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They all turned back toward the house, leaving Plum's mother and father to hug her in turn once more. "You look good, darling,” the small female stated. “A little extra weight looks good on you."
"Ugh, mom! You can't say stuff like that!"
"What? What do you mean? I'm saying you look good!"
"Yeah, you don't want to be too skinny," her dad said. "Besides, Kro is a big boy. You're gonna need some cushioning when you know." He waggled his eyebrows meaningfully.
Plum let out a shriek. "Dad! Mom, come on! You said you'd be good."
"What you mean? You said to act normal?"
"I meant like normal people, not your version of normal—you know what? Forget it. Let's go get our stuff, Kro." Plum reached for my hand and pulled me toward the car. Her parents had already meandered back into the house.
Plum muttered to herself, and I didn't want to interrupt her internal conversation. I figured she wanted her bag, and so I grabbed it. She stomped all the way up the path leading to the house and into the foyer. We took off our shoes and stepped into the fluffy house shoes provided for us.
"Come on,” Plum said. “I'll show you the bathroom."
No less than three women's voices called out from three different directions. "Use the upstairs bathroom!"
Plum rolled her eyes. "Okay!" Adding,"as if I didn't grow up in this household," in a quiet mutter.
I followed her up the stairs, and turned to the right. There was a bedroom, with matching wood furniture and an explosion of pink. She tossed her bag on the floor by a bed that had a multicolored quilt on top of it. It didn't match the rest of the neo-Victorian look of the house’s decor.
"I'm just going to use the bathroom really quick. I figured you could hang out here so you didn't have to be alone with my family."
I smiled at her. "Don't worry about me. I enjoy your company, but I can weather your family as well."
"You say that now," she said. Her tone was ominous. I would simply reassure her that everything would be fine.
My phone pinged with a text message. It was a weather warning. Maddoc stated that they had gotten word that the snow beasts were wreaking havoc somewhere up north.
I wasn't worried, but I felt the need to tell Plum that she might be stuck here for the night after all. If she needed to leave, then we would find a way do so.
It would be nice to stay. It felt good to have kin.
Plum came back and offered the washroom. "Maddoc informed me that we are in for a rough night with some snow beasts coming to town, just north of OC. If you want to leave now, I would understand. If you want to stay, that's fine, too. I am prepared either way."
I gave her the moment of me washing up to debate, and when I left, she had a look of resolve on her face. I knew her answer before she said it.
"Let's stay. It's only an extra day."
Chapter 4
Plum
Krothu was a hit with my family.
I shouldn't have been surprised. After all he and my parents both were immigrants. My parents came over from the Philippines. Krothu came from over the rift. Yet, they had more in common than expected, all sharing a primal love for food and family. In that order.
"Eat! Eat!" My mom fixed him another plate. I stopped trying to get her to quit pressuring Kro to eat. It was wasted effort when Kro easily polished off each plateful.
"Such a big appetite! I love it! If I knew orcs love to eat this much, I would have invited them to our church fellowship." The way that they beamed at each other was priceless. I always knew that whoever I brought home would be automatically the favorite one.
"Ma, there aren't even any orcs living this far outside of Obsidian City. What orcs are you talking about?"
My mom continued talking as if I said nothing. "You know, I fixed this palabok just for her, and look she barely ate any of it!"
She waved a hand over the casserole dish of artfully arranged rice noodles, eggs, shrimp, and garnished with chicharron, a crunchy pork rind.
