THE MOMENT
"Secretly, huh?" Andie giggled at Charles, her fiancé, on the other side of the table. "You're going to tell me you thought you were keeping it a secret even after all those times I nibbled on those adorable pointy ears of yours?" Charles was relaxed and chuckled along with her comment. Dinner had gone well, his parents were gone and they stayed behind at the restaurant to chat a bit more and celebrate how the evening went.
"No, I kind of figured you knew; but, I didn't want there to be any secrets between us, or even the risk of a secret."
"Well, then I guess that means it's my turn," she said with a surprisingly heavy sigh.
"Are you an elf too?" he asked with a broad smile that Andie did not return. She had a suddenly somber look as she shook her head.
"You know I don't have parents...," she said. Charles nodded. He never pried, but she had made it clear that they weren't around the few times the subject had come up. He considered bringing it up as he was planning his proposal, but, a few probing questions gave him an answer and he decided against it. "...but, I never told you why."
"You don't have to...," Charles shook his head. She didn't as far as he was concerned. He noticed early on that it was a rather sensitive subject for her.
"This is as important as you being an elf," she said. She reached for his hand across the table and stared into his eyes with her perfect, crystal blue set that he fell in love with instantly. However, her voluminous blonde hair and curvy figure did help that along too. "Please don't freak out, nothing has changed," she said. "I'm still the same me I've always been since we met."
"Andie, hon, spit it out...," Charles said. He squeezed her hand with affection.
"It's not that my parents are dead...," she said. "I never had any."
"They abandoned you when you were born..?" Charles asked. Andie shook her head.
"They never existed...," she said. "Watch carefully." She sat back as if to take his focus off her eyes, and he watched as her skin shimmered, then, a ripple ran down her face as if each individual cell moved slightly like a wave traveling through a sports crowd. "I'm a sapient swarm of nanos; living A.I.," she said.
Charles had a life longer than most, and he'd seen a lot of things. He'd witnessed his share of elven magic, ancient artifacts, and even fought some of the more monstrous denizens of the forest. He had enough intuition to notice something was off about Andie in the back of his mind; but, he never paid it any attention until now. Suddenly, a lot of minor things clicked for him, and, he took it all in stride. He could honestly say he trusted that Andie loved him before she revealed her true self, and, he could still feel that love as she watched his expression for any changes. And, he laughed.
"That's great!" he said with a broad smile as he squeezed her hand. "I feel like we're going to have to talk about it more in-depth at some point; but, right now that's wonderful!" He genuinely meant it. There was still something he hadn't addressed yet; but, this would make it so much easier.
"Actually, it's really, really great," he said. "I have another thing I hadn't mentioned yet."
"MORE secrets!?" Andie asked with mock disbelief; but, her beautiful smile gave it away.
"Not exactly a secret," Charles shook his head. "I just wasn't sure how to bring it up exactly. But now, it's a non-issue."
"What is?" she asked.
"My family has this tradition..., and, I was a little bit worried. But, now that I know you're made of nanos, it'll be a cinch to beat her."
"I have to beat her? Like in a fight?" Andie asked. Charles was so relieved at how well things had gone that he didn't notice her beautiful smile evaporated.
"Yeah," he nodded with a chuckle. "You need to defeat my eldest sister in open combat to prove your worth; but, that won't be-,"
"Hang on," she interrupted him. "So.. it's not enough that I love you want to spend my life with you... I have to prove myself on top of that?"
"No, it's -,"
"What am I proving exactly? That I can beat your sister? Is it to prove my love? I have to be 'worthy' of your family, is that it?"
"It's just a family tradition... it's not that involved," Charles said.
"Just involved enough to keep you from marrying the riffraff?" Andie asked as she stood up.
"Hon, where you going?" Charles stood too.
"Somewhere I'm appreciated and don't need to prove that I'm worth it," she said as she turned and headed out of the restaurant. Charles moved to follow her; but, he was stopped by a waiter waving the check in front of him.
"Sorry, friend," the waiter tried to be empathetic. "I didn't hear the convo; but, it looks like she took it hard."
"Yeah..," Charles sighed with a weak, disappointed smile. "It sure looks that way. But, I know her, and there's still a chance to make it right," he replied as he paid along with a handsome tip. "She's just quick to get emotional sometimes; she's from Texas, you know."