Chapter Text
The sound of quick-paced shoes tapping on the ground was what filled the silence between Schroeder and Lucy's space bubble. The black haired girl walked slightly ahead, her hand stretched behind her as her fingers laced with his, taking him somewhere.
It was a brighter day than usual, especially as the season was slowly changing from winter to spring - however, climate still unpredictable. Birds chirped happily and the breeze flowed through their hair.
Lucy’s blue dress swished with the wind and her hair was tucked neatly behind her ears. A wave of nostalgia automatically hit Schroeder as he remembered the blue dress she loved to wear during the days she appeared perched on his little toy piano. Now their situation was different, they were both in a long-term relationship. Which meant that when Lucy appeared in Schroeder’s home it wasn’t unwanted (yet it was still unexpected) Their relationship had lasted a long time, although they often had arguments and disagreements and both expressive personalities clashed together into passionate feuds. Still - they were both learning a lot from one another and shared numerous tender moments which Lucy treasured dearly. Of course, so did Schroeder, however he was not as vocal as she was. A flaw Schroeder has yet to overcome.
They walked down the path which suddenly felt a lot longer than usual to Schroeder as dread began to build in the pit of his stomach. His palms were sweating and he knew for a fact Lucy could tell.
"Lucy," he spoke, "I don’t want to intrude on any of this.."
She scoffed, "Come on! I’ve been telling you that my family was going to come here for ages! And that you were going to meet them all when the time came." She said, brightly.
"Yeah, but.. I was under the impression that was ages away.. I would have more time to.. prepare?" Said Schroeder, "As in.. mentally and physically. Normally my mom would tell me to bring chocolates or a plant…"
"It’s not my fault this was a surprise," she muttered, "Don't worry about a gift; they will be here for a while. Plus, you are getting the honor of meeting my ancestors! You will see where all my characteristics came from! They all want to meet you."
He let out a dry chuckle. Yes, he had been around a character such as Lucy for… as long as he could remember. At times, it was overwhelming. However, she grew on him. He became attached to her loud presence and honesty couldn’t bear the silence. Schroeder was used to her, while some people weren’t. Now, he’d be meeting generations of Lucy’s outgoing personality. Good grief.
They reached the porch, he could already hear roaring laughter just from the lawn, undeniably - a Van Pelt laugh. Pulling him, they reached the doormat just before the door. She turned her head to the tall blonde next to her, seeing he was not as composed as he always tried to be. It was clear, Schroeder was nervous. Lucy’s expression softened into a kind smile as she watched him be slightly tensed; indicating that he cared.
"Look," she turned to him, her hands reached up for his collar, to fold it properly, "Relax, I understand this was sorta sprung out of nowhere.. but this means a lot to me." She explained as she dusted off his sweater. "They’re my family, and I love them dearly and I want them to love you as much as I do." She paused, "Well, not as much," she corrected herself with an awkward laugh. "They are talkative, so don’t worry about awkward silences. Just, don’t worry," she said, her eyes meeting his as her hands rested on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. "Okay?"
He nodded, though his eyebrows still furrowed. She grinned and stood on her toes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, "Don’t worry," she whispered, before lowering herself and reaching the door handle. He took in a breath, feeling the warmth from her hand which squeezed his.
‘Just like a performance, don’t try too hard,’ he told himself. ‘That won’t gain you any respect,’
The door opened to reveal the large living room which filled with Van Pelt presence; Aunts gathered with their wine glasses, laughing together as they discussed family matters, Uncles who can appear as stern all being loud as they shared friendly banter with one another. Lucy's parents; (who he'd met before) her mother gulping down a large glass of wine while her husband, Lucy's father, rubbed her back in soothing motions. Toddlers and a baby who crawled around mindlessly as they explored a completely new world, a young mother with a distinct round bump around her stomach and was sat with her husband who held a plate of food which was presumably hers.
Finally there was Rerun who was playing with his own toys without a care of what was happening around him, and Linus who was sat on the sofa, already overwhelmed by his own family and being the one who made sure a baby didn’t crash into the table or that a toddler didn’t get drool on his blanket (which he wore as a scarf in attempt to make it seem as though it weren't the most precious thing in his life). The relatives who were clearly Van Pelt by blood all had the same dark hair - (the older ones had silver which grew thinly yet beautifully from the roots )- and sharp look in their eyes, while the ones who married into the family were mostly blonde or brunette.
The slam of the door closing behind the young couple caught the attention of the entire room. The noise came to a halt and all eyes were on them. Schroeder gulped. A few cheers spread from the room directed to Lucy who waved a hand proudly and slowly everyone returned to their own business.
"See? Harmless." She said, guiding them both closer to the heart of the room.
"Hm," he hummed, "Until one of those teething children bites my fingers off," he said, eyeing a small child which glared at him glumly.
"They're sweet!"
"If they're like you when you were their age… I wouldn’t say so.."
"Hey! I was a sweet child!"
"How sweet of you to toss my toy piano,"
"I had to get your attention somehow!" She rolled her eyes, "Anyways, sit here with Linus. I’ll be back." She said as she guided him to rest.
Schroeder sighed, settling himself down beside her brother, who seemed just as tense in the family environment. "Hey, how’s it going?"
"Oh, hey," he offered a smile, "Not bad, y’know… love getting all that goo from the children's mouths on my blanket." His nose wrinkled and he shuddered. "I’m just waiting to see Charlie Brown,"
"Ah, he needs moral support again?"
Linus shook his head, "No, I do."
"Oh?" His eyebrows perked up.
"It’s too much," Linus explained as he threaded the blanket through his fingers, "It’s bad enough my father comments on my blanket, now his brother and cousins are here to do it too. I don’t care what they say, but it gets to a point where it’s exhausting explaining it to them."
"What have they said?"
Linus hummed in thought, "The basics; saying I’m too old for it, making boring jokes all which I’ve heard before,"
"Well… do you think you are old for it?"
The dark haired boy shrugged, "I don’t see why comfort should have an age,"
Schroeder nodded in agreement, "True. And hey, you and the babies can bond over something you have in common," he laughed, halfheartedly.
"Ah ha ha.," he mono-tone laughed, unamused. "Talk to me once you don’t sleep with that Beethoven bust in your room, staring at you while you sleep," he pointed, leaving Schroeder speechless, "Yeah, Lucy told me," he proudly announced.
"What else does she tell you?" Asked a slightly panicked Schroeder. Linus shrugged and before he could answer Lucy was walking away from some family members, signaling for him to come over. He did so, standing up with a grunt as he still felt he was carrying an uneasy weight on his shoulders.
A baby had crawled by her feet, little fingers pulling on her shoelace. She bent down, lifting the baby from the under arms while cooing. Schroeder immediately had a feeling he knew what was coming, and he wasn’t entirely thrilled. He watched as a grin grew on Lucy’s face and she stepped towards him.
"Schroeder!" She said, catching his attention, holding the baby face out in front of her, "This is my baby cousin, the youngest Van Pelt - as of now -," she smiled, "Take him!"
Schroeder stammered, "What- No thank you. I don’t want to-"
"Oh, come on!" She bounced the baby to keep him from getting restless while trying to encourage her boyfriend who was still clearly in an environment he wasn’t used to.
"Lucy… I don’t want to hold it.." he said, taking a step back as she stretched her arms out like she was handing him a package.
She grimaced, "It? He is my cousin, your future in law."
"Luce.."
"God damn, take it!" She paused, "Him- I mean," fumbled Lucy, quickly correcting herself. The baby’s legs kicked and his pudgy arms reached out while squealing. "He wants you!"
Schroeder knew that Lucy would have no problem taking an entire day to push him to do something which was out of his comfort zone. She saw it as encouragement while he felt it was torture, however he knew it was all with good intention. Rolling his eyes, Schroeder sighed, "Good grief, fine." He reached to take the child from his underarms, feeling the light weight of him as Lucy let go. He analyzed the tiny human; he was dressed in a dungarees over a shirt and a pair of little shoes made with soft materials. He had black hair, strands falling and curling all around his head, he looked a lot like Rerun and Linus when they were infants. His skin was very soft, a few freckles scattered around his face - not entirely common in Van Pelts - his chunky fist was in his teething mouth, he had a button nose and two huge eyes. Something in Schroeder softened when he looked into the wide brown eyes. They were familiar to him; they had a warmth and a special glint, a dark ring around the iris and a gold center which guarded the pupil. Eyes he remembered he found special when he was in his youth and he told Charlie Brown during baseball practice that he found them beautiful. He looked behind the baby to see the same eyes sparkling as they gazed at him. 'They have… the same eyes,' he thought.
This child was undeniably a Van Pelt.
His expression eased and a smile slowly grew at the corners of his mouth. "Wow.. He looks like…" Schroeder paused as it hit him that he was speaking out loud. He saw as Lucy still watched him with a pleased expression. He cleared his throat while heat rushed to his face, "Beethoven. He looks like Beethoven," he stated, and the girl’s expression dropped.
"Good heavens," she murmured, shaking her head. She spotted how the clueless blond still handled the baby like he was a football, "Schroeder - at least hold him properly!" She scolded.
"I don’t know how to hold babies!" Schroeder retorted, "You know this!"
The baby squirmed in his hands, feeling uncomfortable and Lucy pushed him closer to Schroeder’s chest to guide him into carrying the baby properly. An arm supported the child’s bottom while the other shielded his back.
"I’ve seen you hold that ridiculous Beethoven statue with more care!" She argued, hands on her hips.
A moment of silence came between the couple as she waited for a stupid response to escape his mouth.
"He's very fragile, Lucy," he muttered, defensively.
A sardonic laugh echoed around them, "So are babies, you blockhead!"
"Huh, ironic you suddenly say that as if you haven’t tortured your brothers since they came home. Charlie Brown as well!"
“You don’t have siblings! You have no clue what it’s like having two fools as brothers!”
“And Charlie Brown?”
“Ugh, don’t start. You are so dramatic,”
“Me?!” His voice went up a register too high and cracked. He cleared his throat with nonchalance, “Me?” He repeated, quieter.
“Yes, you! Stop acting like a child! I asked you to hold one not be one!”
He groaned, “And you’re so mature too?” He scoffed and she nodded, “Well, very mature of you telling Linus about the Beethoven statue in my room!”
Lucy froze, “Hm?” She pressed her lips together into a line, his eyebrow raised and he looked down at her panicked face and waited for a response. She looked behind her at nothing in particular, “Oh- sorry, I hear someone calling me.” Fibbed Lucy as she twirled around and walked away.
“Wait- no, no! Lucy, no you don't you liar!” He hissed, still with the small infant in his arms. “Come back!” He called, though it was a lost cause.
Schroeder looked around trying to find a familiar face. He spotted Linus still on the couch pretending he hadn’t witnessed the quarreling between the couple. Schroeder took careful steps toward the comforter, “Want this?”
Linus shook his head, “No thank you, I’m related to the damn thing I’ve had enough.” He said, “Also, Charlie Brown should be here any minute..” and as if on cue, a knock came to the door. Linus rose to his feet immediately to answer it before someone else could.
Schroeder let out a breath, settling down onto the couch. Of course the simplest thing to do was to set the baby free to crawl around, though he knew that would be wrong. Lucy really wanted him to get along well, and he absolutely had to make efforts. A bad impression was the last thing he wanted to create.
He watched as the door opened to reveal Charlie Brown who was dressed in his usual yellow polo shirt, a jagged stripe on the pocket rather than the entire center. His hair was slightly damp so it was likely that he cleaned himself to make a good impression in front of the Van Pelts especially since he’d been tortured by one for his whole life. The two boys shared a smile as a greeting and he stepped in, eyes landed on Schroeder seeing something he’d never witnessed before; Schroeder with a baby.
“Yikes..” winced Charlie Brown, sympathetic yet also grateful to not be in his shoes. Linus took his coat, hanging it over the mountain of outdoor wear which hung on the single thin hanger, barely holding it together.
“Just- just stay quiet.” Schroeder huffed as the two friends walked away, the baby glared at him blankly. “What do I do with you?” He murmured and looked at his surroundings.
The young adult had no experience whatsoever with a child young as this one, or at least when he did, he was closer in age to whomever it was. His family were all distant from him, and he was one of the youngest. In fact - his relatives treated him as if he were a child which he didn't particularly enjoy all the time.
The closest experiences he had was with Rerun, who he remembered wanting to avoid being around for a lot of the first couple years of his life. Though it was hard to escape from sometimes with all the gatherings which took place in the neighbourhood. And he also helped Charlie Brown in the little league baseball coaching which wasn't so difficult since the children could walk and talk and they had a personality. Then there was Snoopy, however it wasn’t right to compare baby to a dog. This was his chance to warm up, and it was best to start with the smallest.
He cleared his throat, “You want a toy?” He asked, voice softened. He rose to his feet and stepped towards Rerun who sat by himself by a box of cars and stuffed animals and other bits and pieces which were made for a child’s entertainment. “Hey, can we take some stuff from here?” He asked.
Rerun looked up at the tall blond and nodded, “Sure. But none of the red cars.”
“Don’t worry. Thanks, Rerun.” He said, kneeling down as he used his one free hand to gather as much suitable toys for the baby; Not too small, not too dirty, not too dangerous.
Once he had a comfortable amount scooped up, he returned to the sofa laying down all the toys next to him while he sat the baby on his lap.
“Unbelievable.” Schroeder muttered under his breath, absolutely dreading what was coming. He picked up a stuffed puppy which had massive blue eyes insinuating that the toy was made to look cute. “What does this do…?” He murmured as he looked around for a button or a wind up or some annoying sound to break the silence. The baby watched him, unfazed until eventually a squeaky noise piped between them. Schroeder jolted up slightly from the sudden sound, and then sweet laughter erupted. The little boy’s mouth was wide, revealing his two little teeth surrounded by gums. The apples of his cheeks were more prominent and his eyes were squinted from the wide smile. Schroeder tried to remain his composed self, which currently was impossible to achieve as a baby’s laughter was the most contagious.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard.
He squeezed the toy again with an exaggerated gasp, the annoying sound piercing his ears although was soon drowned out by the giggles which came after. “You like drama, huh?” He asked, tone gentle, “You must love Lucy, then.”
The baby waved his arms, trying to express what he wanted as he reached for the toy puppy in Schroeder’s hand. “Try it.” Said Schroeder, handing the toy which looked massive in the infant’s tiny hands which obviously hadn’t the strength to squeeze it. The baby whined, confused as to why it wasn’t working for him. Schroeder chuckled and discreetly pinched the toy, also gently pushing it into the child’s round tummy. He gave a light gasp, “What’s that?” He whispered, playfully. The baby responded well by giggling with glee. Schroeder repeated the action a few times, earning a fit of laughter each time.
Many heads turned, all pleased and impressed with the sight and sound. Lucy who was stood, talking with one of her uncles was smiling the widest from everyone in the crowd. This touched her heart the most.
The blond sighed, “Gee, you don’t get bored, do you?” He muttered as the baby tried communicating for him to do it again and again and again. “Enough of that, it’s getting annoying.” He said, placing the toy down though he looked at the sad pout the child gave. “Don't do that..” Those big sad doe eyes were just like Lucy’s - the key to getting her way. “Oh God, fine.” He squeezed the toy playfully a few more times and gently poked him with it each time.
A few minutes passed, Schroeder was trying to direct the baby’s attention to something else. “Let’s see if you can talk,” he picked up a random toy which was beside him, “This is a blue car.” He held it flat on his palm, waiting like a fool for the child to respond. “Y’know… vroom vroom… beep beep?”
His tiny hands clawed the small toy, “Beep!” He piped up, “Beep! Beep! Beep!”
Schroeder laughed with pleasant surprise, “Yeah!” He cheered, bouncing him on his knee. “Alright, next thing…” he reached beside him, “these are keys. They don’t have a nice and easy onomatopoeic sound for us,” he sighed, jingling the fake, colorful, plastic toy keys. “Keeeeys.” He repeated.
“Eeeee.”
“Keeeysss. With a K… or at least the S.”
“Eeees.”
“That’s it! Close enough!”
Schroeder went through the little pile; A toy dinosaur, a toy truck, a wooden piece of pretend fruit and other random objects that happened to be what he gathered.
“Seems we’ve run out of stuff, but you are very good at this.” Schroeder said, praising the happy child who was trying to reach away. “Oh, you want to get off?” He asked, lifting the child off and placing him on the ground in front of him. He took a second to process and began to complain, reaching his hands back toward Schroeder. “Sorry, sorry!” He scooped the whining child back up, “What do you want?”
The woman who had a prominent bump on her stomach which Schroeder had noticed earlier sat at the other end of the sofa, her husband accompanying her as he still carried a plate and her drink. The lady was attractive, no older than 35, blonde hair styled into a voluminous blowout, a face glittered with freckles, soft features and a pleasant expression. The man with her was also one of the younger parents, black hair and short stubble on his face like he'd missed a shave or two and despite looking exhausted, he seemed overjoyed to be with his family. The lady offered a kind smile which Schroeder returned before focusing back onto the baby who pointed towards the table.
Schroeder reached forward for the wooden coaster, “This? This is a coaster. For drinks.” He stated, “Your cousin Lucy goes crazy if I don’t use one, though she forgets more than I do. Especially on my piano.” He tutted, with slight dramatic flair, making the baby grin despite having no understanding. “Try it, coasterrrr,”
The young one babbled, “shhhder.”
“That’s the right idea.” Schroeder smiled. And the baby pointed to the next object. A book. Schroeder reached for it, sighing. “Let’s see…” he scanned for the title, “Oh, Peter Rabbit. I did a book report on this once… sorta.”
The baby stared blankly at the young adult, who spoke as if he were having a full on conversation with him. He cleared is throat, squinting his eyes as he found the first page “Let’s have a look … Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were - Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton tail, and Peter.” Schroeder huffed and then yawned, “Just as boring as I remember.” He muttered, placing the book back onto the table. The small human pointed again towards a wine glass, Schroeder immediately shook his head, “That’s not for you. Glass and alcohol - the two very things which babies are told not to have.”
Once again, the baby pouted and complained, waving his fists in frustration. Schroeder panicked slightly, trying to find any distraction before he blew a fuse and people scolded him.
“Come on mister, don’t make the poor boy work.” The man who was sat next to his wife said, “Sorry, I’ll take him.” He said, lifting the child with casual ease and stood up.
“Oh, I had no idea he was yours, sorry.”
The woman scoffed, “Oh, no! Don’t worry, I was enjoying not having to deal with his fussing so I let you do so.” She let out a loud laugh like they were two old friends. He noticed all the freckles dotted around her entire face unlike the baby who only had very few yet certainly didn't come from anyone else. Schroeder smiled and gave a friendly chuckle. “He likes you. You spend time with babies often?” She asked.
“God, no.” Schroeder said quickly. Too quickly. “Ahem, sorry - that came out wrong. I do not spend time with babies, no.”
She snorted, “Don’t worry, I understand it.” She smiled, “I’m Annalise,” she said, reaching out her hand to shake, which he took with a nod, “This is my husband,” she tilted her head towards the tall man who looked a lot younger compared to other relatives which invaded the house. He reached over to shake the blond’s hand, while trying to juggle holding a restless, fussy infant, “Hello, I’m the youngest sibling of Lucy, Linus and Rerun’s father. Their uncle.”
Of course, a Van Pelt. “I’m Schroeder, it’s nice to meet you.” He said, politely. His attention returned to the woman beside him, now was the chance to create a conversation “Uh.. how far along are you?” He said, glancing at her bump.
Her eyebrows furrowed, “How far along am I for what? Do you think I’m pregnant or something?”
Schroeder’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. 'Shit. Shit. Shit. Rats. Crap. I’m done for. I knew I wouldn’t last!' He felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead and he felt his entire body overheating, 'Lucy's gonna kill me! No - she will laugh in my face, and then she'll kill me!'
He spluttered, searching deep for his words “I- I… I am so sorry- I—“ Schroeder was suddenly cut off by the cackling of Annalise and the snickering of her husband. “I am! I am! Don’t worry!” She wheezed, wiping a tear from under her eyes. “Oh, you should’ve seen your face!”
Her husband clapped him hard on his back while still laughing before he walked off to let them conversate.
The musician let out a laugh of pure relief, although really he felt like clutching his heart to check if it was still beating. “I'm 25 weeks, that’s a little over 6 months.” She answered his previous question.
Schroeder looked at her, impressed, “Second child?”
“Third. We have a toddler. 3 under 3.” She said, with forced cheerful optimism.
“Do you know the sex?”
“No… but I’m hoping this one is a girl.” She said, gently tapping her belly. “I need another woman in the house.”
“Of course,” he chuckled.
“You are… Lucy’s boyfriend, correct?” Asked Annalise.
Schroeder nodded, “Yes, ma’am,”
“Please! Call me Anna.”
"Will do.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you… how long have you two been together?”
“Uh… well, we’ve known each other our whole lives… pretty much.” He explained and stared into space in deep thought, “Gee, it’s been a while… and it's complicated. Officially speaking .. like 5-6 maybe 7 months, but it's been longer.. unofficially."
She nodded, understandingly “Wow! I’m impressed! I suppose you know a lot about each other,”
“Yeah, although admittedly… still learning,”
“Of course, I’m still learning things about my husband!” She chuckled, “Van Pelts are one of a kind.”
His eyes widened and he nodded slowly, “Oh yeah. Definitely.”
“I’m sure you’re used to it, you grew up with three of them.”
He winced, “I’m definitely more tolerant than I was years ago. The three siblings are so different yet so alike. Lucy has always known her place.”
“I’m sure. The women in the family have always been leaders.” Her head nodded toward Lucy who was speaking to a dark haired woman whose back faced them. “Back when their Grandma was here, she was in charge. Everyone loved and respected her since she knew how to handle everything.”
A sad smile reached Schroeder’s face, “Yeah.. Lucy talked about her a lot. I only saw her once.”
There was a stretch of mournful silence between the two as the topic of loss was just around the corner. Schroeder did meet her, once. She visited for a weekend and Lucy was so eager for the pair to meet. In the beginning, she appeared to be a very intimidating woman, though quickly the kindness of her soul was apparent. She was a sweet, warm lady that took care of everyone and had the same confidence and mouth as Lucy. It was that moment he knew where it all came from. Until sadly, a few months after her visit, one call from Lucy in the middle of the night delivered the devastating news that she had passed away. That was a night Lucy and Schroeder never spoke about, yet was never forgotten.
“It’s nice to see the family hasn’t lost its spark. I think they carry the same one Grandma had.”
“They do.” He agreed.
“And it’s undeniable, Van Pelt genes are the strongest. I was lucky in giving this one a few of my freckles, though I’ve lost all hope in birthing a blonde baby.”
He laughed, “It’s unlikely. Maybe one day.”
Annalise tilted her head, "Have you met anyone else here?"
"Yeah, her mom and dad. Well, to be honest we amongst other friends all grew up in the same area. Our parents have been friends for a long time. Still, Lucy insisted we did a dinner so it was as if it were my first time meeting them. To be honest.. the atmosphere was more different than before we were together so it worked."
"Did her father completely interrogate you?" She snickered.
He sucked air through his teeth, "Not quite… more so her mother.."
"Oh?" Her eyebrows perked up. Before she could ask more questions, Lucy approached the two blondes with a wide grin, “Hi Anna!” She said, cheerfully.
“Hello Lucy!”
“I see you two have met.”
“We have,” she smiled, “You've got a nice one.”
Lucy sat beside Schroeder, immediately making herself comfortable by leaning her weight on him and resting her chin on his shoulder, “Have I? Sometimes I wonder.” She teased.
Schroeder rolled his eyes, “Thanks Lucy.”
The dark haired girl laughed and kissed his cheek, “He's a very nice one.” She declared, proudly. “I wouldn’t go for him if he wasn’t." She added, " How are you, Aunty?”
She sighed, “Oh, not looking forward to the third trimester. I’m tired, but I’m also trying to make the most of it. I’m hoping this is the last one.”
“Fair enough. A lot of us came in threes.”
“That’s true,” she dusted off her knees and rose to her feet, grunting as she held her round tummy. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll see you two soon.” She smiled as she waddled off. Schroeder turned his body to face Lucy, “So who was calling for you?”
“Huh?” Her eyebrow raised, confused. Until it clicked, “Oh! Uh, just my—“
“Don't even bother.” He scoffed. "You are a terrible liar, sometimes."
“Don’t be grumpy.” She tutted, rolling her eyes before changing the subject, “I see you’ve got the respect from a few people. The baby really liked you.”
“He’s easy to make laugh.” He shrugged, wanting to pretend it didn't touch his heart and the sound of his giggles still rang in his ears.
“I know, but..” she fiddled with his collar, “It was a sweet sight to see.” She smiled, “Plus, he can be skeptical about meeting new people. I was hoping he’d throw a fit with you.” Lucy confessed.
He shook his head, “Wow, how sweet of you.”
She grinned, tapping his chest, “Anyways, I’m not here to bicker. I want you to meet the next most important and significant person in my family.” She stood, pulling him by the hand. “Come on!” She insisted, tugging him until he was on his feet. She lead him through a crowd of chatting family members until she reached the person she was after.
“Schroeder, this is my Aunt Marian!”