No Monster Is That Beautiful

I then shrugged, glancing up at her with a teasing gleam in my eye. "If you're gonna try to scare me, at least wear a mask or something, Mom...No normal monster has a face that pretty." My voice was casual, but the words hung in the air like a sudden breeze.

Her eyes widened, the teasing light flickering into surprise. For a second, she just stared at me, processing the compliment. Then, without warning, she let out a squeal of pure delight and launched herself over the back of the sofa, wrapping her arms around me in a warm, smothering hug.

"Awww, Luca!" She gushed, practically vibrating with joy. "Look at you, complimenting your mother like that! You're just the sweetest little thing—still such a mama's boy at heart!" She squeezed tighter, her cheek pressing against the top of my head. "I'm so happy right now; you have no idea!"

I groaned, face scrunching up as I pretended to be suffocated. "Okay, okay, enough with the affection! Geez, Mom!" I pried at her arms, trying to loosen her grip, though she clung on like a koala refusing to let go of its favourite tree.

"Stop squirming; let me cherish this moment!" She laughed, holding on even tighter.

I finally managed to peel her off, leaning forward and shaking my head in mock exasperation. "Alright, that's fine and all." I muttered, shooting her a side-eye. "But seriously, what are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping? And what was that jump scare about?"

She straightened up, brushing imaginary dust off her sweater and trying to regain her composure, though her eyes still sparkled with mischief. "I should ask you the same thing, young man." She shot back, arms crossing over her chest. Her voice dropped into that stern, no-nonsense tone only mothers can master. "Why are you still up when I told you to go to sleep already, hmm?"

I rolled my eyes, slumping back into the cushions. 

"I'm not used to sleeping this early." I said, waving a hand toward the TV. "So I came back out here to watch a movie. And, for the record, I'm way past the age where bedtimes matter. You can't pull that card on me anymore."

She raised an eyebrow, giving me the kind of look that could pierce through steel. 

"Oh really?" She drawled, tapping her fingers on her arm. "So you're saying you're too grown up for your own mother to worry about?"

"No, I'm saying I'm too grown up to be told when to sleep." I sighed dramatically, knowing this was a battle I'd never win. I then paused for a moment, tilted my head, and narrowed my eyes at her as I continued saying, "Okay, fine, but what about you? Why are you up right now? Shouldn't you be sound asleep? It's pretty late, you know."

She waved a hand, her tone breezy, almost too casual. 

"Oh, I just woke up, and I was going to your room since I was—" 

She abruptly stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening slightly as if she'd just realised she'd said too much. Her lips clamped shut in an instant, and she stood there, frozen, like a deer caught in headlights.

My eyebrows shot up. I leaned forward, suspicion dripping from my voice as I asked, 

"Wait, wait, wait. My room?...Why were you going to my room?"

Her eyes darted anywhere but at me, a faint pink colouring her cheeks. "Uh…I was just…just going to check if you were sleeping!" She stammered, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Y-Yeah, that's all! To see if you were, you know, following instructions like a good boy."

I arched an eyebrow, folding my arms over my chest. "Really? That's it? Just to check if I was asleep?" My tone was dripping with suspicion.

"Yes!" She insisted, nodding rapidly, almost too rapidly. "Why else would I go to your room?"

"I don't know; you tell me." I didn't budge, my eyes narrowing further. 

Her gaze flickered to the side, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her top. "It's not suspicious at all! It's completely normal motherly behavior." She declared, her voice a touch too high-pitched. "I mean, I'm your mom! I check on you. That's what moms do."

"Uh-huh. Sure. That's the only reason, right?" I asked as I stared at her face that was so obviously hiding something.

"Yes, that's the truth! I swear." She nodded emphatically, her eyes shining with determination. 

I studied her for a second longer, but seeing how serious she looked, I decided to let it go with a shrug, "Alright, if you say so."

Relief flickered across her face when I didn't push the topic any further. She then cleared her throat and shifted her weight awkwardly and said, "As for why I'm here, I saw you on the sofa on the way and tried to scare you like I did in the past when you stayed up to relive the good old days." She then sighed dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. "Which, clearly, was a total failure."

"Yeah, not your best attempt." I smirked, playing with the cushions on the side.

"You're awfully confident for someone who just narrowly avoided a heart attack." She huffed, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear and giving me a half-hearted glare. 

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Please, you'd need a lot more than that to scare me now." I tilted my head toward the hallway. "Anyway, now that we're done with your surprise attack, why don't you go back to sleep? You know, get that beauty rest. It's important at your age."

Her eyes narrowed instantly, the teasing glint in mine reflected back with twice the intensity. "My age?" Her voice dripped with seething outrage. "Oh, so I'm suddenly old enough to eat dinner at 6 PM, wrap myself in a shawl, and walk off to bed like a grandma?"

I held up my hands in surrender, grinning ear to ear as I teased her, saying, "Hey, I'm just looking out for you. Gotta protect those ageing joints; keep up with your knitting circle schedule, you know—"

"Luca." Her tone was low and dangerous, but the slight twitch of her lips betrayed her. "You really want to go there?"

"Just saying. Early sleep does wonders." I shrugged, looking away from her penetrating gaze.

My mother then took a deep breath, her glare melting into an expression of mock concern as she said to me in a sarcastic tone like she was trying to get back at me, 

"Well, as your mother, I'm worried about you, Luca. Who's going to make sure you don't stay up until sunrise glued to the TV?"

I frowned, immediately suspicious, and then quickly said, "I don't need anyone to—"

But before I could even finish, she cut me off, standing straighter and putting on her best no-nonsense expression as she declared, "So that's why I've decided to stay with you until you go to sleep...You know, just in case you decide to watch another movie after this and ruin your sleep."

"Wait, what?" I stared at her, my jaw dropping slightly. 

"You heard me. I'm staying right here." She nodded, arms crossed, a smug smile firmly in place. 

I sighed, exasperation dripping from my voice. "Look, Mom, nighttime movies are my peaceful time. I get to zone out, relax, maybe even relate to the characters. If you stay and start asking a million questions about the plot, that peace will be completely destroyed."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, you should've thought about that before you decided to stay up late." She crossed her arms, a triumphant look on her face. "It's either I stay and watch the movie with you, or..." Her tone grew mockingly sweet. "...I pull the plug on the TV."

"You can't be serious." I stared at her in sheer dismay, my mouth hanging open. 

"Try me." Her smile widened as she lifted her chin, looking all too pleased with herself. 

I sighed, slumping further into the cushions, letting the weight of inevitability settle over me. This was a battle I was destined to lose. 

"Fine. You can watch the movie with me. But..." I pointed a finger at her, feigning dramatic defeat. "...no endless questions about who's who and what's what. I'm serious."

Her eyes practically twinkled as she shot back with a breezy, "No promises!"

And before I could brace myself, she spun around with childlike glee and bolted to the sofa. For a second, I thought she'd plop down on the opposite end, as there was plenty of space over there. 

But no...Logic was never a factor with her. 

Ignoring the wide stretch of empty couch like it was invisible, she took a playful leap and landed right in my arms, her movements light and airy, like a bunny hopping into a patch of soft grass.

I barely had time to react before she nestled in, her face glowing with pure joy. Her laughter bubbled up, light and unrestrained, like she'd just pulled off the greatest heist in history.

"Mom!" I sputtered, my arms awkwardly caught in mid-air. "Seriously? Right next to me?"

"What? This is the best seat in the house. Right next to my darling, who's so warm and comforting." She tilted her head back to grin up at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners. 

"You do realise there's a whole couch, right? An entire couch that even fit 5 people." I let out an exasperated breath, my lips twitching despite myself. 

"Those parts don't look as comfy as sticking like a bedbug to you, Luca." She shrugged, completely unfazed, but her smile still bright. 

"Oh, so I'm the human pillow now?" I gave her a flat look as she covered my arm in her hazel hair that was flowing down like a waterfall.

"Exactly. And always will be because of how I always get the best sleep when I'm with you, Luca...Even as a baby, hearing you cooing in the night was something that gave me the most pleasant dreams." She beamed, snuggling a little closer, her warmth seeping into my side. "Now stop wiggling around to get away from me and let the pitiful mother, who's deprived of her baby boy's warmth, embrace you."

I sighed, shaking my head, but the corners of my mouth betrayed me, curling up into a smile. As much as I wanted to protest, her happiness was contagious, utterly impossible to resist. 

Her eyes sparkled with the same mischief and affection she'd always shown me, and suddenly, it felt like we were right back in those old days when her arms were my safest haven and my warmth was where she truly felt that life was truly worth living for moments like these with her beloved son...