“Well, he’s told me good things about you.It can’t be easy being a mortal married to a wizard,” Taz remarks with a smile.
“I put the boys in their place,” Mom says with a smirk, and we all laugh.“Say, are you the same Taz my son used to complain about as kids?”
My face prickles with embarrassment, but Taz puffs up his chest.“The one and only, I hope.”
We laugh again and continue eating.“You know, you’re doing good work, Mr.Devries,” Dad says.“Chief Tuttle could make you a full-time agent of SPELL any day now.”
His cheeks turn pinker as he studies his sushi.“I’m…pretty busy.”
“With what?”Dad asks.
“Dad, he’ll join us if he wants to,” I say in a lower tone.
“Enough work talk,” Mom remarks, trying to keep the peace.“Tell us about yourself, Taz.Where are you from?”
“I lived in London when I was little, but moved to Delaware with Gran after, um…” He shifts in discomfort, glances at Dad, then back at Mom.“Most of my family, uh, went their separate ways.”
The silence between us is thick, save for the sound of other folks eating in the distance.After a beat, Mom clears her throat and says, “You’re more than welcome to share in our family!We can be loud and overbearing if you’d like.”
Taz laughs, but I frown.“Mom.”
“Why haven’t you invited this handsome boy over for dinner?”Mom asks.
“Yeah, Luther.”Taz is back to teasing.“You embarrassed by me?”
“Or me?”Mom asks, shooting me a challenging grin.
“Definitely not me,” Dad says, chewing on sushi, and we all roar in laughter.With that, the rest of lunch is comfortable.An impromptu meet-the-parents date here at work?If I can handle that, I can tackle any interdimensional threats coming our way.
With the easy rapport between Mom and Taz, I can’t help but envision him with my family for years to come.But first, I gotta get him alone and find out what’s been eating him up inside.
We don’t get to chat since I’m pulled away to do reports for the rest of the day.Taz claims it’s fine since he has his shop to run.It’s inconvenient, but I ask if I can come over after dinner, and he agrees with a lukewarm nod.It’s not much, but it’s all I can work with for now.
It’s evening by the time I park in front of Tome After Tome Books.Taz is changing the sign to read “closed” when he spots me.He seems so tired, and his smile barely reaches his eyes.Alright, something is amiss in the world of Taz Devries, and I need to find out what.
“Hey!”I greet him with a smile.
“Hey.”He gives me a peck on the lips and promptly tries to pull me into the apartment entrance.“I’m beat.Wanna shower first?”
“Sure, but I wanted to talk to you.”I don’t budge when he pulls my hand.We’re once again alone under the streetlight, an intimate atmosphere that gives me the courage to say what I need to say
“What’s up?”Taz asks.
“Something’s been bothering you,” I say as softly as I can.
He looks around like he’s trying to come up with a bluff, but settles down.“I’ll live.”
That concern makes a reappearance in my soul.“We were having a conversation before my parents intruded.Sorry about that, by the way.”
“It’s cool.Your mum is great.”He squeezes my hand and I smile.
“I’m glad you feel that way.But I really wanted to know about you.”I lean on the wall, and now we’re both cloaked in the shadows.“It’s not easy to say my feelings, but like…it feels like you’re pulling away from me.”
He gently squeezes my hand, but says nothing.
“I realize we’ve only been dating for a little bit, but you should know you can tell me anything.Anything that concerns you.”
He takes in a deep breath, and I know an exhausted soul when I see one.
