HAUNTED

GIVE THANKS

"Mom, calm down! We are not getting married. We aren't even dating. Nora is a friend. That is all." Hyde tried to stop his mom.

She was giving him the don't have sex speech again. She was too late for that but Hyde wasn't saying anything. He wasn't talking to his mother about sex.

"Sure. Honey. You have never brought a girl home!" His mom was about to explode with excitement. "Since when are you friends with girls?"

Hyde rolled his eyes and looked at his dad. "Please help!"

His dad put up his hands. "I can't. I have no control over your mother!" He laughed and left the room.

Great.

Nora changed and washed her face and took a breath. She had never had a home before or parents. This was weird. Hell, she had never been in a house that wasn't run down, abandoned or haunted. Well, it had been years.

She knew she wasn't a typical girl. She was grateful for Hyde. He wasn't normal either because he accepted her for what she was. Who she really was. Time to face the parents. Nora took one step at a time and finally reached the bottom. Hyde met her.

"My mom is unhinged. Just thought I should warn you that she is about to walk us to the courthouse to get married!" Hyde covered his face.

Nora laughed. "It's fine. I never had family. It's fine, Hyde."

"You look gorgeous." Hyde smiled and leaned in like he was going to kiss her.

"What are you doing?" Nora glared at him and didn't move.

Hyde smiled. "I was trying something but it didn't feel right! I just don't know why I like you as a friend? You really are very....probably the prettiest girl in school and I feel nothing for you! It's a crime."

"You are an idiot and I am taking everything that you said as a compliment." Nora smiled.

"Okay. You ready?"

"Nope! Let's go!" They walked into the dining room. His mom and dad were there with four other people. Oh, okay.

"Nora, this is Hyde's Aunt Carol and Uncle Walt, my sister and brother-in-law and this is Kat and Hector. Hyde's godparents." His mom announced. "Oh, I'm Janice and that is Hyde's dad, John."

Nora smiled and was slightly nervous. She never so much as dated a guy before and had never met parents and now there were godparents! "Hi."

They swarmed to her. Nora was being hugged on all sides by parents. She didn't have any and he had an army. Hyde pulled everyone back.

"We are not dating!" Hyde yelled over the celebration.

Nora just laughed. It got quiet. "Sorry. We are just friends but you are the nicest people that I have ever met. Thank you for making me feel at home." She sat in the closest chair. "Sorry. Hyde is wonderful but we really are good friends. I don't mean to deflate the evening."

Hyde sat beside her. "But you make such a cute couple! Why aren't you dating? Hyde, what is wrong with you? She is gorgeous!" Godfather Hector pointed out.

Nora blushed. Hyde laughed. "She is a friend, Hector. Just a friend. We're helping each other with a family project. I brought her here to see the Miller house."

It got silent. Nora looked down. "She may be able to find something that we missed. So, she came to help and no, Mom, I will never give up." He answered a comment he knew was coming.

His parents had prayed and went to church every night. Confessed all of their sins and built a shrine to Willem. He never came back and the prayers went unanswered but they still had faith. Hyde admired his parents for that. He didn't understand it but he admired it.