"In professional matters, yes," Morticia said with a smile at Leo, adding, "Now I have an unrelated question, if you don't mind."
"If I have the answer, sure," Leo nodded, raising an eyebrow, already knowing what was coming next.
Putting her cup down, she looked at Leo with serious eyes. "You know about fateful partners?"
"Yeah—practically soulmates decided by the world," Leo sighed and nodded.
Noticing his reaction, Morticia caught on to something. "Yes, that sums it up. If I'm guessing right, you know why I asked, correct?"
Leo let out another sigh and nodded. "Yeah. Wednesday, right?" He went straight to the point.
"Then all is good," Morticia smiled. "My darkling may look a little… dark, but I hope you give her a chance to show you her real mettle."
Leo was surprised and remained silent, which only confused her.
"What's wrong?" Morticia asked, noticing his odd mood, but Leo simply waved his hand.
"I was expecting something like 'keep your hands off my daughter,' or even an outright threat," Leo said. "Or at least a demand for a full identity check."
"Frankly, I was also expecting something like 'find someone your own age,'" Leo added playfully, and the lady couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, I know you're on the light side," Morticia said, calming her laughter, "and if you're worried about age, don't be."
Leo nodded, then asked awkwardly, "And what does Wednesday think?"
"Well, she already knows—I told her," Morticia replied, pausing. "But in her words…"
"Let me guess," Leo said with a wary smile. "'That's for weaklings,' and she outright refused to listen."
"On point, actually." Morticia's eyes widened slightly, surprised at how accurately Leo had read her daughter.
"She gives off that vibe. Nothing surprising," Leo said. "But at least from my side, I hope she won't shun me over it."
As Morticia studied his expression, she noticed a deep happiness hiding in his eyes. She smiled, realizing it came from the relief he felt after their conversation.
"Well, now that I've confirmed what I came here for," Morticia said, standing up, "it was nice meeting you."
"Oh, it was nice meeting you as well." Leo pulled out a small note from his pocket, wrote down two numbers, and handed it to her.
"This is my number—and my little brother Kali's," Leo added. "If you ever find yourselves in need of help, don't hesitate to call."
Morticia looked at the paper in her hand, then back at Leo, and finally let go of some of the worries she had been holding onto.
"Before I go, if you don't mind indulging my curiosity," Morticia asked, "who did you notice? After all, without direct contact, you shouldn't have been able to tell what it was."
And knowing her daughter, she knew for a fact that Wednesday wouldn't allow a stranger to shake her hand—let alone touch her.
"It's nothing secret, actually," Leo said, pointing to his eyes. "I have unique eyes, and one of my abilities is seeing the connections between people."
"What a remarkable ability," Morticia said in awe, not expecting to encounter something like that.
"Well, that's all for today. We'll meet again later," Morticia said with a slight bow, then exited the café along with Leo, who insisted on escorting her to the car.
"See you in the future," Morticia said, closing the door.
Leo remained standing there for a moment before turning back to his own car and driving off.
"Well, a good meeting, I guess," Leo murmured as he accelerated, deciding to take a drive around town to clear his head.
Sadly, his thoughts were interrupted by a call from Loyed.
"Yeah?" Leo answered.
"You're going to want to see this," Loyed said, sounding unusually excited. "Come over if you have time."