“Who is this, Marshall?”
Wave stuck out her full arm with the widest smile.“Hi, I’m Wayla.”Hatty refused to take her hand and eyed Wayla like she had some sort of disease.
“Marshall?”She prompted again.Marc held in his groan.
“Wayla, this is my stepmother, Heather Ulrichce.Hatty, this is Wayla, my girlfriend.”Silently, he prayed that Wayla would just go with it.
“Your—what?”Hatty gasped.Then her eyes narrowed on Wayla.“Who are your parents?Where do you come from?”
Wayla, honest to gods, perfect Wayla, actually scratched her nose and shifted in place restlessly.“Me?Oh, I’m here and there abouts.Moved quite a lot.Momma and me had this lovely RV, you know.We kept it pretty and all too.”
Hatty choked.“An… RV?”
“Oh, you don’t know?It stands for a recreational vehicle,” Wayla explained with wide eyes.“I thought everybody knew that.”
Marc had to bite his cheek hard to keep his expression in check.
“You-you can’t be serious,” Hatty stammered.Marc knew she meant the bit of her being his girlfriend, but Wayla stepped in again before he needed to say anything.
“Sure, I am.Haven’t you ever lived in an RV?Marki-bear tells me you have a real nice house though.I would love to see it sometime.”
“No,” Hatty started to gasp, but now it was Marc’s turn.
“That’s right, bunny.Hatty is having a family dinner on Sunday and was just inviting us over.It’s her birthday.”
“I-but—” Hatty stammered.
“Yay!”Wayla squealed.“I bet I’ve never seen a nice house like yours, Hatty!I’m so excited.Marki-bear, you need to take me shopping.I need a new leather skirt and shoes.”She then glanced innocently at Hatty.“Is it your 500thbirthday?You look well preserved.I’d like to be like you when I’m old.”She winked at Hatty.
“What?No!I’m not 500,” Hatty spluttered.“Marshall, did you tell this… girl, that I’m 500?”
“Oh, oops,” Wayla gasped and blushed.She could blush on purpose?“Sorry,” she mumbled then, looking contrite.“Marki-bear, you told me she was old.”
He had told her no such thing, but seeing Hatty pale, made him want to kiss Wayla breathless.“Shh, bunny.Don’t worry about it.I’ll take you shopping tonight.How about that?”
“Marshall!You can’t mean to bring this girl home to—”
“Either we come together, or I don’t come at all,Mom.Your choice.”
“Fine.Fine!”She threw her hands up in the air.“Wait until your father hears about this.”She stomped away with extra click in her heels.“Seven pm, sharp!Don’t be late.”
“Bye, Hatty!”Wayla called after her.Marc wasn’t sure if he should be terrified by her acting abilities or kiss the ground she walked on.He settled on the middle ground and swung her into his arms.
Thankfully,thebasementonlyhad Jarred in it when they made their way downstairs.Wayla’s shielding practice had become a general time for everyone’s shielding practice, but today, Marc really wanted her to focus.
Jarred eyed both of them up and down and then looked at Wayla meaningfully.She threw up her hands.
“It was an emergency, and Chrissy took full advantage!”
“What are you talking about?”Marc asked.
Jarred rolled his eyes.“She’s wearing a dress.”
“So?”
“When have you seen Wayla wear a dress before?”
“I wear dresses,” Wayla huffed.
