They made their way back to Frera's house. Frera was there to greet them at the door. "Have you both had a good day?" She asked, holding the door open to them.

"We've had a great day, mother." Thoril smiled mischievously. "I hope you do not mind, but we have another guest joining us for dinner. An old friend."

"I see..." Frera paused, trying to read her sons expression. "Dinner is nearly ready," she stated as she moved into the kitchen.

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Callie grinned. "It smells wonderful! May I help set the table and carry food out?" she followed Frera into the kitchen, sending Thorol a wink on her way out of the room.

Thoril began to set the table. He took the liberty of setting his mothers best crystal glasses, silver cutlery and fancy place mats. He pulled out some red candles and placed them in the middle of the table. A light tap at the door drew his attention. "I'll get it!" he called, crossing over to the door.

Carter stood on the porch a magnificent bunch of flowers, barely hidden by his back. They trembled with his shaking hands. "Hello Thoril," he greeted nervously as he peered over his shoulder.

Thoril smiled softly, holding the door open for him to enter. "You look great Carter," he stated taking in Carter's stylish and elegant garb. "Dinner will be ready any second now. Just make yourself at home."

Carter nodded and took a seat at the table, only to be standing moments later. Frera stood in the kitchen door, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. She just managed to stop herself from dropping the roast beef in her hands. "Carter?" she spluttered.
"It's good to see you too Frera," his velvet voice caressed her name delicately.

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Callie looked over and winked at Thoril, a slow grin spreading across her face. "How nice to see you again, Carter! Here...take this seat.." she pulled the seat out that was across from the one she knew Frera would sit in. Well, sort of. It wouldn't be at the head of the table, of course. She knew that still remained empty until Frera wanted to fill that spot again. "Let me take that..." she floated to Frera and took the meat out of her hands, placing it neatly in the center of the table settings.

Frera's eyes darted to Thoril and then to Callie. Her brows raised with suspicion. Her eyes widened at them, momentarily. What have they done? What am I to do? Do they realise I have not courted or been courted for nearly forty years? I don't know if I am even ready for this... Frera composed herself quickly. "Yes Carter...please sit down. I am so glad to see you...after all this time."

Carter stepped forward, producing the flowers from behind his back. "For you...I mean I brought these for you...a gift," he fumbled with his words, before thrusting the bouquet into Frera's arms and taking a seat where Callie had suggested. He waited until Frera had disappeared into the kitchen before holding his head in his hands. "Get it together man!" he hissed to himself.

Thoril refrained from chuckling. "Take it easy Carter. This is just dinner with an old flame...I mean friend. Try to relax." He looked to Callie, wondering if he had tripped up so much when he first met her. He could only imagine what her first impression of him had been.

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Callie almost snickered, but kept herself composed. Granted, she was still grinning rather wickedly. She gracefully eased herself into a chair, taking a napkin and laying it open in her lap. "The flowers are beautiful, Carter. They almost rival Frera's beauty. Just almost." she cooed pleasantly.

"I am beginning to think this was not such a great idea...Her husband just died...and here I am. A vulture picking at the remains. I can see she does not feel for me, what I feel for her. Perhaps I should just leave." He rose from his chair.

Just then Frera emerged, carrying the remainder of the food she had prepared for dinner. "Leaving so soon Carter? But you always enjoyed my cooking. I do hope you will stay. We have much to catch up on." Frera smiled warmly, glancing over her shoulder briefly. "The flowers are very lovely. They certainly do surpass my own beauty. Callie is far to kind," she grinned, winking at Callie. "I must put them in a vase of water before they begin to wilt." Frera crossed over to a cabinet and pulled out her best vase and disappeared into the kitchen.

"On the other hand, I have been wrong before." Carter sat immediately, eyeing the mountains of food before him. "She is a wonderful cook." He admitted, ladelling food onto his plate.

Frera returned with the vase and set it on her window sill. She took the flowers and displayed them carefully.
"A bit of sugar in the water will keep them good for a long time," Carter said, as he watched her.
Frera crossed back to the table and took her seat. "I will have to keep that in mind." She took her turn spooning out a small portion of food for herself. "So tell me Carter...What have you been doing the last thirty years?" She flashed a smile in his direction.

Thoril snickered softly, reaching out and taking Callie's hand. He smiled to her warmly, his eyes meeting hers.

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Callie listened to the chatter. She felt at home. Her eyes met Thoril's and shined brightly, happy and content. She squeezed his hand briefly.

"Look at us," Thoril whispered. "Such brilliant little matchmakers we are." He snickered again as he squeezed her hand. "Perhaps we should take dinner out into the garden. It is such a beautiful night. Besides these two have much to catch up on." Thoril scanned his plate before looking to his mother. She was in her element.

"...and then you took the fall for me," she chuckled softly. "I am yet to repay you for that Carter."
"I think this dinner makes up for it. Heck...any time spent with you makes up for it."
Frera blushed slightly. "You are too sweet Carter."

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Callie nodded. "Yes, afterall, they need their privacy." she was giggling inside, gleefully. She stood and scooped up her plate in one movement, smiling at Carter and Frera.

Frera was too involved in her conversation with Carter to notice Callie and Thoril's departure. She had long since forgotten her food and was simply sat at the table, head in her hand as she listened intently. Carter had barely aged a day. His jaw was still taught and strong, supporting his strong cheek bones. Sure he had grayed slightly, but Frera thought it made him look distinguished.

Thoril rolled his eyes at his mothers puppy dog expression as he escorted Callie outside. "I think it is going well in there." He chuckled again. "It is nice to see her happy once again. I think she has been needing some male company. I never thought I would be so happy to set my mother up with another man. She deserves to be happy. I am sure father would not grudge her it."

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Callie grinned. "indeed! I do believe you are right. I think that he would like to see her happy again. I also think it may take up some of her time while we make plans." she winked.

Thoril nodded in agreement. "Talking of plans I guess we should make some. We best give ourselves some time to prepare too. How about in a month or so?" He turned and sat on the neat little bench that had sat outside his mother's house for as long as he could remember. Not much appetite remained, so he placed his plate behind his feet. "I think a small, intimate wedding would be nice. Just close friends and family." Lord knows he had been made a spectacle enough to last him a lifetime. "And we would write our own vows off course. I want to do something different with the ceremony...have it somewhere that actually means something to us, you know?" Just then he clamped up, realising he had been rambling. "Sorry," he blushed, shrugging his shoulders almost nervously.

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She leaned forward over the table and crossed her legs. "Go on! I rather liked where that was going. So...a month? And writing our own vows...somewhere that means something to the both of us..." she nodded. "Very nice! And I would far rather like a small, intimate wedding."

Thoril chuckled as he leaned into her. "Off course it cannot be too far away. It must be frera accessible," he snickered. "I think it should begin at sunset on some sandy beach. I was thinking that maybe someone close to us could marry us. I don't know," he shrugged nervously. "I just want it to be special for you."

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She gently laid her hand over his. "It will." she smiled reassuringly. "I like that idea, very much." she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it softly. "Shall we have an after party?"