I drove us to my mom's house. Not specifically to meet her, but to meet someone else.

"Who lives here?" he asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"My mom, but that's not who we're here for." I answered and unbuckled mine as well.

"I'm meeting your mom?"

"Ummm...Yea. Is that okay with you? Again, she's not who we're here for, so it's not a big deal."

"Uhh, Yea, that's fine."

I opened my door and noticed he hadn't opened his. I looked at his face. He was just staring at the house.

"Awww, are you nervous?!" I asked with a smile.

"Tch. No. Nervous for what? You're the one who's nervous." he claimed and got out of the car.

I laughed.

I knocked on her front door.

No answer.

"MAMAAA!!!" I yelled at the door and knocked again.

"COMING!!!" I heard her say as she ran down the stairs.

The door finally opened.

"So sorry I was-...oh." Eli caught her off guard. "Hello..." she greeted him.

"Hi." he said.

"Oh my damn-..." his voice made her expression jump.

"Mom..." I called.

"Huh? OH! Sorry." She moved out of the way to let us in.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Last time I checked, he was in the living room." she answered.

I turned around to face Eli and jumped on my toes in excitement.

"AH! Are you ready?!" I asked with a large smile painted across my face.

"You're cute." he laughed.

"Stop it." I instructed. "Eli, this is my mother, mother, this is Elijah."

"Hi, I'm not sure if she's told you, but I'm her mother." she joked.

"It's nice to meet you." Eli said. "I see where you got your sarcasm." he whispered to me.

"You as well, sweetheart. My god, you are...extremely handsome."

"Ma." I said and Eli chuckled.

"What? He's a beautiful man. Your smile is absolutely gorgeous." she told him.

He laughed some more at her forwardness. "Thank you."

"Anytime..." she said and observed him up and down.

"Alright, that's enough." I began shoving her into the kitchen.

"Could cut diamonds with that jawline." she stated as she finished walking into the kitchen and I laughed at her awe.

"MARK!!!" I yelled through the house.

"LEYLA!!!" I heard him yell back.

"About time you two got here..." he left the living room and I watched him walk his way to us.

"Is that..." Eli started.

"It is..." I replied.

"How've you been, kiddo?" Mark asked and gave me a hug.

"I've been great, how about you?"

"Just fine." he responded and let go.

"This is Eli." I introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Eli."

Eli was silent and just shook Mark's hand in awe.

Mark was an old friend of my dad's before he found out how he treated us (he's a big feminist). After the divorce, if he wasn't busy, he'd help my mom out however he could. We call him uncle Mark but everyone else calls him Mark Trahan, world renowned boxer from the late 70s and 80s. I prayed Eli would know about him, and given his facial expression, I think he does.

"Does he speak?" Uncle Mark joked.

"Give him a minute." I pulled Eli's face to look at me but his eyes stayed glued on Mark.

"Elijah, sweetheart." I slapped his cheek gently and he finally looked at me.

"That's Mark Trahan." he said.

"Yea, that's Mark Trahan." I laughed.

"Mark Trahan is shaking my hand." he pointed out the obvious.

This is the first time I'd seen Eli speechless or nervous. It kinda weirds me out.

"Yea, baby, Mark Trahan is shaking your hand."

"Wow." he said in shock.

Uncle Mark laughed.

"If you don't mind...my arm is getting a bit tired." Mark laughed.

"Right..." Eli agreed and finally let go.

"Mark Trahan just shook my hand..." Eli mumbled.

I snickered.

This was the first time I saw someone the same height as Eli. Mark actually used to be 6'6 but either he's getting old and shrinking or Eli is taller than he thinks he is.

____________________________________

As the men discussed their fights and such, my mom and I worked to make lunch.

"So..." she began.

"Sooo..." I added.

"How long have you two been a thing?"

"Almost seven months." I said and ate a cherry tomato.

"Seven months?!" she repeated and I nodded.

"Well okay then. How does he treat you?" she asked and tossed the salad.

"Amazing. He's so...so...I don't know."

"That great, huh?" she laughed and I nodded.

"So you're happy?"

"Wouldn't ask for a single thing to change." I said and gave her a smile.

"Good, that's all I needed to hear." she said and rubbed my back. "Let them know that lunch is ready."

I walked out of the kitchen to head to the living room and when I got there the boys were up and looked like they were about to throw punches.

"AHEM!" I said and they quickly dropped their fists and looked at me.

"What's going on here?" I asked.

"I was just...checking his stance." Uncle Mark lied.

"Yea, okay. Lunch is ready."

...

"So Eli, how long have you been into fighting?" Mark asked as he took a bite of his food.

"I wanna say age 7." Eli answered and sipped his drink.

"Wow. So what, 13-15 years?" Mark asked and I realized they don't know that Eli is older than me by an entire decade.

"Umm n-..." Eli began and I stepped on his foot. He grunted and said, "Yes, sir."

"Are you okay?" My mom asked.

"I'm fine." Eli lied.

I felt a firm grip on my thigh right when I took a bite of food and almost winced in pain. I hung my head down and rested it on my hand while trying to loosen Eli's grip. He didn't budge.

"Have you begun fighting or did you take a different route?" Mark asked. He was acting like a father meeting his teenage daughter's boyfriend for the first time.

"I-..." Eli began and finally removed his hand.

"He works at a plant currently and fights on the side." I interrupted and lied.

If he said he worked at the firm they'd know he's older than we said. We were lucky Eli looked as young as he did.

"Really? Not bad." Mark applauded. "Where do you fight?"

"There's this gym that holds fight nights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays that I go to."

"Hm. I'll have to come see you in action one day."

"Elijah, I feel like I've seen you from some where." My mom swore.

"Really? Strange." Eli tried to change the subject.

"This pasta salad is very good by the way, Ms. Williams."

'Kiss ass.'

"That's so sweet of you, thank you, but Nicole is fine." My mom said referring to her name.

"Eli, before you leave this house, let me tell you somethin', son." Uncle Mark began. "You see that beautiful girl sitting next to you?" he pointed at me with his fork but had his eyes on Eli. "If anything were to happen to her, if a piece of her hair falls out of place, if a scratch is left on that skin or that heart, I'll hunt you down, and I'll kill you."

"Yes, sir." Eli answered respectfully but I knew he didn't like that. He hates to be threatened.

"Uncle Mark!" I shouted.

"No, I was there when you were born, nothing's laying a finger on you and gettin' away with it. My daughters may be grown but if I have to threaten one more bastard, I'll do it, I don't mind."

Does he forget I'm an adult, too?

____________________________________

"Why did you lie?" Eli asked as we got in the car.

"Eli, if he would have found out that you're ten years older than me, he would have strangled you. My mom wouldn't care, it's not like you're 90, but he would."

"Okay. Another question." he stated.

"Give it to me." I instructed as I left my mom's driveway.

"How do you just casually know Mark Trahan?"

"My father was friends with him in highschool. They were on the football team together. Mark's older than him though by about three years. He was visiting town for a meet and greet all throughout this week for retired fighters and obviously I know your love for the sport so I made a call. I hope you enjoyed it, besides the threatening you part."

"Wow."

"What?"

"Everyday you give me a new reason to ask how I bagged you because I honestly don't fucking know." he stated and I laughed.

"Leyla, I'm serious. If I don't marry you I will have seriously fucked up."

The statement made me smile. I was just as good to him as he was to me.

"I'm gonna bring you home and I need you to dress nice for your third surprise." I said as I turned down our street.

"Okay, but I drive when we leave. Being in the passenger seat this often pisses me off." he stated and I already knew that so I snickered.

I dropped him off then went home to change as well.