The whole evening, I keep my phone near me, waiting for Sam to finally call. Anxiety is building up inside me as I can't stop thinking about how her meeting with Marie went. I know that there's no reason for me to be so anxious, but Sam did seem wary of Marie, making me a bit wary of her at the same time.

 

I'm eating dinner when I hear my phone ring, and immediately answer.

 

"I'm sorry if I made you worry, Davey, but I'm alright. Marie finally decided to give me some space, so she shouldn't bother us anymore while we're together. She still wants me to hang out with her from time to time, though, I hope you won't mind. She was a friend of mine, a while ago."  Sam speaks softly, her voice reassuring.

 

I breathe a sigh of relief, the anxiety inside me vanishing in an instant.  "I'm glad. Although, if she was your friend, why did you seem to dislike her?" 

 

Sam replies, with some hesitation. "She… did something I didn't approve of… Even if it was with good intentions, I got angry at her and cut ties. Seeing her again made me remember everything as I thought I was finally moving on… But I then realised that avoiding her and blaming her would prevent me from truly being able to come to terms with what happened. That's why I forgave her."

 

"I see…" After a brief instant, I think of something. "Say… Maybe Marie could hang out with us sometimes? She doesn't seem all that bad, and if she's your friend, I'd like to know more about her."

 

Sam let out an audible gasp, before regaining her composure. "You are pretty sweet and innocent, aren't you?"

 

"What do you mean?" I ask, a bit confused.

 

She takes a deep breath. "Marie… isn't really a good person. The only reason she is being even remotely nice is because she is into me and knows I don't like how she usually is."

 

"Oh…"

 

Sam then makes a rueful chuckle. "Although, that's kinda hypocritical of me to say. I am almost as bad as her."

 

"What? Why do you say that? You're not bad at all, Sam!" I exclaim, not understanding what she means. "You're a wonderful and kind woman!"

 

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me, David. A lot of things no one should know." Sam replies in a sad tone.

 

"There are things I don't know about you, that's true. But after all the time we spent together, I know that you're a good person."

 

Sam doesn't say anything, but I hear her sigh.

After a moment, she speaks again. "Sorry, I'm just… a bit shaken up. I'll go back to my usual self for our holidays, don't worry." She then tries to sound more cheerful, but she isn't very convincing. "I'm looking forward to meeting your parents, after all!"

 

I decide to stop prying further, and simply reply in a reassuring tone. "We'll have a lot of fun, I promise."

 

Despite being on the phone, I can almost picture her making a slight smile. "Thanks. Have a good evening."

 

"You too. I love you, Sam."

 

She let out a weak giggle. "I love you too, Davey."

 

She hangs up, letting me wonder what she possibly could have done to consider herself bad. I lay on my couch and stare at the ceiling.

 

"Does it have something to do with the day she was absent? She did change a lot afterward, and Marie mentioned that they stopped hanging out after 'that day', after all…" I ponder, remembering Marie's attitude in the library. Her condescending and smug tone indicated to me that she knew things I didn't.

 

I always avoided prying into other people's lives, and I didn't want to do so with Sam either, especially with how happier she seemed to have been since. But, at the same time, I am getting more and more intrigued. We hung out for a few months before she changed, but she never mentioned Marie, and, even if my memory is far from flawless, I couldn't remember ever noticing her around us.

 

"Just who is Marie to Sam? She was acting strangely whenever we were together. And what happened that day?"

 

I wouldn't get any answer by being fixated on the ceiling of my living room, so I get up and go to my room.

 

"Should I try to ask Sam about it? Or Marie?" I know I would probably need to be insisting if Sam were to answer me, but Marie might tell me more easily. "Sam made me promise not to approach her, though…"

 

A moment later, as I am laying on my bed, I come to a decision. "Maybe I'll learn the truth while hanging out with Sam and Marie… I'll wait for a bit, and, if I don't learn anything, I'll try to ask them directly."

On that, I close my eyes and drift to sleep shortly after. 

 

~~~~~~

 

I don't have anything planned this Saturday morning, so I sleep until almost noon, enjoying my first day of vacation in the comfort of my bed.

 

When I get up, I notice that I have received a text from Sam. "Sorry about yesterday, Davey, I'm feeling better now. I want to buy something for your parents before we see them tomorrow, but I don't really know what. Any suggestions?"

 

I smile and text back. "I was asleep, sorry for only answering now. Well, I'd say that you can't go wrong with a bottle of wine. Both of my parents do enjoy drinking some to relax."

 

I expect to receive her reply later, but it only takes a minute for my phone to buzz again. "No problem, thanks. See you tomorrow, darling <3"

 

I chuckle and get ready for my day. I also want to buy a gift for my parents, since I haven't seen them in a while. Despite it being Spring, today is a rather cold day, so I wear a black jumper I am fond of alongside a pair of cargo pants and sneakers, and go to the city center. There, I start to look at the shops, wondering what I can get for them. I walk inside a confectionery, searching for some affordable chocolates or candies. As a student without a job, I can't spend too much.

 

I suddenly feel a light tap on my shoulder, and turn around, surprised by who I saw.

"I'm starting to believe that fate wants us to hang out more, David." Marie says with a grin. Unlike how she is at college, she is dressed more casually, wearing a leather jacket, a beige camisole, and a pair of slim jeans and flats. It makes her seem more approachable than her work outfit. She also has a big backpack, one used for traveling and hiking.

 

I awkwardly chuckle and reply. "Haha, it seems like it. What are you doing here?"

 

"I was craving some sweets and this is one of my favourite stores in town. Their chocolates are to die for." she says as she gestures around. "And you?"

 

"I'm just… buying something for my parents."

 

She smiles and walks next to me, looking at the chocolates on display. "Sam told me, you're going to spend your holidays together, hmm?"

 

"Yeah. It's been a while since I last saw my parents, and considering that Sam wants to buy something for them, I thought I should as well."

 

"Did you decide already?" she asks as she takes a closer look at a fancy-looking assortment of chocolates. "What about these ones?"

 

I read the price tag and gulp. "They're… a bit too expensive for me."

 

Marie chuckles and taps my shoulder. "You want them? It's my treat."

 

"H-huh? Why?" I'm confused by her offer. We barely know each other, after all.

 

"Sam likes you, so I don't mind giving you a hand. I'm fairly well paid as a college professor, something like this isn't much."

 

"T-thank you… I really appreciate it." I sheepishly reply. "Why did Sam say that Marie wasn't a good person? She seems nice, even if the first impression she gave me wasn't the best…"

 

"Don't sweat it. In exchange, why don't we spend the day together?" she says as she stares at me with a strange smile.

 

"Spend the day together?"

 

"I want to know more about the guy Sam is with. Is it too much to ask?"

 

"N-no, not at all." I answer, surprised. "I'd… also like to learn more about you."

 

Marie giggles. "Oh~? Be careful with what you wish for, Dave. But I'll humor you."

 

She buys the chocolates for me and hands them over. "Thank you again." I say, putting the box in my bag. 

 

"Now, why don't we find a place to eat? I'm starting to get hungry." Marie announces as we leave the store.

 

"Anything you have in mind?"

 

"Where would you go with Sam?" she asks while lighting a cigarette.

 

I give her a puzzled look. "Why?"

 

"I told you, I want to know more about you. And a restaurant is always a good place for that." Despite her eyes being hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, I see her wink at me. "I won't make you pay for it, don't worry. We're not on a date."

 

"Heh, alright. There's a Japanese restaurant Sam and I sometimes went to for lunch, not too far from the campus. Would it be alright?"

 

At that, she chuckles. "Dave, I was born and raised in France. Japanese food is everywhere, there. So yeah, it is alright."

 

"Sorry, your accent is so light that I didn't even notice you weren't a native."

 

"Thank you, it took a lot of practice to lessen the strength of my accent so much. Not sure it was all that worth it, though." she shrugs while taking a puff of her cigarette.

 

"Why's that?" I ask, curious.

 

Marie ponders for a minute while we are walking. "Hmm, I'd say it makes me feel like I lost a small part of my identity just for the sake of blending in. I used to regret having tried that, as I think there's nothing wrong with having an accent, but now that I'm used to speaking with a more standard accent, it'd be difficult to reverse it."

 

"Oh, I see. Well, I do like the way you speak, but if you feel uncomfortable with it, maybe you should try?"

 

She giggles and waves it off. "Nah, it's not worth all the trouble. I don't mind how I speak nowadays. And my identity isn't something I care about all that much anymore anyway. I'm just me, and that's all there is to it."

 

I simply nod. "I agree. As long as you like who you are, there's no need to change anything."

 

Marie's face shifts into a slight smirk. "I wouldn't have said it better, Dave."

 

We reach the restaurant soon after and Marie leads me to a table near a window. She orders a bowl of ramen and a cup of green tea, while I opt for some sashimi and rice, not being too hungry.

 

"So…" Marie starts while we're waiting for our meals. "Sam told me you were into anime?"

 

"Yeah. Although, she's even more into them than I am." I chuckle. "Did you watch some?"

 

She muses as she takes a sip of her tea. "You can't possibly be born in France after the 70s and not have watched any anime, Dave. It's basically ingrained in our culture at this point. Even though I'm not really into that nowadays, I have watched some of the classics while growing up, like Sailor Moon or Saints Seiya, since they often aired on TV."

 

"Oh, that's nice. I barely know anything about France."

 

She simply smiles. "I think you and Sam would like it there."

 

At that moment, Marie seems fairly cute and nice, but my thoughts from earlier come back. "What are Sam and Marie hiding from me?"

 

It must be visible on my face, as Marie taps my hand with her finger. "What are you thinking about?"

 

I ponder for a few seconds, not sure if I should ask her now or wait. "I was just… wondering how the two of you met."

 

"Ah, that's a normal question. I can imagine how curious you must be." Marie chuckles as she finishes her tea. "Well, we've known each other for a very long time." She taps her chin with her finger. "We met because we had, let's say, similar hobbies. But she changed because of a mistake I made, and decided that we should grow apart, which I accepted at first. But it made me realize how important she was to me, and I now want to try patching things up."

 

I am somewhat reassured. I can feel that she really cares about Sam by the intonation of her voice and the warmth in her eyes, unless she is a really good actress. "Sam told me a similar thing last night. I asked her if you'd be interested in hanging out with us from time to time, but she didn't give me a clear answer."

 

Marie smiles brightly. "Hmm, I would love to, honestly. But it's probably something I'll have to talk about with her. Our relationship is still somewhat shaky."

 

"I see."

 

"But well, it'll have to wait until the break is over. I'm flying back to France this evening to see my family." Marie comments as we see the waiter bringing us our food.

 

We thank him and I reply. "It must be hard to live so far from your family. Mine is just two hours away, but yours is across the ocean."

 

"It is hard at first, but you start to get used to it after a while. And I've always liked my independence. I think you understand me on that, don't you?"

 

"I do, yeah. That's why I wanted to live alone, after all. I'm still glad that I can easily go visit my parents almost whenever I want, though."

 

After a pause, Marie speaks. "Why did you decide to study mythologies?"

 

"I've always liked stories involving mythical creatures: vampires, werewolves, sirens, and so on… I didn't really know what to do at college, so I thought 'why not study something I already have a passion for?'"

 

"Hehe, there are a lot of interesting creatures in mythologies, indeed. I also love to learn more about them. Although, do you know what you're going to do afterwards? I don't think a degree like this will help you much in finding a decent job."

 

"That's true. Maybe I should have thought about this more, but I'm still really glad I made that choice."

 

"Because you met Sam, is that right?" Marie asks. I feel that her tone is slightly more dry, even if she's trying to hide it.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Sam wouldn't have been the same had you not been there." She comments. She then forces herself to smile. "But I'm glad you were. She loves you a lot."

 

She isn't doing a good job at hiding her disappointment. "She really loves Sam…"

 

After that, we finishes lunch, doing some small talks. Marie tells me that she decided to become a French literature teacher because of her passion for novels. She prefers them over manga because it allows her to use her imagination better, as she puts it. I know that she most likely doesn't like my presence in Sam's life, but she's still trying to be cordial.

 

"I had a fun time, David. Thanks for accepting my request." Marie says as we walk back towards the city center. I'm walking her to the train station so she can go to the airport.

 

"No problem. I should thank you for buying the chocolates for me."

 

A dozen meters before the station, Marie suddenly stops and looks to her right, towards a street. She grimaces before tightening her grip on her bag. "I need to go, see you."

 

"What?" I ask, but she already sped up and walked inside the building. I glance at the street. "Sam?"

 

I see her walking towards me. In her hand is a shopping bag, but she looks worried. "David? Are you alright?"

 

"H-huh, yeah? Why wouldn't I be alright?"

 

"Marie was with you, wasn't she?" There's no hint of questioning in her voice. She's just stating a fact.

 

"She was." I admit. "I met her at a confectionery, while searching for a gift for my parents. She offered to buy an expensive set of chocolates for me in exchange for spending some time with her. She apparently wanted to learn to know me better."

 

Sam looks away as she seems confused. "What is she planning…" She blinks a few times before coming to a realization. "Oh, I see… She's playing the long game…"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"She's waiting for us to… get separated." Sam replies, looking away.

 

"Huh… I hope it won't happen…" I awkwardly say.

 

Sam doesn't reply at first, she just pulls me into a hug. "No… Not until death do us part, I hope…"

 

The way she phrases it makes me blush. "You say that like you're proposing to me."

 

She lets out a playful giggle but doesn't let go of the hug. "It's a bit too early for that." Her face then takes a gentle, peaceful expression. "I never thought about wearing a wedding dress, before, but now that you mention it, I think I would love to wear one someday."

 

"I'm sure you'd look amazing in one. You look amazing in everything."

 

She hugs me more tightly. "Thanks, Davey. I'm so glad to be your girlfriend." 

 

"And I'm glad to be your boyfriend."

 

She then finally takes a step back and smiles while showing me her bag. "I have my gift ready for your parents. Want to stay the night at my place so we can leave together, tomorrow?"

 

I happily nod. "I'd love to. Just give me a moment to get my stuff from my flat and I'll be there."

 

"Alright. I can bring your gift with me if you want?'

 

"If you don't mind, sure. Thanks." I say as I hand her the box. "I'll be there in an hour, I think."

 

She gives me a quick kiss. "See you soon, Davey~"

 

~~~~~

 

We part ways and I hurry to reach my flat. I am excited to spend the evening at Sam's place. I grab my suitcase and, after a quick shower, go towards Sam's apartment.

 

On my way there, I decide to call my mother, to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow.

 

"Hey mom, how are you?"

 

"Hi Davey, I'm good. Just came back from the grocery store. Since your girlfriend is coming, your father and I thought of cooking something special. Don't want to leave a bad first impression, you know?" I hear her giggle.

She is really enthusiastic about meeting Sam. Not that I can blame her.

 

"No need to overdo it, mom. She's just my girlfriend, not the president."

 

"Who cares about the president? She's way more important."

 

I let out a chuckle. "Typical of you, mom…"

My mother is the kind of person who never cared for honorifics and people's statuses. No matter if someone is a rich businessman or a construction worker, she treats both the same way. Only someone's personality affects how she views them.

 

"Do you know what your girlfriend likes?" She adds.

 

"She's not really picky, but she's particularly fond of strawberry cakes." I reply, remembering that she always picked that flavor the few times we went to cafés together.

 

"John, move your ass and start the oven! We have a cake to make!" I hear my mother shoot at my father, making me smile. She always had a fiery personality.

 

"We should arrive at around eleven at the station, will you be there to pick us up?"

 

"Of course. Everything will be ready when you arrive." My mom confirms in a joyful tone.

 

"Alright, thanks."

 

"Tell me, how is she like? I want to know more about her." She asks.

 

"Well, I want to keep the surprise, but I know you'll like her."

 

"I see. She did leave a fairly good impression during that phone call we had last time. She seems interesting." I imagine my mom nodding. "Is she cute?"

 

"She's the prettiest girl on the campus." I immediately answer. I firmly believe that.

 

She giggles. "You really are lovestruck, hmm? I'm glad. I can hear in your voice that you're way happier now than when you were in highschool."

 

She is right. I've never been happier than since I met Sam. Before that, I was just living day to day, not really caring much about the future.

Sure, I had a few acquaintances before moving here to study, but never had close friends. I didn't feel at ease around most people.

But now, I am always looking forward to spending time with Sam.

 

"I do truly love her, yeah. And you'll see why tomorrow." I smile.

 

"I can't wait. I'll go help your dad with the preparations, see you tomorrow."

 

"See ya, Mom. Love you."

 

I hang up and reach Sam's flat shortly after.

The sun is starting to set when I arrive. It only takes a few seconds for the door to be opened after I knock on it, and for Sam to pull me in another hug.

 

"Did you miss me so much in such a short amount of time, Sam?" I tease as I reciprocate the hug.

 

"Of course! I'm really excited to spend the whole week with you!" she smiles happily before leading me to the living room. "I ordered some pizzas for dinner, they should arrive soon."

 

"Need help with anything?"

 

She chuckles. "To eat pizzas, you only need some plates and a cutter or knife, Davey, I can easily prepare that on my own. Just relax on the couch and I'll join you in a minute."

 

"Alright, thanks."

 

A few minutes later, she joins me on the couch and snuggles close to me. "I brought my swimsuit, I hope the sea will be warm enough for me to take a swim. It's been quite a while since I last went to the beach."

 

"It should be fine. It's warmer there, and, last I checked, it should be pretty sunny all week."

 

"That's perfect~" is all Sam says before hugging me. "Tomorrow will be such an amazing day, I'm sure of it."