Made With Love

"Shift ran late?" Mom stepped further out onto the porch, asking, guessing, the tenderness of her voice offering endless sympathy and comfort. "You look tired, sweetheart." 

"Uh, mmm, yeah," I felt like a teen again, summarizing my whole entire school day to her with the vaguest series of grunts possible. My gaze clung to her entirely, how settled and at home she seemed to be. "Umm, you guys have been here how long exactly?" 

Mom cocked her head. Taking the question however way she desired to. As always.

"Since we stepped off the train late last night, if you're asking overall. If you mean here… then I'd say for roughly around three hours now. More than enough time to catch up with my would-be in-laws." 

Would-be in-laws. We're starting with those kinds of talks right off the bat, I see. Yeah, you just know I'm going to be in for a real good time here.