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The grizzly-sized girl giggled, and returned her favorite human's goodbye kiss with enthusiasm. Then she climbed out of the large third floor window, and jumped. 

Calena landed on her feet, her huge mass seemingly as light as air. More feline than human or ursine in her build and movements, she also possessed a physical beauty rare amongst her people.

Once she was gone, a human woman stalked into the boy's room. Her tight lips and hard glare revealed her mood. "I told you to tell that mongrel not to come back..."

Wold's hands balled up into fists, and he focused his eyes on the floor. "Calena means the world to me. I'll never give her up, Mother."

"She's one of them, Wold... you have no future if you associate with a filthy Retra."

"The Retra aren't filthy! They clean themselves more often than we do, Mother."

She sniffed the air, then held her nose. "Of course they do, what do you expect with all that hair? Despite their efforts, they still stink."

"Calena doesn't stink. She's smart, beautiful, and caring. Which is more than a lot of people who are fully human can claim."

"Wold, they're not natural. They were the result of genetic experimentation. There's no way of knowing what any children resulting from a... union... might be like. Or even if they could survive until birth."

He squirmed, his face turning red. "We've already talked about that. If we aren't compatible, we'll adopt when the time comes."

"I see... but there's still one problem. I refuse to allow my son to be anywhere near a Retra. You will stop seeing her now. I gave you the chance to say goodbye in person, and you squandered the opportunity. Now you'll have to do it via message."

His eyes left her, then he steeled himself. "I told you, I'm not giving her up. Ever..."

Mother glared at him. "Are you saying that you would choose her over your own mother? I love you more than anyone else ever could."

"I'm not going to choose. I'll always want you in my life, and I hope you won't turn your back on me. But I can't imagine life without Calena."

"You'll be fine without her. I have spoken," she said, then swept out of the room without a backward glance.

Wold spent the rest of the evening packing his things. Then he picked up his phone. "Hey, Merrick. Any chance you could store some things for a few days?"

"Sure. Let me guess, she hit the roof when she found out about your girl?"

"Yeah... I think moving out is the only thing I can do."

"I'll be right over, Bro."

The next day instead of going home after school, Wold rode his bike south. Panting for breath, he finally arrived on "the wrong side of town". 

He no longer noticed the stark contrast of crumbling buildings and well swept steps. Nor did he stop and marvel that someone would bother to clean the huge store window with the crack threatening to shatter it at any time.

No, to Wold this tidy yet rundown place had become as normal as his tree-lined suburban neighborhood. The world looked bright, and full of potential.

Several hundred yards away was the park, with its well maintained lawn. Spectacular flower displays contrasted with the weather-worn playground equipment. 

"Just like clockwork," he whispered, grinning. Eating ice cream on an ancient wooden bench was Calena. Her back was turned.

He glanced around, to make sure nobody was looking. Then he picked a few of the flowers.

Holding the delicate flowers behind him, Wold approached his love. "Willing to share that ice cream, young lady? You're already sweet enough."

She turned around, smiling but unsurprised. "Of course. I bought it for you," she said, handing him the treat.

He raised an eyebrow. "A fudgesickle? But you like those orange vanilla things best."

She laughed. "I told you, I bought it for you. I could smell you before you were even in the neighborhood."

His eyes widened, then he laughed too. "It's going to be impossible to hide birthday and anniversary presents from you!"

Calena pretended to be shocked. "Why I would never interfere with your right to surprise me with expensive things. Those roses from the display smell wonderful, by the way."

Wold smiled as he handed her the bouquet, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sorry, there probably won't be any more expensive presents. At least not for a long time..."

"I didn't fall in love with the presents, Wold. I fell in love with you."

"I'm glad you said that, Calena. Because I have something important to tell you."

As the two young people sat sharing an ice cream, Wold filled the huge genetically engineered girl in on his mother's prejudices. And his intentions to prevent her from keeping them apart.

Calena frowned. "So you're going to move into the empty place next to my family and I? Of course I'll be happy to have you closer, but what about your future? Even though you won't have to pay rent, I know you wanted more out of life than... this."

"According to Mother, if I don't give you up, I don't have a future."

"You told me that. Surely she won't cut you out of her life, and refuse to fund your education?!?! You're her only remaining relative."

"Honestly I don't know. She's always been fiercely protective of me. Said that I was her life. But I've never defied her about anything, until now."

"She'll be mad for a while. But she'll get over it?"

"I don't know. But if she can't accept my loving you, it doesn't matter. I'm not giving you up."

At her family's insistence, Wold stayed in the guestroom at Calena's house until he was able to fix up the place he had chosen.

He continued to go to the elite private school. Apparently his tuition was still being paid, as nobody asked him to vacate the premises.

He only discovered that Mother hadn't cancelled his credit cards when Calena's family needed to purchase a new washer, but didn't have the funds. On a hunch, he tried one of his cards.

Wold used them very sparingly. Perhaps a couple of times more over the period of two years. During that time, he hadn't received so much as a Christmas card from Mother.

A week after graduation, he married Calena.

Two months later, she walked into the bike repair shop which he had set up in a front room of his building. "Wold, the tests came back, and guess what? We're compatible!!!"

"That means we can start trying now! I mean, if you're ready?"

In reply, the massive girl simply grabbed him, and jumped up and down.

"I hope that was a yes!" he said, when he was able to speak again.

The smile never left her face. "Of course, silly. There's no time like the present."

When Calena was around three months pregnant, her weight and energy suddenly plummeted. The doctor informed the young couple that for the twins to thrive, she needed to eat a special calorie rich diet. And that she would need to spend her last trimester in the hospital.

Unable to cover the expenses on his meager earnings, he used a credit card as a last resort.

Every time a hospital bill was due, he held his breath as he handed over the card. And every time, it was approved.

As Calena underwent her final set of tests before delivery, he sat in the hospital waiting room alone, thinking. "I don't understand. Mother paid my tuition, and left my spending allowance. But she hasn't tried to check on me once. Maybe she forgot to cancel them, or it's such a small thing to her that it's not worth her time. But usually she's all about the details..."

Soon he was absorbed with much more immediate worries. Such as comforting Calena, who was experiencing a difficult labor.

Several hours later, she was sleeping peacefully. Wold was sitting in the chair next to her, left alone to ponder the fact that he now had a son and daughter.

He heard a soft tap on the door, and rose. Carefully the new father crossed the room. When he opened the door, he reflexively shut it after seeing who was on the other side.

Then he exhaled deeply, and slipped into the hallway. "Mother?"

She looked at him sternly. "Well aren't you going to give me a hug, then introduce me to my grandchildren?"

Reluctantly he hugged her, then led the way.

"Why didn't you tell me I was becoming a grandmother? I had to find out by looking through your expenses," she chided, as if he had neglected to tell her that he would be late for dinner...

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Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery