Eleanor's Voicemail.

[what_big_teeth]

"Oh. Hello. This is Eleanor's phone. I'm sorry I missed your call, but I'll try and get back to you, if you leave a message. Thank you!"

**BEEEEP!**

Comments

[slothbabyproductions]

Kamala who had mostly been on autopilot most of the day couldn't help but smile at Eleanor's text.

That's so sweet! My parents would love that!

She sent the contact information for her parents in the next text.

I hope you enjoy the cookies! The chocolate chip recipe is from my father's BFF. The rest are my mom's. Don't ask me about the socks. She probably got them on sale at Costco.

[what_big_teeth]

There was a little, excited, nervous flutter in Eleanor's chest, at the idea of leaving a good impression on Kamala's parents; she was already planning getting up a little early to swing by the post office tomorrow morning to make sure it get sent out.

Well, she was right. I did need some socks. The cookies are all really great, though! I'm trying really hard not to eat them all so that I can enjoy them all throughout the week. It was really nice of her to send them.

[slothbabyproductions]

Now Kamala was flopped on her bed and just enjoying the text conversation. And probably oversharing...

Well I guess the socks work then! Yeah, my Ammi is always thinking about my friends. She always looks out for other people. I love that about her. BTW... I did tell her I was dating you. I hope that's okay. It was a weird conversation that they thought I was hiding something from them? So I told them about you. Which they were really cool with (they want to get to know you better!) Turns out they were worried about a class I was taking. So. Oops? lol.

[what_big_teeth]

What class are you taking that they were worried about?

Eleanor found it much easier to just focus on that part of everything Kamala had sent, since everything else involved knots forming in her stomach about wanting to leave a good impression on her parents and how Kamala had told, which made it more weighty and real, and just wrapping her head around someone not just looking out for themselves and what was theirs, but for other people beyond that tight-knit sphere, as well...

Which was a lot. Should she tell her family, too? She could already see the look of derision on Luma's face. So maybe only if it weren't come up, or something like that...

[slothbabyproductions]

And now Kamala was both texting and feeling awkward! But as usual she powered through it.

... Yeah, okay, don't laugh but I'm taking that Romance course. I didn't sign up for it. The moose added it to my schedule.

And because she doesn't know when to stop she added:

That's the class which made me send you that text I sent you last week. The professor basically called me boring.

[what_big_teeth]

Well, that professor clearly doesn't know what they're talking about.

Which probably doesn't bode well for the material of the class.

And now Eleanor was awkward, too, because did that mean Kamala might go and try to apply the things she learned in that class to them? She liked the idea of that, especially since she didn't exactly know what she was doing, either, but she also felt as though it was a little embarrassing, wasn't it? Liking the idea of what Kamala might learn in her Romance class to woo and court her and sweep her off her feet.

What do you even learn in a class like that, anyway?

[slothbabyproductions]

Well the teacher is that crazy vampire from the clinic? So not as much as you would think

And yet that vampire was a little too insightful for context.

So far we made "romance outfits" and I'd wear a shenanigans outfit before I wore that. And also I learned that my "love language" is spending quality time. No actual romance has actually been taught

And because she couldn't help herself..

Is there something I should learn?

[what_big_teeth]

It took a little while, for Eleanor to answer, mostly because she wasn't sure how to answer, at first. She hardly felt as though she was in any position to make suggestions, she didn't know the first thing about this sort of stuff, either, and, furthermore, she still had trouble believing that this was a conversation she was even having right now.

So it took a while, because she didn't even know what to say. Until she did, and then she couldn't help but feel like it was kind of perfect.

I think that's something we'll both be learning together.

Do you think that's accurate? That your "love language" is spending quality time?

THAT felt like something that would be useful for Eleanor to learn.

[slothbabyproductions]

Kamala had meant to send the text as just a way to tease Eleanor but the response made her heart Mel and literally say “Awwwwww!” aloud. So first she replied directly to that with a giant “♥️”

After that she looked at the quality time comment and tried to think of a good answer.

I guess it is? I’m going to be honest: this is new territory for me. I’ve never done this before.