Marcy was warned that her girlfriend’s family was a little strange, but she loved Azura more than she feared some local ghost stories. That was why she sat in the passenger seat of Azura’s car, watching the cityscape fade into grassy hills and long abandoned farmland. The sky was coated in a deep orange with pink clouds and a sun that hung in the middle of the twilight sea. The car ride was quiet except for the sound of the motor and the tires crushing the pebbles and dirt on the road. Marcy always felt awkward in those quiet moments when her mind was a blank space and her mouth ran dry.

Azura, on the other hand, was solely focused on the road ahead with a cool confidence behind the wheel. Her raven hair was crowned by a ring of braids and the glare of the sun reflected off her glasses, shielding the dark green in her eyes. She had a small, casual grin on her face and Marcy could hear her humming contently to herself.

“Hey, Zu,” Marcy said, turning to face her girlfriend.

Azura gave a small nod, glancing briefly at Marcy before focusing back on the road. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“Do you think…that your folks are going to like me?” Marcy asked.

Azura’s eyes widened in surprise before she quickly replied, “Sure, they’re pretty easygoing.” Azura lifted a finger. “Just be careful, they’re pretty talkative, especially around this time of year.”

“I mean, I guess reunions get people pretty chatty, huh?”

“Yeah, we’re pretty close. Or we try to be.”

Honestly, Marcy was surprised she had been invited in the first place. She wasn’t sure if she’d dated Azura long enough to even be considered for an invite to big family events like this. Not that Marcy was complaining. Despite her family having a reputation for being a bit weird, Azura had nothing but good things to say about her family, an energetic and joyful bond Marcy could only wish she had with her own.

“And they don’t mind that we’re…you know…a thing?” she asked.

“Nope,” Azura replied with a shrug. “They’re just happy that I found someone that cares about me, loves me for who I am, and all that other young love sort of stuff. Some family members are a bunch of hopeless romantics.” Azura slowed the car down to make a sharp turn toward a cast-iron gate guarding a driveway and surrounding an expansive front yard. The gates creaked open, pulling back slowly until they barely avoided kissing the stone pillars hoisting up stone gargoyles.

“Wow. Real old-fashioned,” Marcy said, taking in the grounds.

Azura gave a grin and a shrug. “Mom and Dad like their privacy. You can guess how elated they were when working from home became more popular.” Azura began to crawl into the driveway, giving Marcy a good look at the house guarded by the iron barrier. It was a sprawling manor with giant towers that scraped the sunset sky with shingles of midnight blue. Stained glass windows with various beasts of legend deep in battle decorated the building, adding a dark splash of colour to contrast with the dark grey brick. Topiary hedges trimmed into a dragon and unicorn poised for a duel sat on opposite ends of the cobblestone pathway that led to the slick black door.

“Whoa,” Marcy exclaimed. “Looks like you guys live like royalty.” She gave a whistle as Azura parked in the grass next to the dozens of other cars sitting alone on the lawn.

“Wait until you see the inside.”

Suddenly, Marcy felt her pocket begin to buzz, and a kooky jingle sounded inside the car. Digging into her pocket and pulling out her cell phone, she sighed, seeing her brother Aiden’s goofy mug plastered on her screen. Marcy ignored the call and shoved it back into her pocket.

“Who was that?” Azura asked.

Marcy shook her head and unbuckled her seatbelt. “It’s nothing. Just my brother. I can text him back later.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan.” Azura stepped out of the car, inviting Marcy to follow her to the entrance. She took Marcy’s swinging hand and guided her to the door. Despite Azura’s grip being soft and warm, Marcy felt chills crawl across her skin, and a bubble formed in her stomach, ready to burst. She could feel the rumbling of footsteps from inside rock the cobblestone sidewalk and heard piercing jeers only barely muffled by the door. Azura enthusiastically knocked on it, oblivious to her girlfriend’s building unease. The door quickly opened, revealing a towering man with a slicked-back, auburn mullet, clad in a navy-blue tuxedo. He had a soft smile, and his face was covered in laugh lines that peachy makeup powder failed to cover.

“Ah, Azura Bender-Vee and Miss Marcy. Glad to see you’ve arrived safely,” the man said with a subtle Australian accent.

“Good to see you too, Leigh,” Azura said with a small curtsy.

Marcy gave a nervous nod. “Um…yeah. Thanks.”

Leigh took a step to the side and gestured into the house, illuminated by a warm rainbow of lights and fully releasing a cacophony of laughter and idle chatter. He turned his head and grinned at Marcy. “Come on in. We have much to show you, milady.”