Chapter Text
Today was a day that should've been exciting. Of course it would be nerve racking and filled with anxiety for anyone, but usually the excitement would help ease the stress. Lucy wasn't so lucky. There was no excitement, only dread, because she knew how this was going to play out. Try as she might to project her normal sunshine vibes, dorning the kitchen island table with light fare, her aura were like storm clouds casting out her natural shine.
"Are you sure you want your mom to meet me today?" Tim asked cautiously.
He wasn't fearing her response, simply he didn't want to dictate her answer. Seeing Lucy like this made him want to call the whole thing off, refuse to meet her, or even just hold her and assure her that they could do it another time. But he knew it wasn't his call to make, it was hers and though he itched to sweep in and do anything in his power to fix this, what Lucy needed was support. So he wouldn't be convincing her of anything, only providing a voice to her own questions. A voice she could tangibly reply to and work towards a solution.
"I do..it's whether I want you to meet her." She replied coolly.
Tim was someone she wanted to show off, her mother on the other hand was something she wished she could hide forever. As Tim came closer she couldn't help but smile and she easily fell into him as he wrapped her in his arms. She had identified all Tim's different hugs, this one she knew well; his supportive hug. It was gentle, his grip practically feather-like yet somehow you felt secure in it, that if you pushed against it he wouldn't waver. He was waiting for her to set the pace and yet firmly giving any support she'd need. She sighed, leaning against his chest and breathing in his scent.
They were in a beautiful place.
"Your mother isn't going to scare me off." Tim whispered, affirming what they both knew.
"I know…even if I still wouldn't blame you if she did." Lucy joked. She felt Tim's chest tighten as he laughed softly, it only soothed her more. " Even if I can already imagine what she'll say I'm just hoping…that when she meets you she will adore you as much as I do."
"I mean…hopefully not AS much as you do."
Lucy smacked him playfully in his chest and scowled up at that bright and cheesy smile of his. It amazed her how well he could be simultaneously teasing and comforting. He had said all the things she needed to hear while also just getting her to laugh. Placing her hand back on his chest, this time she grabbed his shirt gently before pulling him down to kiss her. When she pulled away, her eyes fluttered open to look up into his, reflecting a mischievous glint of her own.
"Just wait until she brings up how maybe now I don't need to worry about preserving my eggs."
Tims eyes flashed, cheeks burning as he forced through a smirk trying to play it cool. He felt both excitement and fear at the idea, his eyes gleamed with a suppressed lust even though his stomach filled with fluttering, nervous butterflies. There was a low hum in the back of his throat as he kissed her again. One day they would be ready, a day that may be sooner than they think, but for now they were content to simply look forward to that future. After all, first they should focus on hurdling over this current task.
"Well, hopefully putting an end to that previous conflict will improve her opinion of me." Tim replied, trying to focus on the positive.
"I just hope that if she approves of this ..of us..it will finally be something I did right in her eyes." Lucy said, her shoulders drooped. As shallow and selfish as it sounded, Lucy couldn't help but be more concerned with her mom finally being happy with at least one thing she decided to do in her life. Feeling Tim's fingers pulling her chin up ripped her out of her own thoughts, those cool eyes had her full attention.
"Frankly being with me is the most uninteresting development in your life Lucy." Tim retorted. He didn't speak from self-loathing, for him it was simply the truth. There was so much more to her than him, even if the look in her eyes scolded him for such an infraction, he would die on this hill. "I mean it, not that this has all been…amazing, but compared to everything you've achieved, who you're dating shouldn't be the big takeaway here."
Before Lucy could say anything back, there was a knock at her door. Lucy stiffened, only to be smoothed out by Tim's calloused fingers cradling the small of her back. Here we go, deep breath and open the door. Vanessa Chen smiled in the doorway, for a moment Lucy felt a warmth come over her as the two embraced. Even through it all, there was still a source of comfort her mom provided.
Tim felt like he was looking into the future, when both women turned to look back at him his heart swelled. Lucy did look so much like her mother, who admittedly age was being kind to and it planted visions of years to come in his mind. Older Lucy, perhaps with those grandkids she talked about on their first date-take two-, and earlier reservations fizzled away.
"Mom, this is Tim." Lucy introduced.
Tim held out his hand and gave a bright yet somewhat cautious smile as Mrs. Chen took his hand, giving it a firm shake. He could feel her excitement course through him, so far things were well. "It's very nice to meet you Mrs. Chen."
"Hello Tim! It's wonderful to finally put a face to the name. Lucy's told me a lot about you."
Looking over to her, Lucy seemed to be in higher spirits. The look she gave him confirmed there was truth in what Mrs. Chen had said, which surprised him. Moments ago Lucy gave the impression that talking to her mother only took place when a cold front blew over hell, so that she talked about him restored some faith. He could also see conflict in Lucy's warm brown eyes, so he realized, like many others, their relationship was more complicated than he had thought.
"I can only hope it was all good things."
"Oh there were some venting sessions-"
"Mom.." Lucy broke in. But Mrs. Chen waved her off softly before continuing.
"But yes, lately there's been a lot more doteing. Honestly Lucy doesn't say too much about her work these days, but she has seemed happier."
Lucy nodded, embarrassment still casted all over her face, but this was the kind she could handle. The few times Lucy opened up about her grievances to her mom were near the beginning of her training. Her mom would be supportive while cautioning to go to human resources if it ever got out of hand. Things changed after that one night, the failed dinner, since then Lucy remained more tight lipped about work. Really it took Tim telling her to breach the conversation with her mom months ago that opened her back up. She had, in fact, called her mom to talk about her offer to freeze her eggs. It had been rough, but they did manage to come to a resolution. Even still she was sure the topic would be breached at some point during this visit, but with Tim, the thought of talking about it didn't upset her.
Though her mom once again adding some missing ingredient to her soup DID upset her.
But Tim placed a hand on her back and smiled sympathetically. So after taking another deep breath, Lucy smiled back at Tim before taking her seat. Then she noticed it, a blink and you'll miss it, but she indeed saw it. Her mom's eyes looked up, subtly but very much locked onto Tim. They followed him as he circled round to the other side of the island, joining her in order to make plates for them. Before Tim could set the third plate down, Lucy's mom reached over and took it from his hand and flashed a quick smile. It wasn't the grateful smile someone on the outside may seem basic politeness, but Lucy could spot the motives beneath. Her mom continued to grab bowls for all three of them, filling two of the bowls with soup before pushing one of them in front of Lucy. She continued to plate some of the dim sum from its steamer along with rice, just long enough for Tim to have taken a seat beside Lucy, handing one of the plates to her and one for himself.
Lucy could see the naivety all over his face and it broke her heart a little.
Tims defenses were down, he wasn't searching for cues but rather just settling into meeting her mother. Her gut churned, why couldn't he just keep his guard up this once?! She knew he would need it, but it was clear that it was up to her to keep on her toes for both of them. Vanessa settled in her seat, at the head of the counter, keeping both of them in her view and also in a place beneath her at the table.
This wasn't a visit anymore…it was an interrogation.
Deep breaths, keep it together, brace yourself.
Here we go.