Chapter 19: In Which They Are Right For Each other

"Ashy you don't need to be nervous, my gandma is very nice and she makes the best vanilla custard which I am pretty sure she made, she'll love you, I know it" Sora said trying to ease Ashton's nerves.
They were parked in front of her house but Ashton couldn't seem to find the will to get out of the car.
"You're right, I am sorry, I am acting like an idiot. It's just that, I never thought that I would be meeting the family of a girl, much less the family of the girl I love" Ashton said and Sora gave him a soft smile before kneeling toward him from her seat and placing a sweet peck on his lips.
"I understand, but trust me, you're the best boyfriend ever and my grandmother is going to be very happy to meet you, she'll love you" Sora gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"That statement might be a bit biased now" Ashton joked making her playfully roll her eyes before they finally stepped out of the car and headed towards the door, hand in hand.
Sora pressed the doorbell which made the sound of a bird chirping and a few moments later the door was opened to reveal grandma Rose.
Grandma Rose was quite petite with dyed blonde hair, kind face with a bit of lose skin around her cheeks which made her look even wiser and warmer. Her smile was thin lipped making her look even more kind.
"My honey buns finally shows up, you mister have whisked her away from me" she said jokingly while placing a kiss on Sora's temple.
She ushered the two of them in and Ashton awkwardly ducked his head to fit in the door frame. He hide quite a sturdy built and looked quite out of place in the brightly decorated cozy house.
"It's nice to finally meet you Ashton, now I can ask you all sorts of questions because Sora doesn't tell me much about you, silly girl gets all shy when I ask about you" Grandma Rose said making Sora blush.
Ashton lightly cleared his throat before speaking.
"It's my pleasure to meet you ma'am, you can ask me anything I'll be happy to answer" Ashton replied.
"Oh dear, no need to be so formal, you can call me grandma or Rose or grandma Rose whichever one you prefer"
Ashton nodded with a polite smile and they all took a seat on the couch.
"I didn't even get a chance to ask Sora how you guys came to encounter each other" grandma Rosa said looking at them expectantly for an answer.
Sora gulped as the image of the dead body and blood on the alley way flashed in her mind.
Ashton cleared his throat before speaking.
"At her book cafe, we met each other there, I was looking for a book and she assisted me with it and we exchanged contact last" Ashton lied through his teeth but he knew it was better than the bitter truth which was; they met while he was cleaning up a dead body for the Takaheshi mafia family and Sora's dog stepped in blood which she came looking after and fainted at the sight after which he took her to his home without her consent.
That would either give the frail woman a heart attack or make her laugh thinking of it as some obscene joke.
"That's nice, you and Sora have a lot in common then since you like reading books and she always has her nose buried in one" grandma Rose commented with a light chuckle making Ashton smile as well.
Sora stood by that statement, books were her best friends and that was the truth of it.
"Grandma I am famished can we have something to eat now?" Sora asked, she really was hungry and she really wanted to eat the vanilla custard that was waiting in the refrigerator for her.
"Alright alright, let's talk more over lunch" grandma Rose said and they all stood up and moved to the dining table.
Now satiated with grilled fried chicken burger and fries, all homemade, along with the vanilla custard they sat back in the lounge, each with a cup of mint green tea in hand.
"Ashton what do you do for a living? I presume you're not in marketing or sales considering that you're mostly quiet" Grandma Rose asked, her tone having a hint of amusement.
"Umm... you guessed right, I don't work in marketing or anything like that. I work in the IT department of a company" Ashton lied yet again but it was still better than the truth.
"Oh that's more suiting to you, what company may I ask?"
"Axon" he knew he'd have to get fake papers and bribe some people at Axon just as a precaution now.
"That sounds nice, I am sorry if I am asking too many questions it's just that Sora is my only grandchild and she is basically my daughter since her mother died, her father was never in the picture" her grandmother explained.
Sora frowned at the mention of her parents. She was gonna tell Ashton about them soon, but they had been having such a nice time together and she didn't wanna ruin the mood by telling him her mother died in a gas station shoot out and she never had a father.
Ashton looked towards his girlfriend who was previously all smiles after eating that custard but no she was solemn.
He wanted to place her in his lap and cuddle all the frowns away but that would be inappropriate at the moment.
"Well I never had a mother, she abandoned me to my father right after giving birth, she was quite young and my father was older than her so she made the decision she thought best, I hold no grudge against her I just hope she is happy. My father died of a stroke so you see Sora and I are quite similar in this way, we both missed out on the opportunity to have two parents" Ashton confessed and grandma Rose's eyes softened.
They both understood each other. They were both right for each other.
She just knew it.