Co-op Mode Ch. 03

3.01

"You wanted to see me, Master Obi-Wan?" Ahsoka Tano asked, entering the room carefully and curiously. Her feet were bare, and she moved silently on the wooden floor.

"Well, hello there," said Obi-Wan, smiling. He sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, where he'd been meditating. "Yes, I did. About your lightsaber training."

"My training?" Ahsoka approached slowly and respectfully, as Obi-Wan stood, drawing himself to his full height with a graceful economy of movement. She thought about how her own master Anakin would have given himself a little help with the Force, a push, to lift him to his feet more quickly. In other words, he would have cheated.

Obi-Wan towered over her, and she felt energy course through her body. He always made her a bit nervous, and being alone together, standing this close, only made it worse.

"I've watched you during your last few sessions with Anakin," he said. "Closely."

The thought of Master Obi-Wan watching her closely made her tingle, a feeling she tried to dispel with concentration on her awareness of the Force. She hoped she wasn't blushing. Her montrals seemed to stand taller on her head as they sensed his presence and his movement, though she knew that must have been her imagination.

"Master Anakin says I'm improving," she said, concerned. "Do you disagree?"

"On the contrary," said Obi-Wan. His pleasant tone and demeanor never wavered, but Ahsoka's Force sensitivity spiked, and she drew and ignited her lightsaber just in time to block his sudden attack.

He spun, peppering her with a series of strikes that were more difficult to predict than to block. The last of them resulted in their faces hovering inches apart, their crossed blades sizzling and spitting just below.

"I merely believe that Anakin has taught you all that he can," he said, pleasantly, as if they weren't currently engaged in combat. "And that it's time for your training to advance to... another level."

Blocking Obi-Wan's blows had hardly taken any effort. But now, looking into his kind face -- so close! -- and the crinkles by his eyes as he smiled, thinking about spending hours of training time with him, alone... now, her heart began to race, and her breathing sped up.

Obi-Wan's smile grew wider, and he took advantage of her surprise for another attack, leaping backwards and beginning a new assault, a flurry of quick, short blows.

She surprised him with a spin-dodge, and by the time he recovered, she was able to quickly advance and pin him instead, bringing them face to face once again. Her breathing slowed as her confidence grew.

"Your thoughts betray you, Master Kenobi," Ahsoka said, one corner of her mouth rising along with her eyebrows. "I sense that your concerns have nothing to do with my lightsaber training, and everything to do with your feelings... for me."

"Attachments are forbidden for a Jedi," said Obi-Wan smoothly. "That is a rule of which I'm sure you are aware."

In an instant, Obi-Wan slipped backwards, curling his lightsaber around hers and neatly disarming her, the weapon switching off and clattering to the floor. He grabbed the wrist of her newly-empty hand firmly, looking deep in her eyes.

"I'm sure you're also aware that occasionally, I've been known to have... difficulty following the rules," he said.

She swallowed, feeling helpless, a thrill suffusing her skin like Force lightning. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber and tossed it casually aside, stepping closer. "I believe your thoughts betray you now... Ahsoka. Speak your mind."

Hearing him call her by name, instead of an impersonal title, made her feel warm and dizzy. She tried to think of how to respond.

"Um..." she said, then attempted a seductive tone. "Why don't you show me that 'high ground' you keep talking about?"

Jonah blinked, then stared at Willow for several seconds before collapsing to the couch, wheezing with laughter, dark wavy hair falling into his eyes.

She tried to be angry, but she always loved seeing him happy, and found herself laughing almost as hard in spite of herself. "What's wrong with that?" she demanded. "It's sexy, right? 'I have the high ground!'"

Still laughing too hard to speak, Jonah reached out for her paw, then pulled her to the couch on top of him. She swatted at him playfully, and finally settled, sighing and laying her head on his chest, her ears hanging limp, defeated.

"Fine," she said, pretending to pout. She felt his arms encircle her as he finally got his laughter under control.

"Up until that point, it was really, really good," he said, stroking her ears, causing her tail to twitch involuntarily. "You're an amazing storyteller. And artist. And all-around creative. And..."

She raised her head and gave him a warning look. "Stop," she said. "I don't want to hear it."

He looked at her, mostly serious, but unable to completely suppress a smile. "I'm sorry, my Lady, my Warrior Bunny, it is my sworn duty, as someone who cares for you, to tell you important things you need to hear, even if you don't want to hear them."

She sighed, pushing a lock of red hair out of her eyes, and said it along with him in a mocking sing-song tone: "You... should get... a Patreon."

"And take art commissions," he continued. "And do a webcomic. And, I'll be happy to run the account, social media, everything non-creative."

"I think I can manage a Patreon account," she said defensively. "Besides, I thought you didn't care about paying more of the bills." The moment she said it, her gut tightened with embarrassment. She started to look away, but he caught her eyes, focusing on her.

"It isn't about the money, Willow, and you know it." He slipped into his Obi-Wan voice again. "It is your destiny."

She frowned and thought about arguing with him, but her heart wasn't in it. "That's a Vader line," she pointed out. She propped her head up on one paw. "I prefer your 'Well, hello there,'" she said.

"Well, hello there," he obliged. He looked down between them. "Oh, there's the high ground, right down there!" He grinned.

Willow rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help smiling. "Hmm," she said. "Not sure if I'm really in the mood any more. You ruined it by laughing."

He tilted his head. "Since when does that ruin anything?" he said. "Laughter makes everything better." He adopted his Obi-Wan voice again. "Here, let me show you."

Her reflexes were usually lighting-quick, but she was enjoying his warmth and closeness, and she reacted too late. His fingertips slid quickly through the soft, black-spotted white fur under the bottom of her t-shirt, tickling enthusiastically.

She squealed and shrieked, convulsing with laughter, pressing her head against his shoulder. His scent filled her nostrils, distracting her and making her feel warm all over. He continued his assault, using her closeness to kiss the side of her face and down her neck.

She knew exactly what he was about to do, but was helpless to stop him. His lips brushed through the fur of her shoulder, and he gave her collarbone a playful nip.

The sharp pressure of his teeth made her ears instantly spring straight up, and her tail thumped. She gasped, feeling an electric sensation spread out through her body, all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes.

"Hey, no fair!" she gasped. "No fair, that's cheating..."

His fingertips mercifully stopped their assault, resting gently on the fur of her bare stomach. He smiled at her, looking more than a little smug.

"Always know your opponent's weakness, young Padawan, and don't be afraid to exploit it," he said, as Obi-Wan.

"So you're saying I should tickle the Sith?" she said, laughing, putting her paw behind his head to pull him close for a kiss.

As they kissed, Jonah's fingertips moved unconsciously, scratching the fur of Willow's belly.

Suddenly her right leg began to move, her foot thumping on the floor.

They froze, and stared at one another. She looked down at her jeans-clad leg and bare foot hanging off the couch. They looked the same to her as they always did.

They sat quietly for several long seconds. Jonah hesitated, then almost experimentally, scratched her belly again.

Thump thump thump thump thump

"Stop that!" Willow said, frustrated and confused.

"Sorry," said Jonah, with a look of concern. "I was just... has that ever happened before?"

"No!" she said, a bit too loudly and intensely. There was an awkward silence, as Jonah sat back, and sheepishly began to withdraw his hand.

"Wait," she said, stopping him with a paw. "I, uh..."

She looked at her leg again, as if it might give her some new answers, which it did not. Then she looked at Jonah's face. She could see him trying to read her, figure out what she was feeling despite her inability to say it.

She sighed, her ears slowly drooping, her face feeling warm. "I actually... liked it. Just... just don't tell anyone."

The corner of Jonah's mouth lifted into a teasing smile. "Not even Liv?"

Willow rolled her eyes and sighed again. "We both know I'm probably gonna tell Liv."

Jonah's smile widened and he leaned in and scratched her belly again, her leg now kicking with abandon, ears limp, a blissful look washing over her face. After a while he moved down her body, to kiss her belly as well.

She sighed. The soothing feeling of his lips on her belly after his fingernails was like a taste of sweetness after spice.

Then she felt him unfasten her jeans, and begin to slip them off, and she saw no reason to complain about that. As always, he was careful not to let her tail get caught in the tail hole, being even more gentle with her than she was when she undressed herself.

She felt languid, almost drunk. She could feel his fingers push her plain white cotton panties to the side, grazing her pussy and tangling in the coarse red hair above, causing her entire body to tense in anticipation.

I should really wear some of those sexy panties Liv got me, she thought, her paws moving down to either side of Jonah's head, running her fingers through his hair as he moved closer. She felt his warm breath on the wetness of her lower lips, stoking a fire low in her belly, like blowing on embers to bring them into flame. I just never remember...

And then all her thoughts fled as his lips made contact with her slick folds, his tongue tracing up and down. Her fingers tightened in his hair, and she tried hard not to let her claws scratch him. Her body gave a sudden, unexpected spasm, and she drew in a sharp surprised breath, and felt her hips begin to rock.

Jonah's lips gently kissed her pussy, and the tip of his tongue slipped inside her, circling and moving before teasing her clit. A breathless squeak escaped her as she tensed further, her hips moving faster. But her thighs began to ache, and her mind filled with another idea.

"Jonah, come up. On, up, me. Now. Come up, I..." her paws grasped at his head, trying to emphasize the meaning in her scrambled words. "Please."

She looked down for a moment to see Jonah smirking. He loved it when he made her lose control, of her words, and her body. He looked so damn smug... and sexy. Confident.

Willow sighed. "Flick," she said. "Just get up here and..."

And suddenly the weight of his body was pushing her into the couch, his mouth nuzzling into the fur of her neck. His hands moved to his waist and she heard his belt unfastening. Her arms wrapped around him, feeling the movements of his back and shoulders with her fingertips.

And then she felt his hard cock slide deep inside her, filling her, stretching her, and she gave a ragged cry. He groaned low, almost a growl, the sound resonating in her chest, and she had to struggle to keep from digging her claws too deeply into his back.

She looked at him again, as his body started to move. He'd only undressed far enough to be able to fuck her, and somehow that impatience, the need to have her immediately, made it feel even better, even hotter, made her tingle, made her hear her heartbeat thrum loudly inside her head.

"J-Jonah..." and her voice trailed off into a long moan, her words forgotten. Jonah's movements grew faster and stronger, driving into her deeper, giving a low grunt with every thrust. She looked in his eyes and saw him watching her, focused on her, like she was the only thing that existed. Her body tensed further and her mouth fell open, random noises and half-formed words falling out.

She felt his rhythm change, felt him start to pulse deep inside her. Knowing he was close brought her to the edge, the anticipation pushing her past the breaking point. He moaned and gave a final, deep thrust, and she came too, her body spasming and clenching his cock tightly, her arms hanging onto him like he was keeping her from drowning. She gave a final gasp and heard him say in her ear, almost a whisper, low and sweet, "Willow."

They lay together on the couch, getting their breath back, unrushed, still connected. She stroked his hair, then ran her fingertips down his back, letting the claws just graze him. He stroked her ears.

He kissed the side of her face, and with his lips still against her, said gently, "We should probably get to bed. Big day tomorrow."

She groaned. "I almost managed to forget," she said. "But you're right. I need to get up early and make those green bean casseroles in the morning before we leave, so they're fresh."

They untangled carefully, cleaning up and turning out lights before relocating to bed.

It had been a while now, but she still thought of it as Jonah's bed, in Jonah's room, even though she hadn't slept in her room, on her own bed, for weeks. He lifted the covers to usher her in before him. It had become their nightly ritual.

Jonah took her in his arms. "What's on your mind?" he said. She became aware of the obvious tension in her shoulders, and tried to force herself to relax.

"I just really hope your parents like me," she said.

"They'll love you," he murmured confidently, his lips touching her ear. "I can't imagine anyone not loving you."

"I can," she said, laughing. "I'm the weird little rabbit girl who stole their son away."

Jonah sat up and looked at her. "What? It won't matter to them that you're a rabbit. And you're a full-grown woman, not a girl. And you didn't steal me away. If anything, it was the opposite."

She waited. "And 'weird'?"

"Oh, yeah, you're definitely weird," he said, smiling.

"Shut up!" she laughed. "Flick you!" she tried to tickle him, but he was ready, and grabbed her wrists. She tilted her ears forward, the tips tickling his face, and he laughed and let her go.

"I mean," said Jonah, catching his breath, "what if your family doesn't like me?"

"Ha," said Willow. "Not a chance. They'll be amazed that little Willow found a real honest-to-god grown-up man, who could stand her."

He stared at her a moment, and she realized how bitter that last part sounded.

"Okay, that's kind of an exaggeration," she said, her ears drooping a bit. "But... not much of one. Trust me, they'll be very impressed with you."

He hesitated. "Have any of your sisters brought home a human boyfriend before?"

Willow's eyes widened, and she laughed. "Oh, flick no," she said, and felt immediately embarrassed by the look on Jonah's face.

"I mean..." she backpedaled. "Candace is some kind of tradwife YouTube influencer now, espousing the wonders of being a submissive rabbit wife to your infallible rabbit husband, for a perfect rabbit marriage. Caitlin never dated much, and she's really focused on her career. And Colette just started college this year, but before that she went to the same high school as the rest of us, which is pretty much all anthro and mostly rabbit."

Jonah's face held just a hint of a smirk. "So...'flick no,' is what I'm hearing. I should get ready to be stared at."

"It'll be fine," Willow said, turning her back to him and wrapping herself back up in his arms, as if she was trying to rewind to the beginning of the conversation. She turned out the light.

Eventually she felt his fingertip tracing through the fur of her hip, moving from spot to spot.

"Aries," he said quietly. His hand moved from her hip to her side and he traced a zig-zag shape. "Cassiopeia," he said. His finger moved again. "Big Dipper."

"Stop," she said gently.

"I thought you liked that," he said, confused.

"I do, I just..." Willow sighed. "It's all the family talk. Candace and Caitlin are solid white, like my mom," she said. "I get my black spots from... from my dad. They used to tease me about them."

There was a pause. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay," she said. "Let's just try to sleep."

3.02

On Thanksgiving morning, Willow stood in the kitchen in the previous day's t-shirt and panties, chopping green beans and slivering almonds, while bacon cooked in the oven. Ordinarily she'd be texting with Liv, but because her paws were busy she called instead, her phone sitting on the counter nearby.

"Five freaking AM," Liv was saying. "That's when Ma gets me up to start cooking. Teo got here at six."

Willow smiled. Even the possibility of Liv's mother hearing her swear was keeping her from dropping an actual f-bomb, and Liv used those like most people use a salt shaker.

"Why does your mom make so much food?" Willow said. "Not that I'm complaining..."

Willow could hear a smile in Liv's voice. "Don't worry, sis, you'll get a nice big helping of everything. Ma says that back in Colombia she'd make Nochebuena feast every year, you know, Christmas Eve, for our family and our neighbors. When they moved here and she heard about American Thanksgiving... forget about it. Now she gets to make all the same Colombian food plus roast a turkey, and the whole smash. She's in heaven."

Willow laughed, then paused. "Hey, Liv..."

"Uh, oh. I know that tone, bunny. What did he do? Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No!" said Willow, quickly. "No, everything is great." She took a deep breath. "Really great..." she continued, a little dreamily.

"Oh, so it's a sex question. Hang on, let me get out of earshot of the kitchen." There were sounds of movement on the line, and Willow noticed a drop in the level of cooking sounds, banging and stirring and complaints in Spanish from Teo.

"So what's up?" Liv said. It sounded like she'd found somewhere comfortable to sit.

"It's... nothing huge..." Willow began.

"C'mon sis," chided Liv. "What did your pet human do to you? Another tail thing?"

"No," Willow began. Finally she blurted, "Has a guy ever... scratched your belly?"

Liv paused before exploding in laughter. "What? Why did Jojo scratch your belly? Does he think you're his pet or something?"

"No!" Willow said. "It was kind of accidental. He was tickling me and... wait, 'Jojo'?"

Liv groaned. "Tickling you? God, you two are so sweet, it's disgusting."

Willow rolled her eyes. Back when she was still trying to find the courage to tell Jonah how she really felt about him, Liv was her greatest cheerleader, willing to do anything to help. But now Liv had changed tack, and delighted in constantly teasing them for being so lovey-dovey.

"And yeah," Liv continued, "that's what I'm calling him now. Jojo." Willow could practically see Liv's sharp-toothed grin.

"Does he mind you calling him that?"

"Dunno," said Liv, casually. "We'll both find out, when I say it to his face."

"Oh, that'll be fun," Willow said sarcastically. "Seriously, though, Liv..."

"Actually, hang on," said Liv, thinking. "Yeah, I did have a date do that once. A human, too. We were fooling around, about second base, and he just... did it."

Willow's eyes widened. "Really? What, uh, happened next?"

There was a pause. "I bit his hand," Liv said thoughtfully. "I'm still not exactly sure why. Did you bite Jonah?"

"No," said Willow, a little sheepishly. "My, uh, my leg..." she went on to describe everything else that happened the previous night.

"No shit," said Liv. "That's crazy. Maybe your Aunt Pam is onto something, with the whole anthro-animal Originalist stuff. Maybe there are some connections between us, and... you know. Our 'cousins.'"

Willow was stunned. "Really? You're the last person I'd expect to say that."

"I mean, hey, I'm not about to start shitting in a litter box or anything," said Liv, a little defensively. "But maybe there's something. Who knows."

Willow decided not to bring up the topic of wild rabbit defecation, and how much worse it would be for her than just "shitting in a litter box."

"So," said Willow. "What happened, with you and the guy you bit?"

"Heh," said Liv. "Turns out he was into it. Called me a 'Bad Kitty,' and then..."

Willow heard Liv's mother in the background of the call. "Olivia!" She sounded irritated.

"Shit, gotta go, sis," said Liv. Willow heard her getting up. "Don't worry, Jojo's family is gonna love you. And if not, we'll get drunk and bitch about them. Love you."

"Love you," said Willow, right before Liv disconnected.

She sighed, and started filling the casserole dishes. From Jonah's room -- their room -- she heard him stir, get out of bed, and walk quietly down the hall down the kitchen. His footsteps were light, slow, deliberate.

She smiled, keeping her back to him, waiting until he was in the middle of the room, several feet away.

"It's so cute that you still think you can sneak up on me," she said.

She turned to look back over her shoulder and caught him mid-sneak, one bare foot raised. He looked sheepish, and then walked normally to her, to give her a kiss. She turned back to her work and he stood behind her, watching, his hands resting on her hips, fingers slipping gently into her fur.

"I used to fantasize about this, you know," he said. "Catching you in your underwear." He gave the tip of her tail a gentle tug, and her ears perked up. They were still constantly finding and revealing little moments to one another, about the six months they'd lived together, pining and lusting and fantasizing about each other, neither having the courage to say anything. At first these moments stung Willow a bit, as a reminder of how they could have been together from the start... but now, they felt like precious gems to her, little peeks even further into Jonah's heart.

"Uh huh," she said. "And then what would happen?... Wait, no. Don't tell me. I have to finish this."

Jonah laughed. "What would really happen is that I would apologize profusely, then not be able to form a coherent thought for the rest of the day."

She put the casserole dishes into the oven and set the timer, then turned to him. "And now you don't have to apologize," she said. "And I'm not left wondering what might have been."

They shared a gentle, slow kiss, then headed to the living room couch.

"I, uh," Jonah began uncomfortably. "I wanted to ask about something."

She looked at him, concerned. "I wanted to know what to say," he continued, "if we're at your house and the topic of your dad comes up."

"It won't," she said, more sharply and bitterly than she intended. She saw the surprise on Jonah's face, and immediately felt terrible.

"I'm sorry," she said, putting a paw against his face. "I didn't mean to snap. It's just a really, really sore subject."

Jonah leaned into her paw, but remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"OK, I know we've never talked about it, but I don't know how much of this you've just picked up by osmosis. So, tl; dr, I was really close with him. My older sisters were never very nice -- Caitlin is cold, but Candace is a straight-up bitch. And Mom loves me, but she never thought I was quite..."

She withdrew her paw, and gave Jonah a weak smile. "This is getting kind of long for a tl; dr. Dad was my oasis, the only one in the family who really understood me. At least until Colette came along. And then, Dad cheated on Mom. And then he was gone."

Willow was startled at her own bluntness, feeling the words hang in the air unpleasantly. She took Jonah's hands in her paws. "I should probably call him today, say Happy Thanksgiving, at least." She'd managed to get most of the way through the explanation without crying, but now she found herself wiping away a tear with the back of one paw, while Jonah leaned in and wiped away another with his thumb. She looked in his eyes with love and gratitude. It felt better, to tell him.

"Anyway, I should go get showered, and put on that dress I hate," she said. "Take the casseroles out of the oven if the timer goes off before I'm done."

She started to get up, but Jonah pulled her onto his lap for another kiss, startling her.

"You look great in that dress," he told her. "I can't wait for today, for everyone to see you, for everyone to see us."

She smiled, despite the icy shiver of uncertainty the thought sent through her. His eyes followed her down the hall towards the bathroom.

"Leave the casseroles in the oven until there's smoke, right?" he called after her. "That's what I heard."

"Shut up," she called back playfully.

3.03

Jonah opened the door to the detached garage behind the house, reaching in to flip the light switch and slap the door opener button before stepping back to let Willow go ahead of him. She entered the garage, wearing the formal black dress she didn't like, slightly wobbly in the heels she never wore, carrying two stacked casserole dishes, and confronted Jonah's car.

Jonah had a car that he bought very cheaply for cash soon after he graduated college. Willow hated it.

It was an ancient avocado-green behemoth, a station wagon with faux wood panels, that complained about unleaded gas and got terrible mileage. However, Jonah kept it clean, and it had surprisingly little rust for its age. It was built like a tank, and would likely run forever. Jonah had even installed a backing camera himself, and turned an old used tablet into a screen.

When the world finally devolves into Mad Max, Willow thought, this will be the kind of car we'll want.

She'd first seen it when he offered to help move her possessions from the apartment she shared with Liv and two other roommates, to their current downstairs two-flat. Overwhelmed by the ugliness and sheer size of this hunk of metal, she'd immediately referred to it as a "Star Destroyer."

Jonah loved the name, and that's what they'd called it ever since.

He opened the door for her and went around to the driver's side, a walk that always disconcerted her by how long it took.

Starting the Star Destroyer was always a little touch-and-go, between its dislike of unleaded gas, and the fact that it was rarely driven. But Jonah knew its secrets, and Willow couldn't help but be a little mesmerized, watching as he encouraged the engine to life, like a necromancer reanimating a corpse.

Jonah backed the car carefully into the alley -- Willow was always amazed that it actually fit -- and they headed out.

"You know, there's something I never mentioned to you," Jonah said. "I've always kept a nice soft blanket in the back of this car, imagining that someday, maybe we could... make use of all that room." His eyes stayed focused on the road, but she could see his smirk.

"Mhm," she said. "That's sweet, my Wookiee, but I'd be afraid of getting tetanus."

He pretended to be offended. "This car is cleaner than a lot of hotel rooms," he said.

The Star Destroyer chose that moment to produce a massive backfire. It didn't happen often, but when it did, the car was suffused with exhaust smell until Jonah put the windows down.

"... mostly," he said sheepishly, pressing the power window switch.

3.04

Willow knew that Jonah's parents were... "well-off." Years of training from her mother made her reluctant to use the word "rich," even in her own head, because of the implied judgment. Besides, she got the impression that they weren't, as Aunt Pam would put it, "rich rich," and therefore less deserving of scorn.

Jonah's parents lived in Evanston, and Willow enjoyed the trip up Lakeshore Drive, her ears flapping and the wind blowing through her fur as she watched the trees roll by, blazing with fall colors. Eventually, the Star Destroyer pulled up in front of a house that she thought was a surprisingly reasonable size, compared to some of the truly impressive specimens they'd passed elsewhere in the neighborhood. Still, looking at the house, thinking about what was coming, made her tense. Jonah noticed, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, pulling her close to kiss the side of her face.

"Hey," he said. "It'll be fine. Really."

She straightened, and took a deep breath, facing him with a nervous smile. But her ears only managed to stand up halfway, betraying her lack of confidence, and she felt her tail press itself downward against her body. "Okay," she said.

"Sarah is here, too," he said. "I've told her all about you, and she can't wait to meet you. That should help."

Willow wasn't sure how comforting that was. Whenever she asked Jonah about his sister, he always insisted that they had a great relationship. But Willow remembered enough offhand comments to believe that they actually ran hot and cold. She wasn't sure at all how that would translate into what Sarah might think of her.

They were most of the way up the front stairs when the door opened, and a short, thin woman with gray hair burst out onto the top step, arms wide, calling, "Hi! Oh, hello!"

Willow gave a start, and had to adjust her grip on the casserole dish to keep from dropping it, suddenly keenly aware of her wobbliness in climbing the stairs in heels, the tight dress restricting her movement. She immediately forced her expression away from worry, into something she hoped was open, friendly and positive. "Mrs. Rook... hi."

"Oh, Willow, please, it's Barbara... or Barb," she corrected, then laughed suddenly, apparently at how silly it was that people called her "Barb" when her name was actually "Barbara."

Aunt Pam is gonna get along great with Barb, Willow thought. Barbara Rook guided her gently by the elbow, the rest of the way up the stairs and into the house.

"Oh, my... your fur is so pretty! I hope it's all right to say that."

Willow was a little surprised, but certainly not insulted. "Uh, no, that's fine," she said. "Thank you. Your house is lovely," she continued automatically, before really getting a chance to look around.

Jonah's father Ike stood in the living room, a short, pleasant-faced man with a fringe of white hair ringing his head. Next to him was a young human woman with straight brown hair, who had to be Jonah's sister Sarah. Ike made a playful show of being overly surprised to see Willow. Sarah smiled warmly and was starting to greet her, when Barbara spoke to her.

"Sarah, would you take that to the kitchen for Willow, please?" She gestured at the casserole dish.

Willow was startled when she saw a hint of irritation flash across Sarah's face, probably too subtle for most people to notice. But because it matched Jonah's irritated look exactly, it was perfectly clear to her. Sarah took the casserole dish from Willow and headed into the kitchen.

Suddenly, Willow noticed that Sarah's feet were bare. Which led to the realization that Barbara was barefoot too. As was Ike, whose baroque collection of bunions and gnarled toes suggested pale pink tree roots.

Jonah shut the front door and came over to give his mother a brief hug.

"Shoes off, Jonah," said Barbara, "and take Willow's for her too. We want her to feel at home."

Jonah smiled at Willow and rolled his eyes. She awkwardly stepped out of her shoes and handed them to him, the tips of her ears getting warm. He seemed unaware of her discomfort, which felt very strange -- he could often tell how she was feeling because of the way she took a single breath.

"Uh, thank you Mrs... uh, Barbara. Barb," said Willow. "That's really nice, but you didn't have to..."

"Oh, nonsense," said Barbara. "It's no trouble. Probably easier on the carpet, too."

Then Willow watched wide-eyed, as Barbara slowly eased herself downwards, to sit on the floor.

Sarah had just returned from the kitchen. "Mom... what are you doing?" she asked in disbelief.

Barbara looked up at her daughter, confused. "I'm just trying to make Willow more comfortable..."

"I'm pretty sure Willow uses furniture," Sarah said. She turned to Willow, as Jonah stepped forward to help Barbara into a nearby armchair.

"I'm Sarah," she said, eyes bright, offering Willow a hug. "Sorry..." she continued.

"It's okay, really. It's uh, a nice gesture," Willow said awkwardly, forcing a smile. "But, yes, I do use furniture, at home, all the time, to sit on." She stopped herself before she dragged the uncomfortable sentence out even longer.

Sarah hugged Jonah next, but Willow noticed that she gave him an annoyed look first, this one not so subtle. Jonah and Sarah embraced, but before they parted, there was some kind of momentary, silent communication. Willow was fascinated... her family never hesitated to say anything aloud, regardless of the circumstances.

They settled in around the living room. Willow had hoped to be next to Jonah, but he sat on the couch, flanked by his father and his sister, leaving her in an armchair by herself. The image of Barbara -- Barb -- trying to sit on the floor was stuck in her mind, making her uncomfortable. But at least it seemed like Barb and Ike and Sarah liked her.

She finally got a good look at her surroundings. Everything was nicely decorated, if heavy on knick-knacks, and absolutely of their parents' generation. Her own mom would think it looked stylish, but a little too formal, not quite homey enough.

And her dad... well, he'd probably ignore the furnishings altogether, and focus entirely on the people. It was how he was... something she wished she had more of in her own personality.

The sudden thought about her father stung. She tried to put him out of her head. Barb was asking a question.

"So, Jonah tells me you graduated from the University of Chicago, with a degree in English. Is that right?"

"Uh, yeah. That's right." Her mind buzzed, trying to come up with details about her college education that someone else might be interested in. "I, uh, got a partial scholarship from a program the NEA has," she said. "I wrote a series of essays in high school, and was lucky enough to get it."

Jonah smiled proudly at her, and the rest of his family looked impressed. She allowed herself a smile -- she almost didn't mention the scholarship, afraid that it would seem like bragging, or approval-seeking. Ten points for Gryffindor, she thought.

"And UC's student body is primarily human, isn't it?" Barb was asking, with a smile.

"I... believe so," Willow said, taken aback a little. In fact she knew it was, because she and the other anthros were a definite minority on campus. It wasn't something she thought about very much, and she couldn't figure out why Barb would mention it.

"Well, that's just wonderful," Barb said, beaming at her. "To succeed in those circumstances... that's just great."

Willow froze, unsure how to respond. She was proud of earning her degree, but she didn't see it as some kind of blow for civil rights, as Barb seemed to think it was.

But before she could figure out how to respond, or whether to respond at all, Barb was off again, telling her about Sarah and Jonah's college careers. Willow was grateful to have the weight of the conversation lifted off her for a bit, nodding and smiling and glancing at Jonah and his sister at the appropriate moments, largely on autopilot.

"Well," said Barb after a bit. "Shall we?" Everyone rose and began to move towards the dining room. "I can't wait to see what Willow brought for us," Barb continued. "Something with carrots, perhaps? That would be lovely."

"Uh," said Willow. "S-sorry, no. Just green bean casserole. Bacon, slivered almonds, fried onions. You know, this is the one time of year you have something to use fried onions for." She smiled, hoping to get a laugh from that. She thought she heard a chuckle from Jonah, but Sarah looked frustrated, and Barb simply looked surprised.

"Oh, bacon? Well... that sounds lovely." Ike and Willow sat at the dinner table, Jonah pushing Willow's chair in before going to help his sister and his mother bring the food in from the kitchen.

She was surprised to discover that every single dish Barb served was vegetarian. The turkey was actually sculpted from tofu, something she'd heard of, but never actually seen.

Jonah's not vegetarian, she thought, confused, worrying about the bacon she'd put in the casserole. There's no way he wouldn't tell me if his family--

The realization hit her like a phaser on stun. The Rook family wasn't vegetarian. Barb had assumed that Willow was vegetarian. Because she was a rabbit.

She looked around the table. Barb and Ike were behaving completely normally, while Sarah looked like she was trying to Force-choke Jonah. He finally seemed to realize the awkwardness around the table, and that Willow was uncomfortable. He'd barely spoken since they'd arrived, but now he suddenly started going on and on about Willow, and how they'd met, and what a talented artist and writer she was.

It was sweet, and thoughtful, and exactly what she didn't want right now. Instead of attention, she would have preferred a nice big thunderclap, or a UFO sighting, or something else distracting enough that she could slip under the table and vanish.

But it did get conversation started, at least, leading to some stories from Barb and Ike about Jonah and Sarah as children, allowing Willow to talk a little about her own mother and sisters.

The food was a bit bland -- Jonah must have picked up his fear of over-seasoning from his mother. She was glad there would be real turkey and ham at her mother's house later on, and mashed potatoes that tasted like garlic and butter and salt, instead of like just... potatoes.

Sarah was talking about her own work as a third-grade teacher when Willow suddenly felt a touch on her ear, a gentle stroke.

Sarah froze mid-sentence. "MOM!" she said.

Willow froze, her mouth open. She suddenly realized that it was Barb who had touched her ear, on her way back to her seat.

Barb smiled shyly at her. "Oh... I'm sorry, Willow. Your fur is just so nice and soft... I got curious, and I guess I couldn't help myself."

"I... uh, that's... it's okay," Willow stumbled.

"No it isn't!" Sarah said. "Willow... you don't have to say that. Mom, you don't touch people without their permission!" Willow could picture a class full of eight-year-olds freezing solid at that tone.

Sarah turned to glare at Jonah, who looked terrified. "Uh, yeah," he said, his voice different, smaller. "You know, Mom, you really shouldn't do that. I don't think..."

"Yeah, Barb, what are you thinkin'?" Ike cut in, laughing. He looked at Willow, his merry eyes crinkling at the corners like Jonah's, only much more pronounced. "I'm sorry about her. She's a real ditz, sometimes."

Barb shrugged, giving a silly, self-deprecating look. "Guilty!" she said. "I'm so sorry, Willow. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of... of course," she said. She honestly didn't know how she felt about the touch, or Barb, or Ike, or any of it, just that she was willing to say or do absolutely anything to make it stop.

"I need to make a call," said Sarah, leaving the table and heading towards the living room. Willow turned to Jonah, who now looked very upset. His eyes darted between Willow and his parents, but he still said nothing.

They made it through the rest of the meal. Willow's green bean casserole received rave reviews, with no further mention of the presence of bacon or the lack of carrots. And the pumpkin pie was good, at least. Sarah didn't return to the table, and no one mentioned her absence or how long she'd been gone, which almost felt creepy. Willow was pretty sure it wasn't the first time Sarah had stormed out of a family meal.

As soon as everyone started to get up, Ike corralled Jonah, leading him out of the room. "Hey," he said. "I need your help with the computer. It's the damnedest thing..."

Willow started to help clear dishes, when Barb stopped her, smiling but firm. "No... I won't hear of it. You're a guest. You go relax."

Barb went into the kitchen. Willow was trying to decide whether to insist, when she heard a voice from across the room. "She won't let you help," Sarah said. "She's always been like that. It's a martyr thing, I think."

Willow turned, uncertain what to say, but Sarah was smiling. "Hey, you want to see the neatest teenager's room in recorded history?"

She led Willow upstairs. "They keep it exactly like he left it," she said, opening a door. Her tone gained a hint of darkness. "My room is Dad's office now."

Willow looked around, astonished. The room was smartly arranged and perfectly organized, barely even a speck of dust. "It's... exactly like his room at our place," she said.

Sarah laughed. "That doesn't surprise me," she said, then paused a moment, growing more serious. "Hey, look, Willow..."

Sarah sat on the bed, and gestured for Willow to join her. "First, I am so glad Jonah found you. You are nothing like the kind of woman I'd expect him to get involved with, and I very much mean that as a compliment."

Willow looked confused, and Sarah continued. "He's always been so serious, so withdrawn, so grim," she said. "I always thought when he found someone... if he found someone... that they'd be all uptight and humorless. But you... you're good for him. He's been telling me about you since the two of you moved in together, and he's more... alive when he talks about you than I've ever seen him."

Willow smiled, almost breathless. She felt tears start in the corners of her eyes. "I don't know what to say," she said.

Her keen ears could hear Jonah and Ike talking over Ike's computer issues in the next room. "And I'm so, so sorry," Sarah continued. "About my parents, but also my brother. He just... won't stand up to them. He's never been able to."

Willow thought about how Jonah's face looked, and she ached with sympathy. "He looked scared," she said.

Sara sighed. "Yeah. Our parents... they weren't exactly very forthcoming, with love, or approval. It made me want to get out of this house as soon as possible. But for Jonah... he just kept trying to make them happy." She shrugged.

"Well," said Willow. "It's hard sometimes, with parents. I can't exactly expect him to punch them."

Sarah laughed, but looked confused. Willow briefly described their encounter with the human-supremacist Darwins at the Ravenswood street fair, and how Jonah broke the nose of someone who threatened her.

Sarah's eyes went wide. "I saw that on the news!" she said. "That was you... that was him? Jonah? My brother?"

Willow nodded, as Sarah stared in disbelief.

More conversation from the next room reached her ears. It seemed like Ike liked to share email jokes with his friends, and he'd clicked on something that gave his computer a virus. Jonah, of course, had a flash drive in his pocket with security software, and was running a scan.

"So..." Willow heard Ike say. "A rabbit, huh? I bet you're tired all the time!"

Willow suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Her ears drooped. She heard Jonah say, "Dad, don't say things like that. That's not..."

Ike cut him off, his tone mostly affable, but also with a bit of a warning. "Hey, I'm just kiddin'. You know that. Willow's great. I'm not racist."

Willow's face and ears burned hot. She couldn't help think about how many times she and Jonah had been intimate since they admitted how they felt about each other... but that was because of six months of sexual tension finally being released. And because she loved him, and wanted him, so, so much. Not because she was a rabbit.

But that's apparently what Jonah's parents thought.

She forced herself to stop listening. Sarah was looking at her, concerned. "Willow? What's wrong?"

She managed a weak smile. "No, it's fine. Too much tofurkey, I guess."

"A sentence no one has said, ever," Sarah said, with a half-grin, but she didn't press.

"I think," said Willow, standing, "I think I'm going to wait in the car, until Jonah's done. We have to get out to my mom's house. Thank you. I mean..." she met Sarah's eyes. "Really, thanks."

"Thank you, for turning my brother into a Real Boy," Sarah said with a grin. "And hey, you can call or text me any time, like if you want to vent. I know how infuriating he can be."

Willow retreated to the car to wait for Jonah. She didn't feel great slipping out without saying goodbye to Barb or Ike personally, but she just couldn't face them. Sarah said she'd tell them Willow wasn't feeling well.

She saw Jonah come out, returning to give Barb several goodbye hugs and answer several last-minute questions. It was obvious that he wanted to get to the car, and to Willow, but Barb kept thinking of one last thing to draw him back. Finally he made it to the street, and got into the car, his face full of concern.

"Willow," he said. "Are you okay?" He looked closely at her.

She shifted in her seat. "Better now," she said, with a weak smile.

As he turned to coax the Star Destroyer to life once more, Ike's comment suddenly echoed in her head, giving her stomach another squeeze. She considered bringing it up with Jonah, but remembered that he didn't grow up in a house where it was taken for granted that everyone heard everything. She decided to let it be.

They were both uncharacteristically quiet as the Star Destroyer prowled the streets of Evanston on its way back to Lakeshore Drive.

Eventually, Jonah said, "I'm sorry. About them. About how they behaved. They, uh..."

Apparently no justification he came up with felt valid, because he trailed off. Willow didn't speak.

"I know that Sarah wants to have it out with them," he said, "about everything. She wants a big UFC match in the living room where she defeats them and forces them to yield."

Willow had to smile at the mental image. "I'd buy a ticket to that," she said.

Jonah sighed, and didn't say anything for a bit. "Confronting them doesn't work. It never has. They just shut down." He frowned. "I'm going to email them," he said, determination in his voice. "Get my foot in the door, start working on them. I'll get through to them."

Willow watched him. She was sure he meant every word. And she was also sure that it wouldn't make any difference.

Eventually she said, "Jonah?"

He looked over at her.

"Do you care that I'm a rabbit?"

He focused on the road. "That... feels like a trap."

She laughed, despite herself. "It's not! I'm just curious."

"Of course I don't care about that," he said.

Well flick, Willow thought. It actually was a trap. I just didn't realize it.

They drove the rest of the way in silence.

3.05

The Love family home was in a Chicago suburb named Dalby, but it was one of those places where actually calling it a "suburb" might start a fight. Dalby's residents still thought of it as rural, despite the proximity of the expressways and Target.

The house itself sat on a large-ish plot of land that had actually once been a farm, though it hadn't been used for that purpose since well before Willow's family moved in. It was set far back from the road, and the long driveway was gravel, with sturdy boards that bridged a culvert. Though the boards had held up fine for decades, Willow wasn't eager to see if they could support the Star Destroyer, so she had Jonah park well away from the house.

Willow looked at Jonah as they walked, and he smiled back, but she could still sense his nervousness.

"Hey," she said. "It'll be fine. Really."

Jonah grinned at hearing his own words repeated to him, and put a hand on her shoulder, silently confessing that she'd read him right.

The contrast between the quiet outside and the avalanche of sensations that met them once the door opened was startling even for Willow, who'd been expecting it. The sights, sounds, and smells enveloped her like a warm blanket. She tended to forget how comforting it felt, to see her extended family, and know she had a connection with every single one of them, even the ones she rarely saw.

They stepped inside, and she imagined experiencing the scene through Jonah's eyes and ears: loud conversation everywhere, laughter, children running and playing and fighting. She saw Jonah freeze, his eyes darting around the room, as he took it all in.

Some of her nieces and nephews were chasing one another through the house, and one ran into Jonah's leg, stopping to goggle up at him before racing off again.

She realized that it was exactly like the stereotype of every rabbit family gathering on TV or in film: chaos, noise, bodies, movement, everywhere. Way too many people, comically so. And the smell she found so comforting... was it only her keener nose that was aware of it? Did he hate the smell? Did he hate how she smelled?

She looked at Jonah. "You okay?" she said, raising her voice to cover her own nervousness.

He turned to her and smiled. "Yeah, of course," he said, but she wasn't sure what to make of his expression.

She wondered what Barb and Ike might say, and her stomach felt sour.

But she pushed those thoughts out of her head, leading Jonah over to Aunt Pam and Uncle Mitch. Jonah already knew Mitch because he was their landlord. Pam was holding a glass of wine that was definitely not her first, and she'd talk enough for everyone, so Jonah shouldn't be too uncomfortable until she got back from the kitchen.

She dropped her green bean casserole with the rest of the food, the wonderful aromas of her mother's cooking making her almost weak with hunger. As she headed back into the living room, her younger sister Colette grabbed her arm.

Colette looked almost exactly like Willow, white fur with black spots, blue eyes and all, though not burdened with glasses, at least not yet. She was just shorter, and much to Willow's chagrin, had narrower hips.

"Hey Will," said Colette, grinning conspiratorially. She nodded towards the middle of the room, where Jonah stood out amidst the rest of the family like Chewbacca among the Ewoks on Endor. A few of her relatives were slightly taller, but only if ears counted. If not, he easily had at least a foot on everyone. "So, that's him, huh?"

Willow looked blank. "That guy? Never seen him before in my life," she said, grinning. "God, I hope our family doesn't manage to send him running away screaming."

Colette watched Jonah chatting with Pam for a moment, and the attraction in her subtle smile wasn't lost on Willow. "He seems to be doing fine," she said. "How was it meeting his family?"

Willow was still thinking about how to answer when Colette whistled. "Wow, that bad, huh? Sorry. But anyway, here's something fun." She tossed a brief glance over her shoulder. "Candace is back there. Notice who isn't?"

Willow looked, seeing Candace furiously complaining about something to her twin Caitlin, who was listening sympathetically.

"Where's her husband?" Willow said. "That holier-than-thou, sexist piece of shit? The one that she supposedly has a perfect rabbit marriage with? What's his name, Damien?"

"Damon," Colette said gleefully, nodding. "He didn't come. They must have fought about it, because Candace is pissed. "

Generally speaking, Willow didn't go in much for schadenfreude. But Candace had spent a lifetime honing her skills as a superior, judgmental bitch, with Willow serving as her primary whetstone. Willow couldn't help but smile.

Colette noticed. "It's the little joys in life that keep you going, isn't it?" she said, smugly.

Willow laughed. "Okay. Gotta go rescue Jonah from Pam."

She started to make her way across the room, only to find Colette tagging along close behind. "Hey, I wanna meet him!"

Willow had a sudden flash of memory of little Colette, always wanting to tag along with big sister Willow, because Candace and Caitlin were mean. And despite some initial eye-rolling from Willow, the two of them always did have fun. Plus, Colette always said Willow had the best toys.

Then she turned and saw grown-up, college-aged Colette, who was definitely not little any more.

"Do not flirt with my boyfriend," Willow warned.

Colette's ears rose to full height as she rested a delicate hand on her own chest, eyes wide, feigning shock. "Me?" she said. "I would never."

Willow looked skeptical. They were close enough to Pam and Jonah for her to pick up a snippet of conversation.

"This must be very different for you," Pam was saying, in a teasing tone. "There's a whole lot of rabbit in this room!"

Jonah laughed. "It's wonderful," he said.

Willow froze. Wonderful? she thought.

"I love my family," Jonah continued, "but I don't have that many relatives, and we're all pretty quiet. This is just... so full of life, and energy, and fun. It reminds me of Willow, actually."

Pam laughed and responded with something about the house being crazy, but Willow couldn't make it out. She felt happy tears pressing at the corners of her eyes.

Life. Energy. Fun. Wonderful. Like... me?

"Willow?" Colette was trying to get her attention. "What did you hear? I didn't catch it. Is everything okay?"

"Um, yeah," she said, smiling, pushing away the tears with the heel of one paw. "It's... really great, actually. Come meet Jonah."

3.06

Willow led Jonah around the room, with Colette in tow, introducing him to one relative after another, a cousin here, an aunt or uncle there. Jonah asked if anyone was actually a second cousin, or a great-uncle or such.

"My family doesn't really worry about... um, 'relative taxonomy,' I guess you could call it?" said Willow. "It's too much of a pain to keep straight for everyone. If they're about the same age as me, we're cousins. Older, aunt or uncle. Kids? Niece or nephew."

Colette leaned in. "Oh, and don't worry too much about remembering names," she said conspiratorially. "A lot of these folks we only see once or twice a year."

Willow nodded in agreement. "If you can remember Pam and Mitch, and Mom's name, you're good."

"Your mom is Caroline," Jonah said confidently. "And I know Colette of course, and your older sisters are Candace and Caitlin, the twins." He grinned. "I imagine you'll have to tell me which is which. Or do you have trouble knowing?"

Willow grinned back weakly, her ears drooping just a bit. "Oh, I know," she said. "The moment either one of them opens their mouth."

"You can probably tell by the clothes," said Colette. "Caitlin is so absorbed by her career that we don't think she actually owns anything but business suits. And ever since Candace started trying to be an influencer, she dresses... how would you describe it, Will?"

Willow wrinkled her nose, thinking. "I dunno. 'Slutty Holly Hobbie?'"

Colette laughed. But Jonah snorted.

Willow jumped. He'd never, ever done that. He loved her jokes, always laughed, but she'd never heard him actually snort before.

The noise drew the attention of a few nearby relatives, so he tried to contain himself. "Well, that should be hard to miss."

Willow kept steering them through the room, introducing Jonah to more relatives. Many seemed just as surprised to see that Willow had a boyfriend as they were to see a human, but at least no one was rude about either.

Until they got to Candace, that is.

Willow saw her talking with Caitlin when they were still halfway across the room. Sure enough, Caitlin was wearing an elegant, expensive-looking navy dress that could easily be worn in a boardroom. And Candace wore a dress straight out of Little House on the Prairie, but tight, particularly in the waist, with a fairly immodest neckline. Willow knew her cleavage had to be provided by a push-up bra. Her bright red lipstick contrasted sharply against the white fur of her face.

Willow managed to hear a little of Candace's complaints to Caitlin as they approached. Damon apparently felt, as "the husband," that it was important they go to his family's house for the entire day, and that because she was his wife, she didn't really need to have much connection to her own family any more. Candace apparently disagreed, considering she was here.

Willow was disgusted by Damon's behavior, but not terribly surprised.

When they approached, Caitlin, at least, was perfectly polite, smiling and offering her paw for Jonah to shake, saying it was nice to meet him. She might have meant it, or she might have just been checking off the boxes of expected behavior. With Caitlin, you never knew.

Candace, on the other hand, behaved very much as if Willow had brought an actual Wookiee into the family home. She stopped speaking mid-sentence, staring up at Jonah as he exchanged pleasantries with Caitlin. When he turned to her and Willow introduced him, she continued to stare for a moment.

"Oh. Oh... hello," she said. "I actually didn't know that Willow had a... a boyfriend." The word "human" was absent from her sentence, but it might as well have been a flashing neon sign above her ears.

She didn't offer to shake. Jonah still said it was a pleasure to meet her. That settled one more question Willow had always had about him, that he was actually capable of lying. Candace didn't say anything else beyond a grunt of acknowledgment.

Willow had spent her whole life under Candace's thumb. She knew she shouldn't let the rudeness get to her, and didn't really expect anything different. Still, she felt her ears droop, the tips growing hot along with her face, as she took Jonah's hand to lead him away.

While they were still within earshot. Candace said to Caitlin, "I just... can't believe she brought him."

Colette looked over her shoulder at Candace. "At least he came," she said.

Candace huffed and stormed out of the room. Nice one, Col, Willow thought.

Willow suddenly stopped, realizing that there was only one more person Jonah needed to meet. It hadn't occurred to her until this very moment to think about how that might go.

"What's wrong?" said Jonah.

"Nothing," Willow replied hurriedly. "We just, uh..."

Jonah grinned. "It's time to meet your mother, isn't it?"

"Um," said Willow, and nodded.

"I can't wait," Jonah said. "I assume that's her, over by the table? Flowered dress, white fur?"

"You don't have to... I mean, if you want to take a moment..."

But Jonah was already moving quickly but politely through the crowd of relatives towards Caroline Love, leaving Willow to scurry behind him. She caught up just as he was getting Caroline's attention.

Willow watched the emotions play over her mother's face. First surprise, at Jonah's presence, and his height. And then, as her eyes moved up and down, taking him in, she gave a wide smile.

"Well, Jonah, it is just so nice to meet you! Willow's told me about you, but I had no idea you were... so tall!"

Willow frowned at the hesitation. But unlike Candace, the word her mother had bailed on wasn't "human." Willow thought about it. No, it was something more like... "Not some slacker loser that I'd expect my failure-to-launch daughter to end up with."

But she had to be honest with herself. It was a real relief that her mother approved -- not only of Jonah in particular, but of any choice she'd made. It felt better than it should have, in fact. She'd spent years trying to teach herself not to worry what other people thought of her, particularly her older sisters and her mother. That had gotten... a lot harder, once her dad wasn't in the picture any more.

Willow knew that despite the fact that Jonah's default setting in social situations was usually "Standby," he could turn on the charm when he needed to. He said it was the acting and improv classes he'd taken in college.

She'd seen him use this skill a few times, and it was in overdrive as he spoke to Willow's mother. Staying focused on her eyes, taking her hand in both of his. She seemed absolutely charmed by him, almost giddy.

"It is so very, very wonderful to meet you Mrs. Love." he said, his voice smooth and warm, like it was when he spoke to Willow privately.

He remembered that she hates being referred to as 'Ms.', Willow noted, relieved.

Jonah went on to compliment Caroline's home, her dress, and the wonderful smell of the food. He went on to say how lucky he was to have found Willow, and how much he appreciated being invited for Thanksgiving.

Caroline turned, her hands still in Jonah's, favoring Willow with the kind of smile she rarely got to see. She whispered directly at her daughter, too faintly for Jonah's ears to pick up.

"Marry him."

Willow's ears flared deep pink, and she could feel her face grow hot again.

Caroline excused herself, almost reluctantly it seemed, and announced that dinner was served.

3.07

There was one large table in the dining room, and two pushed-together card tables served as a kids table in the family room. Caroline sat at the head of the adult table, flanked by Willow, Jonah and Colette near her on one side, with Caitlin, Candace, Pam and Mitch on the other. Various relatives filled out the rest of the chairs.

The food was wonderful. In addition to her mother's roast turkey and traditional sides, several guests had brought dishes. Candace had made stuffed butternut squash, and Willow had to admit it was really good.

The conversation flowed freely, with Caroline and Pam asking Jonah about his job, Colette talking about her freshman year, and Caitlin sharing stories about a recent work trip to Japan. Candace glossed over whatever drama she was facing with her husband, and instead talked about her content creation and social media follower counts. Willow was tense whenever Candace spoke, expecting her to cause some fuss regarding Jonah, or at the very least, passively-aggressively put her down. But it seemed she'd decided to play nice.

Willow talked a bit about her work at the comics shop, but also mentioned that Jonah was encouraging her to try to pursue her art and writing more. Her mother had always considered these frivolous, pointless pursuits, but apparently she was taken enough with Jonah that when the suggestion was coming from him, it seemed brilliant. She tried not to be too irritated by that.

Then, when there was a brief lull in conversation, Candace said, "So, Willow, what made you decide to date a human?"

Colette choked on her drink, and a cousin sitting next to her patted her on the back. Caroline turned to look at Candace, her expression unreadable. Willow just stared, as Candace regarded her calmly, taking a sip of wine.

Willow tried to fight the frustration and anger she felt rising inside, tried to keep her ears upright instead of letting them flatten. Still, she stuttered. "I... it wasn't, I just... I chose Jonah because I chose Jonah. That's all."

Colette's cough and Willow's strained answer had gotten the attention of several other relatives at the table, who turned to listen.

"Oh," said Candace. "Sorry, it's just that I worry about you, little sister. You know you don't always think things through." She paused, feigning concern. "I just wanted to make sure you were with someone who could... understand you as well as another rabbit."

Willow drew a sharp breath, her ears turning red. "Jonah understands me better than anyone else ever has," she spat. "Since..."

Since Dad, she thought, but she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Sadness churned with the anger inside her and she struggled not to cry. Not here, she begged herself. Not in front of her.

Candace waved a carefully-manicured paw dismissively. "Oh, look, Willow, don't get upset. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with..." she paused, obviously having forgotten Jonah's name.

"Jonah," Willow said icily.

"... with Jonah. He seems like a perfectly nice, uh, human man. I'm just saying, there's no reason you couldn't be dating a rabbit." She looked into space, suddenly remembering. "Wait, you did have a rabbit boyfriend once, a while ago. His name was David, wasn't it?"

Every set of eyes at the table swiveled towards Willow, who regarded her older sister coldly. Her ears swiveled backward, pressed close to her skull.

"David got angry at me and hit me," she said, slowly. "He gave me a black eye."

An alarmed murmur ran along the table. Jonah gave a start but didn't say anything, and she realized she'd never told him about David, which made her feel a little bit guilty.

Caroline looked at Willow in surprise. "David did that to you?" she said. "You never told me..."

Willow's eyes remained fixed on Candace. "I, uh, handled it, Mom."

"Well..." Candace began, then paused, while tense silence settled over the table. She was obviously considering how to react to this revelation. She appeared to come to a decision, a smirk settling on her face. "You have to admit, you can be pretty frustrating sometimes," she said airily, looking around the table as if she expected a laugh.

Gasps and shocked chatter began, then suddenly ceased as Willow stood up, bumping the table and causing it to shake. Aunt Pam grabbed and steadied her wineglass with the reflexes of a fighter pilot.

Willow said nothing. She glared at Candace for a moment, then walked out of the room. A moment later, the front door could be heard opening, then slamming.

All attention turned to Jonah.

He froze for a moment, his eyes wide. Then he took a deep breath, gathering himself, and stood up, careful not to bump the table. He turned and nodded at Willow's mother.

"Thank you, Mrs. Love, for a wonderful meal," he said calmly. Caroline beamed back at him, her white ears standing straight up. He looked around, taking in the other members of Willow's family. Candace wouldn't meet his eyes, and was instead casting worried glances at her mother, her own ears hanging limp. He also noticed the big grin on Colette's face, which stood out like a spotlight among the concerned expressions at the table.

"It was very nice meeting all of you."

Silence, and stares. Colette, still grinning, gave him a small wave.

The air in the room was growing more stale and awkward by the second.

"I have to go now."

He left, making sure to push in both his and Willow's chairs before leaving.

3.08

Willow had opened the tailgate of the station wagon, and was sitting on it when Jonah reached her. Her ears drooped, and her feet were still bare, her shoes tossed in the back. She watched him approach, then hopped onto the ground to stand in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her, and they embraced silently.

She turned her face upward and kissed him, looking deep into his eyes. Then she hiked up her skirt to climb into the back of the station wagon, where she'd spread out the soft, thick blanket Jonah kept there. She looked at him pointedly, and he followed, climbing in behind her.

She crawled over to shut the tailgate and rear window of the station wagon and returned to him, resting her forehead against his. Her right ear was nearly straight upright, the left about halfway.

"I want you to make me forget," she said quietly. "I want to forget everything about this day. Make me forget my own name."

"Willow..." Jonah said, gently.

Her voice grew more intense. "Jonah, I... I need everything in the world to go away, except for you and me," she said, meeting his eyes. "Please."

He nodded, and took her face in his hands, kissing her gently at first, then more deeply, his tongue slipping between her lips. Warmth began to grow inside her chest. Her left ear stood up.

His hands slid down the fur of her neck, under the shoulders of her dress, easing it off her body. He hooked the straps of her bra with his little fingers and pulled them down over her arms. He began to kiss her cheek, her jawline, down her neck, to her bare shoulders. She shuddered, goosebumps sprouting on her arms.

Something inside her suddenly caught fire, the growing heat inside her bursting into flame. Her paws grasped at him, finding the buttons on his shirt, undoing them almost frantically, until she could finally pull the shirt off over his head and fling it into the back seat. She threw her arms around him, pressing her face to his chest and kissing his skin, inhaling his scent deeply, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek. Her tail thumped against the bed of the station wagon, muffled by the blanket.

She felt his hands on her thighs now, sliding upward, peeling her dress off. She luxuriated in the feeling of his fingers moving through her fur, of him exposing more and more of her, until impatience got the better of her. She yanked the dress off over her head and tossed it into the back seat, followed quickly by her panties.

When she tried to throw her bra behind her, a strap caught on one ear, and it dropped down onto her head, the left cup covering her face like a mask, leaving only her eyes visible.

They stared at one another. Jonah's face threatened to crack at any moment.

She slowly, daintily, lifted the bra off her face, sliding the strap carefully over the top of her ear, and folded it neatly before tossing it into the back seat.

She looked at him, her tone stern. "Don't you laugh," she said. "Don't you dare flicking laugh, this is serious..."

Then Jonah's arms were tight around her naked body, making her squeal, pressing her breasts and the fur of her belly against his skin as he lowered her to the soft blanket. She exploded in giggles and her body convulsed with laughter. Her breasts rubbed against his chest, her nipples getting harder and more sensitive from the contact.

He laid her down gently and undressed himself the rest of the way, tossing his clothes in the back seat, all while looking her in the eyes with mock seriousness. She watched, smiling and unashamed as his cock came out, half-hard but quickly growing and stiffening. She wrapped a paw around it as soon as he was close enough. She stroked his shaft as he hovered over her, and he grunted with pleasure.

Then his hands were on her breasts, caressing and squeezing. She put her free paw over his hand, encouraging him to squeeze harder. He did, and made her gasp and jump when he pinched her nipples.

She threw one arm around his neck and pulled him close, kissing him roughly and sucking his tongue, making a popping sound when she released it. His scent was so strong and pervasive it felt like it was inside her head.

"Take me," she whispered urgently. "Please."

No teasing this time, no hesitation. She felt the head of his hard cock rub against her slick pussy lips once or twice before slipping deep inside. She wasn't quite ready and it hurt just a little, but in this moment even the hurt felt good. He hesitated when she winced, but her paws found his butt and grabbed it, pulling him deeper in, urging him on, her claws gently scratching his skin.

He began to move, driving into her slowly and deeply, while she thrust her hips upwards against him, wanting him even deeper. He ran one hand up the fur of her belly, over her breast, cupping her face as he kissed her again. She kissed back almost desperately, as if he was giving her the air she needed to breathe.

His voice was low and rough, his lips moving against her mouth as he spoke. "Oh, fuck, Willow... my Willow..." he said.

His lips brushing against her mouth and his deep voice resonating in her chest made her tingle everywhere. It was like in fourth grade science class, when she'd gotten to stand with her paw on top of a Van de Graaf generator, while every single bit of her fur stood up on end.

"H-harder," she whispered. "Please, harder."

His next thrust made her cry out, her claws clenching the blanket beneath her. Afraid her cry would make him hold back, she gasped out a "Yes!" and grabbed him tightly, knowing her claws were leaving marks on his skin but unable to stop herself.

The tension in her body coiled tighter with every movement. She heard herself moan at each new thrust, the pitch getting higher and higher, but it felt like the sound was coming from a distance. She was looking at his face, and she lived there now, in his eyes. She was his, and he was hers, and that was all of everything.

The tension in her body passed the breaking point and she erupted, calling out his name, almost screaming, squeezing him, clutching him desperately. She felt Jonah pin her down with one final, brutal, loving thrust, as he shouted her name, and she felt him throb and explode inside her, so deep. For a few eternal moments they were frozen, together, connected.

He collapsed onto her, catching himself just enough to not hurt her, and she pulled him close, fingers of one paw stroking his hair. She was suddenly keenly aware of every tiny sensation, Jonah's weight on top of her, the pressure of him still inside her, the blanket against her back and tail and limp ears, her claws gently grazing his scalp.

Jonah lifted himself enough to see her face. "Was that good, my Lady Willow?" he panted. "Was it what you..."

He stopped, looking worried. "Are you okay? You're crying. Did I hurt you?"

"No, no," she said, smiling as she felt the warm tears fill her eyes and roll down the fur of her cheeks. Jonah brushed some of them away. "That was... exactly..."

She trailed off, looking at him. "I love you," she said suddenly. "And I don't care about anything else. Nothing else matters. In the whole world."

He smiled, and stroked her ear. "Me too," he said, smiling. "And, uh..."

A noise cut him off. Someone was knocking on the car window.

3.09

Their eyes widened and they stared at each other for a moment. Then, Willow was out from under Jonah like a shot, into the back seat, wriggling into her dress. Once she was covered, she flipped herself over the seat back and dropped into the driver's seat, looking out the window.

Colette was there, looking in, ears perked straight up, shielding her eyes with one paw to get a better view inside the car. An e-cigarette dangled from the fingers of her other paw.

"Colette?" Willow said. She fumbled around the window controls and pressed a switch.

All four windows of the car slid down, accompanied by the sound of struggling electric motors. Colette turned away from Willow suddenly, looking into the back seat.

Willow looked back over her shoulder. Jonah sat there frozen, still naked, some of his clothes gathered in his hands as he prepared to put them on.

Then she looked back at Colette. The tips of her younger sister's ears were turning pink, but she was making absolutely no effort to look away. Her eyes were wide and there was a smile growing on her lips.

Willow swore and found the correct buttons to shut all the windows except the driver's. She looked at Colette, who was staring into space, still very much living inside what she'd just seen.

Colette leaned in closer to Willow. "He's cute," she whispered, smiling. "Uh, what's it like, when you... I mean... is it..."

"Colette..." Willow said, exasperated. "Look, I... just call me sometime, we'll meet for lunch, and I'll tell you all about it."

"Oh, good," came a deep, deadpan voice from the back seat. "I'd hate to think that Liv is the only other person who knows all the intimate details of our sex life." Jonah leaned forward into view, still buttoning his shirt the rest of the way. "Hello, Colette."

Colette giggled. "Hi, Jonah," she said. To Willow, she sounded coy.

"Please don't flirt with him..." Willow began.

"I'm not! I'm just saying hi." She gave Jonah a little wave. Definitely a coy wave.

Colette took a puff of the e-cig, exhaling upward to avoid Willow's face. "I just came out for a vape, and once I got a ways from the house, I saw your car. I didn't know it was yours, though. Why'd you park all the way out here?" A sudden grin sprang up on her face. "Oh, because of the..."

"No," said Willow. "That... wasn't planned. We were afraid the Star Destroyer would take out the bridge over the culvert. Here, gimme." She gestured at the e-cigarette, and Colette handed it to her. Willow took an experimental puff, grimaced, and handed it back.

"Thanks," she said. "Now I know not to do that again."

"They have other flavors," Colette said dismissively. "Anyway, I was going to text later, but I'm glad you're still here. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about how shitty it all turned out today, with Candace."

She leaned into the window to speak directly to Jonah. "The whole family loves you and is happy Willow found you," she said, louder than was strictly necessary. "Even Candace knows you're great. She's just jealous because her husband su-hu-hu-hucks. Sorry she was so racist -- she was never like that before she started on this tradwife influencer bullshit. I mean, she was still a bitch, just... not a racist one."

Colette's focus went back to Willow, and she frowned. "I hate to say this, but when Candace apologizes, you should probably try to make peace, just for Mom's sake."

Willow snorted. "That snow-white bitch has never apologized to anyone in her life," she said.

Colette smirked and enjoyed another puff. "Yeah, well after you and Jonah left, Mom grabbed Candace by the ear and dragged her upstairs for a chat," she said. "You're getting an apology. A high-level one, too. Maybe even in person. Mom was really mad."

"There's an apology hierarchy?" Jonah asked.

"Sure," said Colette, smiling at Jonah and gesturing airily with her free hand. "There's texting, but that almost doesn't even count. Then there's a phone call, an e-mail, a handwritten letter, and then, the highest level, a personal visit." She grinned. "So they can watch you grovel."

Willow unconsciously touched her ear, thinking about how many times her mother had dragged her away for a "chat." She wasn't sure she'd ever seen it happen to Candace, though.

"But that's not the real thing I wanted to talk about." Willow could see Colette's eyes following Jonah, now fully dressed, as he exited the Star Destroyer to come sit in the passenger seat.

"I've been talking to Aunt Pam," she said, her expression growing suddenly serious. "She said..." Colette took another vape, thinking. "Look, you know how Mom divorced Dad because he cheated on her, right?"

Willow's forehead creased. She could feel Jonah beside her, watching silently. "Yeah?"

"Well, it, uh... turns out that isn't the whole story. Dad did cheat, but they were practically divorced by that point anyway. They'd been unhappy for a long time."

Willow froze. Her head spun. "What? I mean, Colette, are you sure?"

Colette nodded. "Aunt Pam said she kept the secret as long as she could, because Mom asked her to," she said. "Mom wanted to keep things simple, and keep us from asking too many questions. Probably was afraid she'd look bad, too. But now that all four of us girls are adults," she gestured to herself, curtsying, "Aunt Pam says she doesn't feel right about us not knowing the truth."

Willow felt wobbly and began to sway a bit. She felt Jonah's hand on her shoulder, steadying her, and put her paw over it.

"We think Mom may have already told Candace and Caitlin," Colette went on. "That may be part of what sent Candace chasing after some fake 'perfect' marriage."

There was silence. Then eventually, Willow spoke.

"All this time," she said weakly. "I was so angry at him. For betraying Mom, and us. For just... not being there any more."

"I know, Will," said Colette sadly. "We all cut him loose, barely talked to him. And he didn't deserve it."

Willow felt like she should be crying, but somehow the pressure of tears behind her eyes wasn't there. She was too confused, still trying to get the idea to fit into her head.

"What was it that made them so unhappy?"

Colette took another puff, suddenly looking more like an adult than Willow had ever seen her, wry and sad. "As it turns out... us."

Willow stared at her sister, confused.

"All four of us. When Candace and Caitlin came along, especially because they were twins, he worked like crazy to keep the family afloat. Mom felt abandoned and forced to do all the childcare herself."

Colette leaned on the car window sill. "Things were more stable by the time you came along. You were a choice, not a surprise." She grinned. "Unlike me. But by that time, Dad was so burnt out from work, and had missed so much time with his other daughters, he absolutely doted on you. Lavished you with attention. Apparently, that didn't go over so well with the other three women in the house."

Willow felt Jonah's arm slip around her shoulders, comforting and solid and warm. She still stared ahead, feeling like she'd looked into the Ark of the Covenant and her face was busy melting.

"Anyway, I guess I was the last straw," Colette said, trying to sound light and casual, and almost succeeding.

"We need to go see him," Willow said suddenly. "Tonight. Jonah, is it okay..."

"Of course it is." He looked at her with a grin as she sat in the driver's seat. "Did you... want to drive?"

"Flick no," Willow said automatically, opening the driver's door. Once she was out, she hugged Colette tightly.

"Thanks for telling me, Col," she said. "God, you're so grown up now -- how are you taking this so well?"

"Weed gummy before I got here," Colette said. "And one on standby in my pocket. A must for any Love family gathering. Tomorrow, I'll be a total wreck."

Willow laughed. "Hey, do you want to come with us?"

Colette's eyes brightened. "Sure!" she said. "Cousin Ophelia brought me. I'll just go back to the house, get my shoes, tell her I have another ride."

Colette took off for the house, and Jonah met Willow at the driver's door. She pulled him close.

"Thank you," she said, looking up at him. "For... everything."

"I'm looking forward to meeting your dad," Jonah said, stroking her ears. "I feel like he's a big reason that you are who you are." He smiled. "So I need to thank him."

She leaned against him, her head on his chest. He continued, hesitantly.

"And, uh... this may not be the best time, but I do want to say something."

Willow looked up, concerned, but Jonah wore a reassuring smile, embarrassment in his eyes.

"I was wrong, earlier, when you asked me if I cared if you were a rabbit," he said. Willow shook her head and started to respond, but he said, "No, please. This isn't just a boyfriend changing his answer because you didn't like what he said the first time. I was wrong."

He sighed. "I was raised that you dealt with racism by pretending race didn't exist," he said. "That somehow, even noticing race was racist in itself. Maybe that was even a good approach, decades ago. I don't know." His voice became frustrated, gaining a touch of bitterness and disappointment. "But you see how my parents ended up. Somehow, they've become the most racist 'non-racist' people you'll ever meet."

He took Willow by the shoulders, looking in her eyes with such sincerity that she almost felt tears starting.

"I love the feeling of your fur against my face, when I kiss your body," he said. "I love the feel of your claws on my skin when you touch me, or run your fingers through my hair. I love stroking your ears." He smirked. "And pulling your tail, of course."

She laughed at that, before focusing on his face, putting her paw on the back of his neck. "I love the taste of your skin, and the way it feels against my face when I lay against your chest," she said. "I love your scent -- god, sometimes I almost feel drunk on it. And kissing... I don't know if it's just you, or all humans, but sometimes when you kiss me, I literally feel weak."

"Oh, that's just me," Jonah said, grinning.

Willow laughed. "I'm even luckier than I thought, then." Her expression became serious. "Look, I'm sorry about all that..."

"No," said Jonah. "You don't need to be. It's important. It's part of who you are. And I love all of you."

"Oh, flick, Jonah..." she said, feeling fluttery inside. She gave him a quick kiss. "Look, if you're trying to get laid again, it's definitely working, but Colette is on her way back any minute..."

He laughed. "I'll take a rain check then. But, Colette should probably ride with me up front on the way to your dad's, while you take the back seat."

She looked at him suspiciously. "... why?"

"So you can put your underwear back on," he said, giving her butt a playful swat before slipping into the front seat of the car.

Willow felt the tips of her ears burn. "Right..." she said, opening the rear car door.

3.10

Bob Love's apartment building wasn't in a bad neighborhood, exactly. The rents were too high to say that. But it was a neighborhood that exuded sadness somehow, with buildings that were originally well-built but now ragged around the edges.

The thing that caught Willow off guard was the door buzzer. LOVE was written in ballpoint in big block letters on a slip of paper next to the button, and she realized it was the first time she'd seen her father's writing in a long time.

Colette reached past her and pressed the button, probably thinking Willow hadn't seen it. "Here," she said impatiently.

There was a seemingly endless pause. And then, a man's voice. "Hello?"

Willow and Colette looked at one another. "Dad?" they said, together.

There was a short vocalization over the speaker, not even a full word, and then the door buzzed. They headed inside, Willow reaching a paw back to take Jonah's hand, before they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Bob Love was there with the door open before they even knocked, a short heavyset rabbit man with an equal mix of black and white in his fur, grinning broadly, eyes wide in disbelief. His ears hung down behind his head.

To Willow, he looked like the building -- not quite himself, shabbier, a bit frayed and run-down. She realized she was part of the reason for that, and was suddenly flooded with guilt.

She felt the tears stream down her face as she surged forward to hug him, along with Colette. His strong arms, the smell of his aftershave, made her feel like a little girl again, playing videogames with him, sitting in his lap as they watched Star Trek, listening to him sing oldies along with one of his CDs with his beautiful voice.

"Oh, Daddy, it's so good to see you..." Colette said breathlessly.

Willow still couldn't speak, her face still buried in her father's shoulder, though she noticed that she was now tall enough that she needed to bend down to do so. Behind her, she heard the door shut quietly, as Jonah stepped in, standing at a respectful distance.

She lifted her head and looked at her father's face. He was tearing up, but he had that easy smile she knew so well, that made her feel like everything was all right, that everything would always be all right.

She stood up straight and took a deep breath, watching her father's face.

"Daddy," she said, smiling with pride, "This is my boyfriend Jonah."

Bob's eyes widened in surprise as Jonah stepped forward, offering a hand.

"Sir," said Jonah. "It is an honor to meet you." There was no trace of his exaggerated enthusiasm from earlier. This was simply his heart speaking, and hearing it made Willow ache with joy.

Bob shook Jonah's hand. "You too, Jonah. You too."

He took a breath and looked around, his daughters still clinging loosely to him. "Well. This is a wonderful surprise, just wonderful. But, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Willow looked at her father while Colette watched her expectantly. There was so much to talk about, the years of being wrong, of missing him... but that was over now. There would be plenty of time to talk about that.

"We just, uh, wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving," she said. Her eyes darted over to his coffee table, where he appeared to have made himself a fried baloney sandwich and some chips.

She felt herself about to start crying again. It was one of his favorite meals, but hardly fit for Thanksgiving dinner. Especially with family.

Jonah caught Willow's eye as Colette and her dad went to the couch to sit and catch up. She walked over, putting her arms around Jonah's waist.

"I have an idea," said Jonah, his eyes regarding her warmly. "Why don't we bring Colette and your dad to our place?"

She smiled up at him and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll see your idea and raise you mine," she said. "You go invite them, and I'll make a phone call."

3.11

It wasn't the loud cacophony of the Love home, but it wasn't the austere quiet of the Rook house either. Colette, Liv and Teo were playing Super Mario Kart, while Bob Love and Liv's mother Miera chatted on their couch. Willow stood in the kitchen doorway beside Jonah, having changed into a more comfortable t-shirt and jeans. She leaned against him, his arm wrapped around her as they watched the scene. Next to them, their kitchen table and counters were full of food, some dishes Colombian, some traditionally American Thanksgiving. Liv insisted that they'd barely put a dent in what was at her house, and every guest had a plate nearby.

"Not quite the end of the day we expected," Jonah observed with a smile.

"Nothing about today was what we expected," Willow said, laughing. From across the room, Colette noticed them, and gave Jonah another little wave.

Willow grunted. "She's just doing it on purpose now, to flick with me."

Jonah laughed, pulling Willow into a tight embrace that made her chest flutter and her body start to melt. "Who?" he said. "The only one I see is you."

He kissed her, slowly, deeply -- until from across the room, they heard Liv call, "Hey you two, get a room!"

"Good idea!" Willow said, taking Jonah's hand and leading him into the kitchen. Once they were out of sight, she whispered urgently, "Okay, I know what I just said, but we can't right now, because Colette and my dad would totally hear us."

Jonah laughed and took her hands, fixing her with a steady look, his deep brown eyes warm and crinkling at the corners. "For you, I'll wait. Always."

Her insides fluttered and began to heat up. "Stop that!" she said, laughing and flustered. "Just... kiss me, for now."

He kissed her, and she felt more thankful than she could ever remember.