"My precious daughter, you can't just bring a young man here and think we won't assume the worst!" My father said. He had always been a very dotting parent. Mom too, but she's a bit grumpier. "I was panicking thinking my princess was going to be taken away again!" He cried while hugging me as if I was still his baby girl.
"You've not changed at all daddy." I sighed, giving him a head pat. "Stop being so annoying!"
My father gasped.
"How can you say that to me?!" He cried.
"Alright, alright dear. Stop with the show for now." My mother sighed. "Elayne brought an army of people here but its not like we can tell them to go home now, right? Luckily we've got rooms to spare. The girls can sleep together in the big room, right? The males in a different room. Rita can sleep at Elayne's room like she always does."
"Sounds fine to me!" I said happily.
"It's going to be a bit tight…" Sighed Elena. "But sure, we've done sleepovers already."
"Fufufu, then its all decided!" Mom said, quickly getting up from her seat.
Sixty years? This woman is as energetic as she was in her twenties!
"I'm glad you've made new friends, dear." My father said, hugging Elena.
"Yeah, it makes me so happy! I always thought you would be a loner forever!" Mom said.
Elena's two grandpas hugged her and spoiled her, but she was only growing more tired of them…
"She even got herself two friends to boot!" Said Harry.
"And one's rich?!" Mary reacted.
"Come on I already told you two to stop talking about Elisa's money!" I reprimanded the two greedy siblings I had.
"It is nice to meet everyone… Thank you for your hospitality." Mark smiled calmly back at everyone. Mom and Mary looked at him while nodding, while dad and Harry seemed to squint their eyes every time he spoke a word.
"I'm gonna be watching you." My father said, pointing his index finger at Mark's chest.
"Yeah." Harry nodded.
"D-Did I said something wrong?" Mark felt intimidated.
"No dear, they're just like that. Every time the girls bring a guy, they get all defensive and overprotective!" Laughed mom. "Don't worry, I already kind of like you! You're a big city kid but you're pretty alright, you got your manners and stuff! Just make sure to give my girl a raise alright?"
"S-Sure, she works very hard so I was already going to do it anyways." Mark smiled back.
"Good!" Mary said, giggling. "Elayne you've got yourself a nice catch!"
"Nice catch? W-What do you mean by nice catch dummy?" I sighed, trying to ignore her teasing. "Also Mark don't feel forced to agree with them please…"
"Eh? Ah… Well I had decided it anyways, don't worry." Mark smiled back.
"Nice catch!" Mary insisted.
"Sigh…"
Like that, I decided to go help mom and Mary prepare the lamb. It had been already skinned and its innards were also taken care of, but they were now marinating it with tons of spices like we like to make them. Roasted lamb is really delicious, though I always get sad when I remember this used to be a cute lamb…
"There Elayne, add more of that in there." Mom said.
"Do we really need to cover the entire poor thing with spices?" Mary complained.
"Yeah, I think this is enough…" I sighed.
"Your father really likes flavorful meat, the older he gets the more flavor he wants, his tastebuds are probably getting fried." Laughed mom.
"Hahaha, right." Mary laughed.
"Heh… Daddy's been working hard every day still? Can't he take a break?" I wondered.
"Well, we've gotta keep working. If we ever take a break this farm's going to fall apart!" My mother said. "That's why your kids are going to be a good asset for the future, hehe." Mother glanced back at Mary.
"Huh? No way! Camilla and Tereza are not going to stay in the farm!" Mary reluctantly said.
"What?! So you're going to raise them like little Elena now?!" Sighed mom. "Geez, at this point the only one that'll inherit this is that lazy bones of Harry! I was planning on giving this to Elayne but she has no intentions of having it either…"
"Sorry mom… I just got really used to the daily life at the city. I've got many friends there too, and so my little daughter." I said. "But maybe once I grow older and retire I'll take the farm out of your hands, heh."
"Huh! So you're still thinking about it? I remember you were just not even thinking about it back then!" My mother said. "Ah… well, since your dear husband passed away… I guess you've changed your mind a bit?"
"Mostly…" I sighed. "Working all by myself to keep us afloat has been quite the experience… Things… changed so much from back then."
"Huh, are you really okay with how things are now, Elayne? I can still help you monetarily if you need." Mary sighed. She was actually a very successful businesswoman working at a printing company. She was also a so-called "city girl" like our parents liked to call us.
"How could I ask for money to my little sister?! Geez, Mary, you've got your own husband and your girls, don't even think about giving me any cent! I am fine, don't worry about a single thing!" I said with a smile, trying to calm her down.
Mary and mom looked at me with a worried gaze, but then smiled teasingly.
"Huh, I can tell!" Mom said teasingly. "That big catch is what got you so confident now, huh?"
"He's really handsome and also quite young, right?" Mary said. "You're surprisingly good at fishing some good catches big sis! I've always envied that of you!"
"Eehhh?! S-Stop with that! I've got… nothing going on with Mark! Geez… We're just… really good friends." I smiled a bit, without realizing that I was blushing.
"Sigh, you're really in love with him, huh?" My mother saw right through me.
"Yeah, yeah~ You can't hide it from us big sis!" Giggled Mary.
"Cut it out already!" I cried.
They really like to get into my nerves sometimes…
But I still love them.
