls asked what he was researching, Al deflected the question. He said that it was a personal project that ended up being co-opted by a rger organization and he wasn’t at liberty to discuss it. While the answer didn’t satisfy either of them, they didn’t press the issue and let him be vague since Kurt also didn’t pry.

  *****

  Kristi:

  Kristi was sitting in the passenger seat of Kurt’s car, enjoying the slight break from the constant alertness that came when she was around other people. Well, when she was around people besides Kurt and Val… and probably Penny. Yeah, Penny too. She reminisced while the other two talked.

  She was thankful that Kurt’s parents seemed to let her sit to the side and observe, never pushing for her to be included but happily doing so. It had taken a while to get her courage up after the comment about the undry.

  Thinking about it, Kristi noticed his parents were a little strange for a mixed couple. Usually, the human would be the normal one and the paranormal would be fixated on them. It was natural since lifespans were usually not in the human’s favor. In the case of Kurts parents, they both acted like ‘normal’ parents and didn’t have the little eccentric tics that most mixed race families had.

  Al had been the real enigma in the retionship, not at all acting like an elf normally did. Oh, sure he had that wizened old man thing down pat when he wanted but he was so honest and engaging that she was taken aback. He also didn’t mention her heritage despite knowing after touching her with the ring.

  Suddenly feeling a hand on her arm, Kristi turned to look at Kurt. “Hey, everything ok?” he asked, a look of concern on his face. She had been studying him all day and not once had he looked at her like that. His face currently showed genuine concern like he was looking at a loved one who had fallen ill with a deadly virus. It was a look she didn’t like to see on him.

  “Yeah, its just hard being around new people sometimes and it’s your parents…” She confessed immediately then wondered why she did that. She normally wouldn’t be so open with her feelings. But it was Kurt…

  “Are you going to be, ok? We can just do takeout if you think that would be easier.” He immediately offered a solution. “We can even cancel and try…”

  “No!” She said a little too loud then corrected her tone. “Ah, I mean, no its fine.” She leaned back in her seat. “I just need a minute to…” She then noticed they weren’t moving and were in fact in the parking lot. “Never mind, we’re here.”

  After blowing out a breath, she unbuckled and noticed Kurt still looking at her. “It’s ok. Your parents are actually really nice about letting me sit on the sidelines.”

  Kurt still looked worried, but Val just rubbed her arm. “We will be there for you so don’t worry. Besides, I can always say I need help with something, and we can step away for a minute.” She then did that little head tilt that Kristi thought was cute… Wait. When did she start thinking Val was cute?

  They piled out of the car and walked to the front door where Beth and Al were standing. After a quick chat and comment about how ‘it hasn’t changed a bit’, they went inside. The interior was rather empty, likely due to the retively early hour, and they were sat right away.

  The table was a corner one, a circur table that could seat eight but was only set for five. Kurt ended up sitting first followed by Val to his left while Al went around the table. Naturally, that put Kristi between Beth and Val. That was fine but then Beth scooted her chair over to be closer to everyone else on her side of the table.

  Right after the woman finished adjusting her chair, she turned to Kristi. “So, what do you think about my son?”

  Kristi was a little shocked at he sudden and direct question. She saw Val’s ear, in its human shape, tilt toward her slightly but she didn’t make any moves and remained focused on the conversation between Kurt and his dad.

  “Umm. He is really nice.” She began mely, instantly worrying about the much more direct line of questioning.

  Beth raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

  “T-telling.”

  “Well, I know he is nice. I would tan his hide if he wasn’t, no matter that his hide doesn’t tan so to speak.” Beth said. “Come on, I have seen the way you look at him. It’s the same way that Val does or at least very close to it.”

  Looking down at her hands, Kristi began wringing them in her p and trying very hard not to blush. Still, Beth noticed and made her own assumptions. She lowered her voice and leaned a little closer. “You like him as more than just a friend, don’t you? Its ok if you do, your feelings are real and deserve to be validated.” Beth’s tone was gentle and filled with kindness, somehow possessing an honesty that made her seem like a… well, like a mother.

  She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek in worry. Why was she worried? This human woman was likely only half her age and not at all a physical threat to Kristi.

  “Then why haven’t you said anything?”

  Kristi gave a half shrug, still not able to bring herself to say anything.

  “Is it because of Val? Did you try and he rejected you?” Beth asked. “If he turned you down, I’ll…”

  That got an immediate reaction from Kristi. “No, no. he didn’t…I didn’t.” She said in a low voice turning to face her more directly. “He is with Val. I don’t want to get in the way.”

  Beth held her gaze for a minute before speaking again. “How does my son make you feel?”

  Kristi had to stop and think about it. It was just like the question Val had asked not long ago but from a different angle. “He makes me feel… appreciated. Like I am a part of a family and not just someone on the team’s roster.” She answered after a moment to consider.

  Keeping silent with a small, kind smile, Beth stared back at her, letting Kristi continue. “He includes me in everything, or almost everything. Oh, Val is great too, she was the kind of the bridge between us for a couple days.”

  “She was your friend first, right?” Beth confirmed.

  “Yeah, we met a while back in the order, but I fell out of the program because of… reasons.” Kristi was gaining more confidence in her talking and was keeping better eye contact. “I don’t really get along with a lot of people because of my mixed race. Val and Kurt are just like me though.”

  Beth smiled a little more. “What was it like being friends with Val? Back in the order I mean before all this.”

  “Oh, it was nice. I felt I had someone to talk to. Someone that at least understood my feelings and concerns a little more.” Kristi thought back to those early days in the program after they completed a few months of training. “It was hard dealing with a lot of rejection, being kicked out of the horde as soon as I was an adult or, passed for one anyway.

  “Val always was there for me. We trained together, hug out together, just always stayed in contact even after I dropped out.” Kristi said, summing up her experiences. “I have dealt with a lot of rejection from a lot of pces, and she was always there to pick me back up after I fell.”

  “It sounds like she was your only support.” Beth said with a knowing look at her husband. “I know how that feels all too well.”

  “Yeah, she always made sure I was in a good pce. She had been my main support for so long. Its like… like a sister but not quite.” She considered how to say it. “I wouldn’t share a lot of things with the rest of the brood in my generation, no matter that we were sorta siblings. I never had that issue with Val.”

  Their waitress came around and took their orders. Everyone ordered a drink of some sort and Kurt picked a few appetizers for the table, knowing him and Kristi were big eaters.

  “She was your emotional support and your mental bance check?” Beth asked and when Kristi nodded she followed up. “So, what does Kurt do for you?”

  Kirsti thought back the past couple weeks as she answered. “Where Val was the rock in the storm, Kurt is the beacon, the lighthouse on the shore.” She wasn’t sure why she was using an ocean analogy, but it was working for her. “As great as the rock is for keeping me from sinking, the lighthouse shows the way forward.”

  Beth was nodding at her in understanding, so she continued. “He just gives me so much trust and confidence that I can’t really think of a better pce to be. I never felt this included back home, in the horde, I was more a presence than a participant. But when he does the little things, I just can’t help but appreciate him.”

  “What little things, dear?”

  “Like breakfast, or coffee. He is always up first and makes sure we have everything we need and makes sure we are full. Like this morning, he got up early, made coffee and stoked the stove to warm the house before we even had to wake up. I just wanted to curl up under a bnket with him like we do when watching movies.”

  She was expining what happened that morning, no longer really paying attention to why she expined things. The rambling way she was talking was less answering Beth’s questions and more expining her reasoning. “He saw me standing there and just opened his arm to me, I didn’t even have to ask. I tried to tell him about my feelings, but I didn’t at the st minute.”

  “Oh, why not?” Beth asked, leaning in.

  “I chickened out when I saw Val walk in. I know I shouldn’t have, but it was just us and when I look at him, I just feel so much lov…” She stopped halfway through her word, catching herself too te, it was already out there. She looked to Beth in horror, having just admitted she wanted her son despite him having someone already.

  Beth just smiled sweetly back at her. She looked about to say something when drinks came out a moment ter and the first course was right behind. The conversation shifted to other topics, taking away the momentum that her conversation had carried.

  Food was ordered and once that arrived, almost all the table talk died as they savored their meals. John stopped by and gave Beth a big hug while chatting for a few minutes. Kurt excused himself to go refresh the enchantments he put down on the restaurant and Val had to go to the bathroom.

  Eventually, it was just Kristi and Beth again as Al got a call and excused himself. “Kristi, I think you need to talk to Val about your feelings. From what I have heard, everything will work out fine. I would be thrilled to have both of you as daughters in w.”

  “Why are you so ok with this? It isn’t normal for humans to have multiple partners in this world.” Kristi asked, the question had been gnawing at her while she ate.

  “Because you aren’t humans.” Beth answered simply then eborated a little after a sigh upon seeing Kristi wasn’t satisfied with the answer. “If you had asked me that ten years ago, I might have had a different answer and opinion, but I have adjusted after spending so much time in the community and off world.”

  Before Kristi could respond, Val popped back into pce in her seat followed shortly after by Al. When Kurt returned, the only question on their mind was to have desert or drinks before the check. The decision was made a moment ter by a round of deserts arriving with a note signed by John saying, ‘For all the missed birthdays.’.

  As they ate their sweets, Kristi tried to make eye contact with Beth but every time she did the other woman just gave her a knowing smile in return, not making and additional comments or privately talking to her.

  With the ptes cleared, they sat and chatted for a moment, not staying very long as the restaurant was beginning to get busy. They went out to the parking lot to say their final goodbyes.

  “Well, thanks for coming in for a visit. Sorry the weather didn’t quite work out and it was cut short.” Kurt said.

  “Ah, yeah. Just means we will come for a second visit sooner than we pnned. Who knows and maybe that guest room might even be finished, and we can live in ‘your’ basement for a change.” Al said while ughing at the look on his son’s face.

  While the men were having a traditional Midwest goodbye, Beth was talking to Kristi and Val. “It was so nice to meet both of you. Val, do feel free to do what you need to when it comes to keeping that boy in line.” She was saying.

  “Aw, thanks. I will try to make sure it doesn’t come to that.” Val said and was pulled into a hug.

  When it was Kristi’s turn for a hug, she got pulled in much tighter than she expected and heard Beth whisper in her ear. “Remember, talk to Val. Do it sooner than ter unless you want to risk missing the boat to shore.”

  “Thanks, Beth.” Kristi whispered back and got a little extra squeeze and a quick pat on the back. When she straightened back up, Val was looking at her with a raised eyebrow, but Kristi just mouthed ‘ter’ before they turned and said goodbye to Al.

  After an entirely too long series of ever-increasing excuses, Kurt’s parents finally climbed into their rental car and drove off. Kurt watched them go for a moment, an expression on his face that Kristi couldn’t pce.

  They climbed back into their own car and made for home not long after. The ride back was mostly quiet, everyone comfortable in the silence. They talked a little about how nice it was to meet them and how they wished they could have stayed longer. Kurt mentioned that his dad talked about coming back out in spring if they couldn’t make the holidays.

  After they got home, Kurt said that he had a little work he wanted to do outside of the house. A bit of the gutter had come lose in the storm and he wanted to get that fixed up while he could.

  Kristi and Val went inside and picked out a few drinks while they sat on the couch. After a moment of silence, Val asked her question. “So, what did you and Beth talk about at dinner?”

  Hesitating for just a moment, Kristi decided to take Beth’s advice. “First can I talk to you about something?”

  “Of course, you can talk to me about anything.” Val said and sat up while turning to face her, sitting sideways on the sofa.

  Kristi took a deep breath then let it out. “I have feelings for Kurt. Like strong emotional feelings and I don’t know what to do.”

  Val didn’t miss a beat and leaned in. “Romantic feelings?”

  Once more pausing, Kristi chewed at her lip and wrung her hands. She could barely look at Val as she nodded, unable to say it out loud. She could feel tears in the corner of her eyes as she silently admitted what felt like a betrayal to her.

  Reaching out a hand, Val grabbed both of hers and scooted closer. “I know. Kristi, I have known you like him for a while now.” Seeing the look on her friend’s face, she pushed on. “It’s why I have been pushing a little more than before.”

  “But… you and… are together.” She tried to string words into sentences, but her heart was hammering, and her throat felt like there was a lump in it.

  “I would like us all to be together.” Val said, her eyes filled with a silent intensity as she squeezed Kristi’s hands. “Kristi, I love you like a sister. Wait, no not a sister. that would make this whole thing super weird. But you know what I mean.”

  Kristi nodded, she still felt like she wouldn’t be able to talk for fear of breaking down into tears but managed to swallow the lump in her throat and exhale before taking a deep breath through her nose. After a few more, she was calm enough to talk again.

  “Val, what if he… what if he doesn’t want me?” She asked the question that had ben hanging over her like the executioner’s axe. It was her make or break and she was afraid to find out if what she feared most would come to pass.

  She was suddenly yanked forward and found her face buried in Val’s shoulder while a hand running up and down her back. She didn’t know what to do but wrap her arms under Val’s and hug her in return.

  “Shh. I can promise you he finds you attractive. As for the rest of that romantic equation… just let me deal with that. Ok?” Kristi could only nod. “There you go, just let me handle him and when you are ready, we can take the next step. I will let you know when I talk to him and when its safe for you to approach him.”

  Kristi pulled back a little and looked at her. “A-are you sure? I know you’re his first and that I will al…” she suddenly found a finger over her lips with the kitsune staring into her eyes with a hard look.

  “He is ‘ours’. Do you understand? Neither of us will be second because all of us will work to be equal. I know I have a head start with him on the love front, but I also know he is starting to have those same feelings for you.” She paused before adding in her own suspicion. “I think it’s the pack thing that comes from him being an alpha. Just trust me.”

  Nodding back, Kristi once more found herself able to talk. “Thanks Val.” She said while drying the corner of her eyes. “So, what now?”

  Val was just about to respond when Kurt came back into the house. Kristi watched as he set his tool bag on the counter and looked over to them. “So, what are we doing tonight?”

  Val immediately shifted her tone to her bright and cheerful one. “Hmm I am thinking a nice hot shower then a little movie snuggle time.” Val said, definitely getting no compints from Kristi.

  “Haha, so the usual then.” Kurt said with a smile and began walking down the hall. The girls picked up and followed after him, making sure to grab a couple more beers on their way.