Part 2 EP 12: Home Not-So-Sweet Home
1520 Words
Levi woke up to the loud, sharp crinkling sound of plastic tape.
Naturally, he wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so he sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He spent the next few minutes silently observing Caly as she taped a line down the middle of the bed, clearly marking off his side from hers.
"Don't cross the line," she said with a warning glare before tossing the remaining tape onto the bed and striding out of the room.
Levi took a deep breath and reached for the roll. As he did, he recalled how they had ended up in this predicament.
Three days earlier, following their unexpected reunion, both families had decided to have dinner together at the Wells' household.
"My, what a handsome lad you are, Levi," Mrs. Wells, Caly's mother, said warmly as she heaped more food onto his plate. Though Levi was already full, he accepted it with a polite smile. She waved off Mr. Wells and his own father, who had been deep in conversation about business. Earlier, Mr. Wells had been addressing Levi directly, but as was often the case, his father had smoothly taken over the conversation. "Anyway, Calysta's one lucky lady," she added with a pleased grin before returning to her meal.
Levi caught Calysta’s dismissive scoff, which didn't go unnoticed by her mother.
"What was that, young lady?" Mrs. Wells inquired, her earlier cheerful expression replaced by a deep frown. Levi turned his attention to Caly as he sipped from his wine glass. Caly remained silent, and the tension around her mother eased slightly—until Caly, pushing her luck, flashed Levi a cheeky middle finger.
Unfortunately for Caly, Mrs. Wells saw the gesture, and Caly found herself stuck washing the dishes while Levi struggled to stifle a chuckle.
Now, Mrs. Wells and Levi are sitting on her comfortable sofa in the living room. Mrs. Wells reaches for a large, dusty photo album from a nearby shelf and opens it up, revealing a treasure trove of old photographs showcasing her daughter’s life.
Mrs. Wells flips through the album with a nostalgic smile, showing pictures of Caly from her infancy, through her first month, and onward to her first birthday, second, third, fourth, and beyond. She pauses at a photograph of Caly’s ninth birthday, where she is dressed in an angel costume, blowing out candles with a look of pure delight. "Look, she was as angelic then as she looks in these pictures," Mrs. Wells says wistfully. "Where did my sweet angel go?"
As they turn to the next pages, Levi sees Caly in a series of various costumes: as a bodyguard, a tree in her first play, a sad monkey in the background of her second play, and an angry best friend of the lead in her third play. Levi recognizes the play and thinks to himself that Caly was supposed to be happy in this role—
Mrs. Wells quickly snaps the album shut, her eyes betraying a hint of concern. She seems to have noticed that with each turn, Caly's expressions grew progressively more frustrated.
"I'm so sorry about earlier," Mrs. Wells apologizes sincerely, her voice softening. "And for the years to come in your marriage," she adds almost inaudibly, as she places the album on the coffee table and turns away.
Levi can't help but chuckle at Mrs. Wells’ candidness. He glances at her and offers a reassuring smile. "I believe I can handle her, Mrs. Wells."
Mrs. Wells giggles, her eyes twinkling with a mix of amusement and affection. "I think it's cute that you think that. I know it's all business, but honestly, I really hope this doesn’t lead to a divorce. With both your genes and Caly's, you'd make superstars," she says, her laughter light and genuine.
"Don't worry. It's not all business," Levi replied with a meaningful smile. Mrs. Wells' eyes widened in surprise, her mouth forming an 'O' of shock. "What—"
"Mom, I don't want to marry this guy," Caly interjected, her hands still damp from washing the dishes. She pointed at Levi with a mix of frustration and desperation. "Do you want me to be happy? Don’t let me marry this guy."
Mrs. Wells opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Mr. Wells and Levi’s father entered the room. "We’ve already discussed this, Calysta," Mr. Wells said sternly, his tone echoing the firmness Levi had heard when his own father had announced the arranged marriage.
It was unsettling, but Levi couldn't deny that it was this very situation that had led him to be with her.
"Act your age, will you?" her father added, his tone unwavering. "I apologize," he said, glancing briefly at Levi and his father. "She’s quite stubborn."
"It’s alright. I’m sure she’ll come around," Levi’s father replied, his voice carrying a note of reassurance. "My son was the same years ago, but look at him now." Levi struggled to smile. His father’s pride was evident, but Levi felt none of it. "All grown up and more than willing to tie the knot with your daughter."
Caly and Levi's eyes met briefly before she quickly averted her gaze.
"I mean, it’s a big change. She must be scared of not having… similar interests or something," Levi’s father continued.
"I’m sure they’ll find common ground soon enough," Mrs. Wells responded.
While the fathers continued their discussion about the future, Levi stood up and walked over to Caly. "Hey," he mumbled as he stopped beside her. She didn’t look at him but muttered, "Just say you don’t want this, i***t. I’ll even be nice to you if you do."
Levi glanced at her questioningly, his gaze lingering on her stunning side profile. She was still as captivating from this angle. He noticed she had piercings now and a small tattoo behind her ear.
"I don’t want this," Levi whispered.
That’s when Caly finally turned to face Levi, her eyes shooting daggers. "Could you be any quieter?" she whispered back, her tone sharp. "If you’re not going to help me, take ten steps away from me, because I punch jerks."
Levi sighed and stepped back ten paces as instructed. Caly rolled her eyes in exasperation and, just as she was about to leave, Mrs. Wells chimed in, "It might be a good idea for them to move in together. To... you know, find their common ground sooner rather than later."
And that’s how they ended up sharing one bed last night.
The unit was fully furnished, described by Mrs. Wells as perfect for newlyweds. It had just one bedroom and one bed, ideal for them, as Mrs. Wells had put it, since they’d be married in a few months.
She had ensured the unit came with only one bed, a thin-cushioned settee sofa, and no futon in sight, clearly designed to make sure they’d be in bed together. Mrs. Wells had proven herself to be more calculating than Levi had initially realized.
Upon discovering this, Caly vowed to buy an extra bed for herself. However, it seemed Mrs. Wells had used her influence with the condominium management to prevent them from bringing in another bed.
Another clever move on Mrs. Wells’ part.
But as Levi stared at the poor, taped-up sheets, he couldn’t help but think that Mrs. Wells had underestimated Caly’s stubbornness.
Levi placed the tape on his nightstand and decided to make breakfast. When he entered the kitchen, he found Caly perched on a stool by the counter, stuffing her mouth with bacon and eggs.
"You made breakfast?" Levi asked as he sat beside her.
Caly didn't respond. Instead, she managed to shove all the bacon she’d fried into her mouth in one go, chewing furiously. After she swallowed, she looked at him, grease dripping from her lips. "No."
She stood up, washed just her hands, and then left the kitchen. Levi was left staring at the greasy remnants on her lips. Curious and a bit concerned, he followed her. "Caly, your mouth—" But she had already closed the door behind her. 'Where could she be going with that oily mouth?'
Worried, Levi followed her outside, but Caly was one step ahead. The moment he moved away from the door, she slipped back inside, closing it firmly behind her.
"Caly?" Levi knocked calmly on the door. "Why are you doing this?"
"Take a hint, dummy! Go away! Don’t ruin my morning!" Caly’s voice was muffled but unmistakably irritated.
"You could just ask nicely, you know?"
"Whatever! I’m not opening the door for you!"
"You know this door opens with a passcode and my thumbprint, right?"
Silence followed.
"I’m coming in," Levi said, starting to type on the keypad. The door opened almost immediately. Caly stood there, her brows furrowed in frustration.
Levi sighed and walked over to her. "I’ll leave after breakfast—"
"Damn you," she muttered, grabbing the tape and starting to cover the sofa, the kitchen counter, the dining table, the closet, and more.
'Well,' Levi thought, sighing, 'home not-so-sweet home, I guess.'
- Writer
