It was a nice little house with a low white fence out front. A small cobblestone pathway led from the gate to the door, green grass growing on either side. Rocking chairs sat on the porch beneath wind chimes.
Leslie strolled up to the door and went inside. I followed them in, but remained by the entry while they sat at a dining table.
“What are you still doing over there? Come here,” Leslie said as they waved me over to sit beside them. “Make yourself at home.”
“But... this isn’t your house,” I replied.
“Well, it’s my family’s house and last I checked I was still part of the family.”
Suddenly, a woman walked out from the doorway by the table. “Oh, my, what a cutie?” she cried as she walked past Leslie. She immediately hugged me, followed by a kiss on the cheek.
“You must be Dax,” she said, her hands still on my shoulders when she stepped back. “I’m Carmela, one of Leslie’s mothers. My wife Jocelyn’s in the kitchen reoithiweow. Letijoemlkdfjear.”
Carmela led me over to a couch across from the dining table where she sat me down in front of her and began to comb her fingers through my hair.
“Wow, not even a ‘hello’ to your child,” Leslie commented from where they still sat at the table.
“Oh, you’re fine,” Carmela replied as she braided my hair. “Though weeijowemrefhierohfiuff for saving their life, Dax. I hear you’re from the System - what was that like?”
“Uh, well – ”
“Iefildmkgjheijrmfnied to a former byte before, but I’ve heard so many rumors,” Carmela continued before giving me a chance to answer. “Is it true your food cooks itself? Oh, and that person who attacked Leslie – so wild heeijofmdsjing Outcasts one by one since he got out here. Weihflamdkjhtiekmfdsjhfjikelmdsjdat?”
I glanced over at Leslie, hoping they would be able to make her stop. All they did was watch with an amused grin.
“Gods, Carmela, stop torturing the poor girl,” another woman said as she stepped out from the other room with plates in hand.
“I’m not torturing her, Jocelyn, I’m doting on her.”
Jocelyn rolled her eyes. “Both of you get over here. Food’s ready.”
I gladly scrambled over to the table, sitting beside Leslie. In front of me was a plate of rice stained brown from the red beans cooked in, a block of white cheese on the side.
A pleasant atmosphere settled while we chatted through our meal. Jocelyn and Carmela were kind people, though all the attention I was getting from them was a little unnerving and it was still difficult to understand everything Carmela was saying – fast talkers were never a great match for my condition.
“How’d you two even meet?” Jocelyn asked at one point.
“Oh, you know,” Leslie said, giving me a little wink, “I just caught her falling from the heavens.”
I snickered. Before either of their parents could respond, Leslie abruptly gathered up the empty plates and left the room.
“You said you two were... friends?” Jocelyn asked with a raised eyebrow.
“For now.”
“Mama!” Leslie called from the other room.
“Ah!” Jocelyn cried back.
“Tejomsldkjtheijofmklsenin!”
Jocelyn left the room. Across from me, Carmela smiled.
To be continued…