87 Super Cool!

Forty-five minutes later.

Mike entered a private gated community.

Caroline saw a grand mansion ahead. "Wow, that house is huge! I wonder who owns that mansion?" she said aloud in admiration.

Mike looked at the house looming ahead 'coz they were heading towards that mansion which caught Caroline's attention. He smiled.

When Mike's car was already leading to the pathway, the gate suddenly opened. He drives the car into a spacious lawn with an elaborate garden-like design and parked the car in front of the main door.

They remained inside the car for a few minutes.

"Why we're here?" Caroline's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Because my dear, I live here. Technically, it's my mother's house. I grow up here," he explained.

"Wow, you're mother's house is massive! It's like five times the size of my house combine," she blurted out. "Wait...why did you brought me here?" she looked at him.

"I want you to meet my mother," Mike said casually.

"Oh, we're still too early in our relationship. I'm not ready yet to face your mother," she said nervously.

Mike smiled and clasped her hands in his. "Sweetie, don't feel afraid of meeting my mother. She's a good person. She won't swallow you alive," he joked.

"I don't know if it's the right time to meet your mother. I'm not prepared for this. You should have told me first so that I can condition myself for this meetup..." Caroline pouted feeling uneasy.

"Don't worry... my mother won't roast you," he assured her. "I told my mother once that if I finally meet the woman I'm going to marry I will bring her home to meet her. That's what I'm doing now. Just relax, okay? My Mom is the coolest mother in the whole world!" he boasted.

Caroline was silent for a moment. They were still at the very early stage of their relationship yet Mike was very determined to have their relationship end in marriage one day. Although she appreciated Mike's seriousness of his intention towards her, still, it's too early to meet his mother.

"Come on, let's get out of the car and entered the house. My mother is already waiting for us," Mike coaxed her.

Caroline still hesitating to get out of the car, for some unknown reason she's feeling unconformable meeting his mother too early. "Give me a few minutes to compose my self first. It's your fault you didn't inform me beforehand that we're going to meet your mother today," she continues whining.

Mike chuckled. "It's called surprised my dear," he winked at her finding her uneasiness cute and amusing to watch.

Inside the house, in the living room.

Susan was waiting for the visitor to come inside. A few hours earlier, her son Mike informed her in a text message that he will be bringing home a woman to introduce to her. This person was his girlfriend and the woman he's going to marry soon. She was taken by surprise because she was not aware that Mike already had a girlfriend. She was asking him questions, who is this woman? Where did they meet? Mike replied to her that it's a surprise and she will know tonight because he will be bringing his girlfriend home for her to meet.

She was curious who this woman is?

Her son has never had a serious girlfriend before, based on her knowledge he was more into men.

She had given up thinking he would ever bring a woman to their house to introduce to her as his girlfriend. And the fact that her son mentioned marrying this woman one day, her curiosity skyrocketed to heavens above.

For once, her life long wishes that someday Mike would finally settle down with a woman and start raising a family. She wants lots of grandchildren, it's slowly finally coming true which begins with John.

Oh my! She's getting excited!

Then after a while, she was wondering why they had not gotten inside the house yet? A line appeared between her brows. 'What took them so long to come inside?' she asked herself.

She had to find out.

She rose to her feet and walked towards the main door, then she steps outside.

She saw Mike's car parked in front of the house. She approached the car.

Inside the car.

"That's my mother, Susan!" Mike told Caroline. "Let's get outside now," he said and pushes the door open to his side and made an exit out of the vehicle.

Caroline groaned, she has no choice left but to get out of the car as well.

"Mom, meet my lovely girlfriend..." Mike proudly said.

Susan and Caroline's eyes met.

Susan's eyes widened. "C-Catherine?"

Mike's laughter vibrated around them, he was clapping his hands in glee. "I know it! You would mistake her as Catherine," he said, still laughing. "This is not Catherine but her twin sister, Caroline. Girls, say hello to each other."

"Good evening, Ma'am," Caroline greeted her future mother-in-law shyly.

Susan glances at her son Mike, then back to Caroline. To break the awkwardness, she greeted the younger woman with a peck on the cheek. "Welcome to our humble abode, Caroline. I'm sorry, I have mistaken you as Catherine your twin sister. My God, you are so much alike in so many ways!" she blurted out, amazed by the striking resemblance of the sisters to each other. It's the first time she saw an identical twin up close and she had a hard time identifying who is who at first glance. So when she saw Caroline, she thought she was Catherine.

Caroline smiled and was becoming speechless, she has no idea what to say to Mike's mother.

"Come inside the house. I have prepared an intimate dinner just for the three of us," Susan said and retraced her steps back into the house.

The couple followed her from behind.

Once they were inside the living room, Caroline roamed her eyes around her surroundings. The interior design was made of neutral color palette, adorned with modern furnishings and there was some nice wood detailing carved up in the ceiling.

The living room was spacious, homey and comfy.

"Guys, sit for a while on the sofa, I will go to the dining room to check if the table is ready," Susan excused herself.

Mike asked his nervous wrecked girlfriend. "So, what do you think of my mother?"

Caroline smiled. "She's nice..." she commented.

"I would bring you here more often so that you and my mother can bond together," Mike suggested.

"Shh, don't impose on your mother. She's managing a company, right? She's busy, I don't want to be a burden to her," she said.

Mike shook his head. "No, you won't be a burden to her because she had an army of employees to do her works for her. She loves working because it's her passion so she goes to her office five days a week. She can always take a break anytime she wants. I will tell her so that you two can get to know each other better," he continued.

"Okay, as you say so," Caroline said, she has no energy left to continue debating with Mike.

Susan appeared in the living room. "Guys, let's head to the dining room, dinner is ready."

The trio entered the dining room. It was a ten-seater table with an elegant crystal chandelier hanging at the top of the ceiling illuminating the entire room with bright lights.

The couple seated together while Susan sat at the opposite chair at the other side of the table.

Caroline glanced at the appetizing dishes, about five of them in different variants, there's pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables, beef, and soup dishes, then there's red wine as well.

Susan smiled. "Let's eat!"

They began putting foods in their plates and devoured their meals in comfortable silence.

Susan watched as the lovers were communicating in silence using their eyes...'Awww so sweet!' she remarked in silence.

She had to admit to herself that they looked good together. Whether they ended up in a marriage ceremony together that's up to the couple. She won't stand on their way. As long her son is happy with Caroline then she will support the couple. She knows all about Caroline's history, including how her daughter Cathy was conceived, Catherine filled her all the info at one point when they were having a conversation in the garden. She doesn't want to judge people based on their past because she doesn't have a blemish-free past either. All she ever wanted is for her son Mike to have a family of his own, to have a wife who will stand by his side and love him unconditionally.

If Caroline is that woman only time can tell. Because not all relationship ends up in a happy ending. Even marriage and church wedding is not a guarantee that the couple will continue to love and stick to each other through thick and thin. She had known many married couples who only stay strong in the beginning but later on the marriage cracked and crumbled and painful messy divorce follows after. Just that not all couples can have a happy ending, that's a proven fact!

"So, guys, when are you going to plan the wedding? You are both adults now. What are you waiting for? My son is already of marriageable age and financially capable of raising a family on his own. When do you plan to marry my son, Caroline?" Susan asked the younger woman point-blank wanting to know the status of her thoughts.

Caroline nearly choked on her food, she coughed a little. "We agreed to marry in two years, Ma'am."

Susan lifted an eyebrow. "Huh? Isn't that too long? But anyway, I'm just kidding Caroline. By all means, you can marry my son anytime when you're ready. I don't want to rush you. If you are finally ready to tie the knot I'm more than ready to throw you guys a grand wedding of the century," she joked happily.

The lovely couple smiled at Susan's joke.

Susan looked at Caroline. "Dear stopped calling me Ma'am. From now on, call me Mom or Mother since you are going to be my daughter-in-law soon, okay?" she suggested.

Caroline nods her head. "Yes, Mom," she replied shyly.

"That sounds better!" Susan said, grinning.

They resumed eating.

At this point, the awkwardness between Susan and Caroline was already broken and they were getting comfortable conversing with each other.

The night ended well for Susan and Caroline's first meeting.