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“Yes and no.” Mia was not even sure where to start. “Why don’t we all sit down and get some tea? It’s kind of a long story.”
Her mom slowly nodded. “Of course. Let me make some tea right now. Are you hungry? Have you had breakfast? I can make some potato pancakes . . .”
“I already ate, mom, thanks. But definitely another time.” Sitting down at the table, Mia twisted her hands nervously, watching as her mom put water to boil. Her dad sat down too, studying his daughter silently while the tea was getting prepared. When the water had boiled, Mia got up to help her mom carry the cups over to the table. Finally, the three of them were sitting around the table, with hot green tea steaming in front of them.
“All right, honey. Now tell us,” her mom said, visibly bracing herself for the worst.
“Okay,” Mia said slowly. “So I haven’t been entirely honest with you guys about what’s been going on in my life for the past few weeks. There was no professor, and I didn’t stay in New York for this volunteer project . . .”
Seeing the surprised looks on her parents’ faces, Mia plunged ahead. “You see, I actually met someone . . .”
“See, Ella, didn’t I tell you Mia was acting strangely?” Her dad looked smug for a second, but her mom continued to stare at her worriedly.
Taking a deep breath, Mia continued. “The reason why I didn’t tell you this is because he’s not someone you would normally be comfortable with, and I didn’t want you to worry –”
“Who is he, Mia?” her mom asked sharply. “A drug dealer? Someone with a criminal record?”
“No, nothing like that!” Although it might’ve been easier for her parents to accept if he had been. “Korum is a K.”
For a moment, there was dead silence around the table. Her parents looked shellshocked, stunned speechless.
Her dad cleared his throat. “A K? As in, the aliens?”
Mia nodded, taking a sip of her tea. “I met him in a park in Manhattan a few weeks ago. We’ve been involved ever since.”
Her mom’s chin quivered. “What do you mean, involved? Involved how?”
“Ella, don’t be silly,” her dad said, his tone surprisingly calm. “Clearly, Mia is trying to tell us that she has a boyfriend who’s a K. Isn’t that right?”
Her dad was very good under stressful circumstances. “Exactly,” Mia told them, her stomach twisting into knots as her mom’s face crumpled and fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Feeling like the worst daughter in the world, Mia tried to reassure her. “Look, you can see that I’m perfectly fine. I know how they are portrayed in the media, and the reality is not the same at all. He’s actually very caring, and he makes me happy –”
“Caring? How can those monsters be caring? Mia, they say that they drink blood!” Her mom was beside herself, her normally pale face turning red and splotchy.
“Do they drink blood?” her dad inquired, looking mildly curious.
“Only recreationally and in small quantities,” Mia admitted honestly. “It’s just a pleasant thing for them – they don’t actually need it anymore.”
Her mom buried her face in her hands. “Oh my God, I feel sick!”
“Ella, stop it,” her dad said, his voice unusually firm. “Your reaction is exactly what Mia was afraid of and why she didn’t tell us earlier.”
Mia smiled, the knot in her stomach unraveling a bit. “Thanks, dad. Look, I know how it sounds, but believe me when I tell you that he treats me really well and makes me very happy –”
“Is he the reason you couldn’t come home on time?” her dad asked, while her mom raised her head to stare at Mia with eyes that were still swimming with tears.
“Yes. We actually went to Costa Rica after my finals were over,” Mia said. “I have an internship there, at a neuroscience lab, and I’m working on some really interesting projects –”
“In Costa Rica?” Her dad looked puzzled for a second, and then his eyes widened. “The K Center in Costa Rica?”
Mia gave him a big grin. “Yep. Korum got me an internship there. I’m working alongside one of their top mind experts, and you can’t even imagine how much I’m learning –”
“You’re working in a K Center in Costa Rica?” Her mom looked absolutely floored. “With Ks?”
“I know, I can hardly believe it myself,” Mia told them, grinning hugely. “And I can now speak so many languages . . .”
“What? What do you mean?” Her dad rubbed his temples. “What languages?”
“All languages,” Mia told him in Polish, knowing that he would understand her. “All human languages, plus Krinar. It’s a really cool translator that Korum got me.” She decided against telling them about the brain implant part of things.
