Behind the Castle's Door [COMPLETED]

Forty-Second Door

Clementine sighed as she watched the two lovers on the screen get engaged. Miranda and she were watching a romantic film in which the main protagonists had recently become engaged. Her head was lying on Miranda's lap, and Miranda was stroking her hair while her eyes were concentrated on the screen; she liked the notion of her mother caressing her hair, but she didn't like the idea of the movie being in romance.

"Can we watch something else, Mom? This is really cheesy," she shifted her weight to face Miranda.

"What? I'm enjoying the movie, and don't you enjoy seeing couples get engaged?"

"No," she rolled her eyes. "That kind of relationship is so cliched that it makes me cringe."

Miranda laughed and paused the movie with the remote. "What kind of engagement would you like to have?"

"Why are you asking?" She shook her head and answered the question instead. "Something simple and intimate to help you feel the moment and the presence of love? You know what I mean? Large engagement parties are uninteresting; instead, spending some time simply the two of you, feeling butterflies and savoring your love for each other are more ideal."

Miranda gave a sly grin. "Really? I didn't realize you wanted that kind of engagement; for a little moment, I mistook you for someone who wanted something lavish."

"Simplicity is best mom, especially when the one proposing is the love of your life," she arched an eyebrow. "Why are you bothering me with this?"

Miranda cocked her head and said, "I was simply curious."

"Really? You're just curious?" She gave a sly grin.

"Why? What makes you think I'm planning something else?"

She squealed. "Do you have any plans to propose to Irish?"

"I... What?" Miranda cocked her head and stared at her daughter, puzzled. "Certainly not! You know how things stand between us; even if I were to propose to her, she'd say no, so I wouldn't bother."

"But what if she says yes?"

Miranda came to a halt for a little moment before laughing. "Eve, it won't happen; I already know her answer before I could even say anything about it; trying will just cause me grief; whatever we have is enough; she'll be back to where she belongs in a week."

She shook her head. "Even though you're older than us, you act like a bunch of teenage couples."

Miranda gave a sly grin. "What about you then? What if Alcina proposes to you?"

Clementine squeezed her lips together and got out of bed, getting the remote and walking over to the television.

"I'm not sure which movie we should see next. Mom, what are your thoughts?"

Miranda scoffed, "Clementine Eve, you didn't answer my question."

"Don't you think I should just sleep for the day?" She smiled.

"You're avoiding the question, huh?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, how do you expect me to respond? It's not like you'll agree with the concept; even if you did agree that we should be in a relationship, but marriage? That's unusual."

"Fair point," Miranda nodded. "But I was just asking what if, I didn't asked you about marriage those are two completely different things."

"I'm not sure?" She shook her head. "I'm simply content with where we are now. Besides, the girls may treat me as if I were their second mother, but I doubt they want me to be their legal mother."