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What the hell was a porcupine ball?

Her mind registered the childhood favorite of Enver and lifted an eyebrow until his thoughts entered her mind. She tensed her jaw to show her aggravation about it, Every had told him before to stay the hell out of her head. There were only a few people that she was okay with doing so without her permission and he was far from being one of them. The fact that she couldn’t respond verbally at the moment, too, pissed her off as she was forced into a one sided conversation.

The brunette glanced at Emilee at the mention of a family dinner for Easter and she once again thought back to her conversation with Enver. Yes, this was certainly his fault somehow. He hadn’t given her an answer fast enough, so maybe she decided to surprise him. Rather than argue it, the small woman simply gave a nod of her head. It was then that she considered her ways to get out of family dinners between now and her hazel eyes went back to Enver as he was questioned about using.

She had read the articles and knew about the trouble that he’d been in, glanced through police reports. She wasn’t learning anything new. Every pressed her lips together as she considered what happened the last time that she had family staying in her apartment or with her. Alexio was still missing and she had done everything to protect her secret. She hadn’t used her powers to fend off Pratt, she hadn’t used her gun nor had she gone for her tome just in case the human stumbled out of the bedroom.

As mother questioned son, she removed her phone from her pocket to reply to Enver:

“I’m perfectly ‘human’ when I please to be, you prick. I’m just wondering how Micah’ll take to knowing you are forcing me to stay with your human mother as I tell him everything.”

And it was true, the brunette perfectly projected her shadow and she had even learned a power that made her look healthy. There was no sick appearance to her complexion, she was just pale – and the fact she had moved to Canada anyway and away from California, it explained why she was no longer tan. She hadn’t been in the sun. Sure, there was a thinly veiled threat within there, but she didn’t care and as she pressed send, she tucked the device back away. She remained silent for most of the conversation – until Emilee called Enver a bachelor. She snorted and covered the action with a cough.

"That’s the understatement of the century." She muttered under her breath where Emilee wouldn't be able to hear it. Every gave a sweet smile to them both, thinking inwardly that her jaw was becoming sore from all of it, before pushing her hair over her shoulder idly before nearly flinching once more as she found her arm within Emilee’s. Somehow, she managed to suppress the urge to run away and as she considered driving herself. She could fake an accident or something, wait. No. Then Emilee would urge her to go to the hospital.

"The Dragon Gate Inn is good. It’s Malaysian. " She might as well try to get Dulce and Hantu some more profits. The brunette knew she wouldn’t be hungry – ever. "And that’s fine, if you two do. I don’t mind. I don’t really eat much anyway. " When she had been alive, that had been completely the opposite. With sports, she had been eating a lot on a daily basis. Her mother swore once that it was half her weight. "You know, I actually can drive myself. It’d give you time to catch up." And it would give her time to figure out what she was going to do.

She couldn’t remember having a normal Easter dinner and she didn’t intend to begin to make new memories. It wouldn’t be the same without her brother there, without her new family there either. As she listened to Enver and his mother talk, the brunette found herself frowning as she felt more out of place and more uncomfortable than before.

She knew how old he was, roughly, but she was sure he was closer to 40 than he was to 30, and she just frowned at him. However, when he talked about his 'first' ex-wife she couldn't help the look of surprise that crossed her face. She barely heard anything else that followed, but when Every offered to drive she nodded her head, mistaking what she'd said as an offer to drive them all as opposed to just driving herself.

"Yes Every dear, why don't you drive us all there. I don't know where it is, and a car is more private than a bus or a taxi or anything. Gives us more time to talk together. Especially - just as an example - about how many times Enver has been married and how many ex-wives he's got."

She had tried hard, but a wobble of emotion had slipped into her voice at the thought that Enver might have got married - and divorced - again and not told her anything about it. Yes, she knew that things between them wasn't the best, but to not invite or even tell your mother about a marriage was too much to bear, and she couldn't think why he would hate her so much as to do that to her. As that conversation was earmarked for the car, she continued on with the other points she could remember through her shock at his possible admission.

"And yes, I definitely want to have an Easter meal, and prepare it all myself. You know I've wanted to do it for a while, and have been asking for plans. As I got no response - I had to come here myself. As they say, if Mohammed won't come to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammed. Everyone will of course be welcome. So Every, if you have any friends or a special someone of your own, they're more than welcome to come. And Enver..... same goes."

The pause at the end was her trying to control her pain at thinking there was someone he'd not told her about. But at least with the meal, if there was someone, she'd be able to meet them. Hopefully she'd be in time to meet this one before they tied the knot - or even manage to be at the wedding itself. She'd love nothing more than to see her son get married, settled..... happy, before she went. The same with Every. She needed to see them both together, as family, close and there for each other and their respective partners. In a way - it was her dying wish.

The idea of Enver sitting in her beloved Camaro almost caused her to make a face; she didn’t want the spoils of a former 5th Column member in her baby and while there was still the rental, it was parked outside of her cabin until she felt like going for a walk through the wilderness to collect it. She had bent his keys all to hell the day she killed him, so a part of her was wary he’d do something along the lines of scratching the paint job or worse to get back at her. As she listened to the two, she wondered if she could get away with magically making the tire pop when Emilee and Enver weren’t looking while she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans, but she had just replaced the tires when snow had begun to fall. But, on the other hand, she rarely drove it because if something happened during a hunt Every would flip.

“This way, then.” She sighed inwardly, not quite being able to figure out a way to get around it without doing some type of damage to her car. Making a mental note to ask Micah later if she’d be able to store her baby in his garage, she had been keeping it in the theatre parking lot for lack of a better place to park, the brunette wandered out of the establishment after making sure the other two had heard her as they talked about failed marriages. Every had to bite her tongue to avoid snickering and keep her comments to herself. The first thing in her mind had been, “Kudos to the women for finding common sense” and other things along those lines. She was still getting used to the concept of love, but marriage was a topic she didn’t ever believe she’d be able to get around her head.

Outside, the white and black two-door 2013 Chevy Camaro SS was parked away from other cars for Every was always wary someone might be a dick and not look where they were opening a door, denting and scratching her baby. Removing the Crimson Tide lanyard from her pocket, she moved around to unlock the passenger door before opening it and leaned in to collect a few sweatshirts and a pack of ammo from off the floor, followed by an electronic cigarette. The car was a recent purchase, something she had bought to distract her and give her something to customize when she began to get frustrated, and she loved it. After a moment of figuring out how to balance the items in her arms, Every adjusted the seat so someone would be able to get into the backseat and then went to put her things in the trunk.

Her eyebrow lifted as Emilee mentioned Easter and significant others before hazel eyes narrowed in thought. “I’m not involved with anyone, not particularly one for dating. I’m focusing on my school work and I don’t have time for it with working full time, too.” She actually had quite a bit of time, but relationships were complicated at this point in her unlife and she wasn’t interested. “And the others already have plans; I’ll have to check my schedule. Like I mentioned to Enver a little while back, I’m not sure what it looks like but I may be able to make it for a few hours.” Every had actually forgotten, once again, about the holiday until Emilee’s arrival. The idea of any of Enver’s ‘friends’ going to a dinner with her there caused her to smirk a bit. She could play nice.

She frowned and slapped his upper arm gently as he was rude to her, telling her to simply open up a search engine to find out about him. However, the frown wasn't one of anger, but of disappointment and pain that her own son would speak to her like that. He'd rather she googled him than actually opening up and talking to her - and it hurt.

She had tried to pin them down from afar, they'd had plenty of notice that she wanted to do something for Easter - so she wasn't going to take no for an answer. If they didn't have anyone to bring - fine. She would find out about their lives another way and another time. But she was determined to get into as much of their lives as she could, to make sure they were both fine - in her opinion. Her years in the business world had shown her that what she was told to her face, wasn't necessarily what was true. So she wasn't going to start taking people at face value now!

As she approached Every's car, she looked it over and nodded. She didn't know anything about cars, but she could tell that this one was a nice one - so stored the info away for later a an interest of Every's. The seat was pulled forwards and she stepped aside so that Enver could bend, contort and squeeze his way into the back seat. There wasn't a chance that she was going to climb on in there, not at her age and in this outfit.

"I'd like to meet the people you're both close with. So if they can't make it at Easter - I will have to meet them another time. You know I like to potter in the kitchen Enver. And Every dear - I'm sorry. But change your other plans, if you find you have some. I've come all of this way, and you were given plenty of notice. There's no excuse for not being there I'm afraid."

She smiled at them both and once Enver was in the back, climbed into the passenger seat and waited for the door to be closed for her so they could go to the restaurant. She was feeling quite peckish again now, and she wondered what small portions they might have at the restaurant.

Once Emilee was in, Every took advantage of the fact her head was out of view to roll her eyes about having to shut the door. What was so difficult about reaching over? Watching Enver struggle into the back was worth the frustration, though. Had he been Micah or Kirill, she may have offered that he drive instead so she would sit where her small stature would clearly fit, but the fact he was already in was pushing her limits of friendly. Exhaling, Every went around to the driver's side and got in before putting on her seatbelt. She waited for them to settle before turning on the car, her hand flying to the stereo to turn it off just as the chorus of a Pitbull song kicked on and then reached down to adjust her seat.

At first, she purposely slid back to hit the older vampire as hard as she possibly could and gave a fake expression of horror while her hazel eyes went to him in the rearview mirror. "So sorry, Enver." Although it was clear she wasn't. After, she scooted forward to give him leg room. She looked back to Emilee and avoided the urge to frown that had risen at the idea of canceling her plans. "Actually, to be fair neither Enver or I were informed you would be flying out to Harper Rock. You suddenly appeared. He asked me what I was planning to do weeks ago, to which I replied I had no idea because I have not celebrated Easter since my mother died."

She wet her lips as if she were trying to think of something else to say, but the only thing she could think of was how difficult those dinners had been without her brother there anyway and she pressed her lips together. Every thought about her mother's expression before she died, remembering the way the fire extinguisher clanged as it broke Dylan's cheekbones and then adjusted in her seat to look over her shoulder before shifting to reverse. "I'm not really a people person, honestly. I like keeping things separate and I'm rather reclusive. I live alone, comfortably." She considered going to hide in her cabin while Emilee was around; at least then she'd be able to be where only a handful of people could get her.

As she was driving, Every glanced in he rearview mirror and saw the grin on Enver's face. She frowned, having an idea of who he was thinking about inviting and after a moment, she glanced in Emilee's direction as she considered slamming on the brakes just to wipe that grin off his features. She settled for lifting her middle finger so casually at the man behind her after checking there wasn't another car behind the Camaro and then returned her hand to the steering wheel. They had warned Emilee before they didn't get along on multiple occasions.

While they talked and Every once again found herself quiet without anything to say, she reached over and turned the volume low on her radio before slowing to a stop at a traffic light as it turned red; the sound of Michael Buble's cover of Crazy Love playing out quietly. Taking the time to collect her cellphone and then attach her bluetooth, she put the attached piece to her ear. Every hummed along with the radio, her hazel eyes on the light above her before she glanced back down at her phone and sent a text to Micah, tucking the phone into her breast pocket and out of reach from either Enver or his mother.

Emilee pulled down her shade and looked in the mirror so that she could see Enver in the back and talk to him and check he was ok after being knee capped by Every's chair. But no matter which way she angled the mirror, she just couldn't seem to find him. With a sigh, she pushed the thing back up and faced ahead, being too uncomfortable to turn around and face him while she talked to him.

"Mm Hm. People. And yes, maybe 3 people a piece is enough. I'm not sure how big your place is yet Enver, so no idea how many people I can fit in, or cook for. You do have a decent kitchen right? Not one of these.... modern box things that are good for nothing more than micro meals?"

A physical shudder went through her body as she considered that possibility, and only hoped that she'd raised him right in that respect. Or the nannies had. But no, cooking was her thing and something they'd done together - when she could. Rarely. God she'd sucked as a mother, and it killed her now when she looked back on all those missed moments and saw how he was with her. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she point blank refused to let them fall, blinking furiously to keep them at bay.

"And Every, I'd made it very clear I wanted you both for Easter, to see you and have you out to mine so you could enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. But with no reply, whatsoever, I'm afraid I had to take the initiative."

She was smiling, but it was in that 'mother knows best' way that never quite seemed like a proper smile. As they drove along, Emilee made sure to look out of the window, observing her new home and where she would end her days. It seemed pleasant enough, of course it was made all the more perfect by the fact she had her family here in the car with her. And she made a point to ignore the finger gesture Every made as she caught it, doing nothing more than clearing her throat firmly to display her distaste at the uncouth action.

"Now, the menu? I was thinking the usual tongue and ham, pease pudding, vegetables, apple pie, scallops and such. You know? Nice things you can eat as much or as little of and some of your favourites from when you were younger. Sound good?"

She smiled happily, thinking about getting into the kitchen and cooking for her family.

"Speaking of menus, what's on tonights?"