NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 9: A Mother's Love
As I stood there, she turned to face me, arms crossed and a smile plastered across her face.
It was a dangerous smile, the kind she wore when she knew she had the upper hand. Her eyes glinted with mischief, and I could practically hear the wheels spinning in her head as she sized me up, wondering just how she was going to deal with the audacity of her son, who tried to lock her out.
The air between us thickened as she took a step closer, and I could practically feel the tension crackling in the air.
That look...I knew it all too well. I'd seen it before when I was younger, and it always meant one thing: My mom wasn't done with me...Not by a long shot.
With a smile that could melt anyone's heart, she sweetly asked,
"Luca, darling, would you mind bringing my bags inside?"
I hesitated for half a second, but the way she stood there, her arms crossed with that oh-so-sweet-but-dangerous smile on her face, I knew I had no choice.
I scrambled to grab her bags, moving with the speed of a man who knew he'd made a grave mistake.
When I turned to shut the door, she added, "And while you're at it, sweetheart, could you close the door?...We wouldn't want the neighbours seeing how I'm going to handle my son, who has the guts to lock out his own mother, would we?"
I froze for a moment, wondering what she was planning. But I knew better than to challenge her now.
With a heavy sigh, I closed the door behind me.
That's when it happened...As soon as the door clicked shut, I could feel it. The shift in the atmosphere. Her sweet, sugar-coated smile melted into something far more dangerous—something that looked like it could melt steel.
Her eyes narrowed with fury, and I could practically hear the gears in her head turning, plotting her next move.
And then, like a whirlwind, she lunged at me. In a flash, her hand was on my ear, twisting with the precision of a woman who had perfected the art of motherly wrath.
"Where. Do. You. Get. The. Guts. To. Lock. Your. MOTHER. Out?!" She growled, each word punctuated by another merciless tug at my ear.
I winced, opening my mouth to explain, but the words got stuck somewhere between fear and confusion.
"You think you can just lock me out like a stray cat, Luca?!" She continued, her voice rising with each syllable. "What's next, huh? You gonna start charging me rent for visiting?...Maybe I should get an appointment like I'm going to the doctor the next time I want to check on my son?"
I could feel myself shrinking under her grip, desperately trying not to break into laughter at the absurdity of the situation—but she was serious.
My ear was on the brink of getting yanked off, and there was no escape from her fury.
"How dare you lock me out of my own house, you little brat?!" She ranted, her voice growing louder with each word. "Not only did you lock me out, but you made me negotiate to get inside! Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is? I'm your mother! I shouldn't have to beg you to let me in!..You've turned my own home into a battleground, Luca!"
"You've really got the audacity to make me negotiate—I mean, really? If I wanted to negotiate to get into my own house, I could've become a diplomat!" Her voice took on a theatrical tone as she continued, clearly enjoying the dramatic flair of the moment.
At that point, I couldn't hold it in anymore. My voice burst out in a loud, exaggerated plea.
"Mom! Please! It's a misunderstanding! I didn't mean to lock you out! I swear, it wasn't on purpose! Just—just let me go, and we can talk about it!"
She narrowed her eyes at me, a sly smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Oh, really? A misunderstanding, huh? Is that what we're going with? You think I'm going to buy that little act, Luca?"
I froze, heart sinking, knowing she saw right through me.
"You accidentally locked your mother out in the pouring rain, and now you want me to believe it was all just a misunderstanding?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she raised an eyebrow. "You've got some nerve, don't you?"
I could feel the weight of her words pressing down on me, knowing full well that once she went into this mode, there was no point in trying to argue.
My mother was an unstoppable force when she got like this—nothing would make her back down, and trying to fight it would only lead to an hour-long lecture that I absolutely wasn't in the mood for.
So, as much as I wanted to fight back and say something clever, I knew there was only one way out of this: Attack her weak spot. Her weak spot being me...Her son, who she cherished most in the world.
With that thought, I let out a dramatic shout as she twisted my ear, making my voice crack in a way that could have rivalled any soap opera performance.
"Oww! Mom, please!...Y-You're hurting me!"
Anyone else would've seen through my obvious act. It was a little too exaggerated to be real...But not my mother...Not the same woman who started to tear up when I got a paper cut as a child, who currently reacted just like I had predicted.
For a split second, my mother's expression froze, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, and then she immediately released my ear like she'd been burned. There was a frantic panic that washed over her, a clear, instant switch from rage to concern.
"Oh my god, Luca!" She gasped, her voice laced with genuine fear. "I didn't mean to hurt you! I swear I didn't twist it that hard...Did I bruise you? Please, don't tell me I—"
Before I could even respond, she had already stepped closer, her hands reaching for my ear as if inspecting the damage. There was that softness I'd known my whole life—the tenderness that only showed up when it was me, her son, who was in trouble. Her eyes scanned my face, looking for any signs of injury, her brow furrowing in worry.
"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice cracking as she bent down, her hands hovering, almost afraid to touch me. "Tell me you're okay. Luca, please, I can't bear it when you're hurt. I—"
I could feel my heart twisting in my chest as I realised just how much she cared. No matter how strict, how controlling, or how frustrating she could be—she was my mother, and there was no love more pure than hers.
I also couldn't bear to see her worry over me so much, so I quickly said, "Mom, I'm just kidding. I'm fine. You didn't hurt me or anything...Like seriously, how could you possibly hurt me when you're barely twisting my ear?"
She froze, her hands still hovering near my ear, and then her eyes narrowed with a mix of disbelief and irritation. Her lips quivered like she was fighting back a scolding, but then—relief.
It washed over her like a wave, and she exhaled with an exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes.
"You are terrible, Luca." She muttered under her breath, though her voice was lighter now. Then, with a soft chuckle, she raised her hand and gave me a playful, light slap on the arm. "Don't you dare do that to me again; you scared me half to death!"
I rubbed the spot where she hit me, feigning a dramatic wince, though I was more amused than hurt.
"You know, I was just getting back at you for blackmailing me into letting you inside, Mom," I said, raising an eyebrow.
That did it...Her confident demeanour faltered for just a moment, and a faint guilty look flickered across her face. She looked like a child caught sneaking cookies from the jar, her lips pressing together as if trying to hide her mistake.
And I couldn't help but grin. That look, it was adorable.
She then quickly composed herself, scoffing with a haughty air, as if brushing off the accusation entirely.
"A mother can do whatever she wants with her child." She declared, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up, her voice carrying a playful lilt. "And you shouldn't be complaining about it, Luca."
"Oh, really? That's your defense?" I blinked at her, dumbfounded by her audacity.
"Of course." She shot back, a cheeky smirk tugging at her lips. Then, with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes, she added, "In fact, this was all a test to see if you'd stand your ground when a girl tries to manipulate you in the future."
"A test?" I repeated, with an incredulous look on her face.
"That's right." She said, clearly enjoying herself now. "And I'm sorry to say this, but you failed." She clicked her tongue, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "Honestly, Luca, bending so easily under pressure? What would you do if some girl in the future tried the same thing?"
"Mom, you literally threatened to stand in the pouring rain to get your way! That's not something a normal girl would do." I groaned, running a hand down my face.
"Exactly why you need to be prepared. You just don't know what kind of crazy girl you'll meet." She said, her tone annoyingly triumphant. "Think of it as training...You should be thanking me for it."
I stared at her, utterly speechless, while she looked down on me with the smug satisfaction of someone who'd just won an argument she had no right winning.