Eve was guiding Henry as they flew. It was already getting dark, and they talked about all sorts of things along the way. Henry, who was holding Eve, deactivated his suit at some point.
Eve was surprised to see Henry without his suit. He didn't wear a mask, but his uniform had a psychological effect on people, preventing them from recognizing him.
She had the feeling she had seen him before. She stared at him. His face was quite handsome. Under the suit, he was wearing casual clothes.
'I feel like I've seen you before,' Eve said, looking into Henry's face. They were very close to each other at that moment.
'We have. At school,' Henry replied.
Eve started thinking about boys at school who looked like him.
Then, a memory of a boy came to her mind.
'You… No way. Henry, is it really you?' Eve said, surprised.
Henry looked at her and nodded.
Eve kept staring at him, then she also dismissed her suit.
Henry hovered over Eve's house. He slowly descended and landed at the entrance, making sure no one saw them.
Holding Eve, he helped her up the steps to her front door.
'Thanks for everything today, Henry,' Eve said, running a hand through her hair.
'I'm really sorry about your leg. I hope it gets better soon.'
Eve glanced at her cast and replied,
'Thanks.'
'If you need anything, just let me know.'
'How do I contact you?'
'Do you have your phone with you?' Henry asked.
'Yeah,' she replied.
'Want to save my number?'
Eve blushed. She couldn't bring herself to answer, so she just nodded. Henry also felt embarrassed to ask, but he did it anyway.
Eve grabbed her phone and started typing in his number as Henry dictated it.
Just as they were saying goodbye, someone opened the door, startling them. They had been standing close to each other, and the sudden movement made them jump. Henry hadn't even noticed anyone approaching—he was too nervous and focused in that moment.
It was Eve's mother, Betsy Wilkins. She was slightly overweight and looked like a typical, caring mom.
The moment she saw her daughter, she rushed forward and hugged her tightly. She had been really worried about Eve's safety. Like her husband, she believed that being a superhero was too dangerous.
While hugging her daughter, Betsy said,
'I'm so glad you're okay.'
She held Eve for a long time. When they finally pulled apart, Betsy turned to the boy standing next to her daughter.
Eve noticed her mother staring at Henry and quickly tried to explain.
'Mom, this is—' Before Eve could finish…
'Hi, it's nice to meet you—' Henry started to say, but before he could finish, Eve's mother pulled him into a hug.
'Thank you so much for helping my daughter.'
Henry froze, caught off guard.
'It was nothing…'
Henry wasn't wearing his suit at that moment, so how did she know?
After stepping back from the hug, Henry looked at Eve's mother and asked,
'How did you figure it out?'
Betsy smiled and said,
'Mother's intuition. Besides, we saw what happened. If she came back with you, it means you're not normal.'
Henry scratched his head and sighed.
'It's getting late, Eve. Come inside,' Betsy said.
Eve was exhausted and wanted to rest. She said goodbye to Henry and stepped inside.
'Bye, Henry,' she said as she entered.
'Call me tomorrow?' Henry asked.
Eve just smiled and replied,
'Maybe.'
She went inside and headed up to her room.
Henry thought, Is that a yes or a no?
Now, only Henry and Eve's mom remained outside. They started talking about everything that had happened. Henry told her about Eve's leg surgery and everything that had led up to it. Since Betsy already knew his identity, there was no reason to hold anything back. He explained how he had brought Eve home and helped her, and he also shared basic details about himself—his name, age, and a few other things. Betsy asked a lot of questions, almost like a mother-in-law interviewing her daughter's boyfriend.
'I have a request for you, Henry,' Betsy said. It was late, and the night was cold. She had her arms crossed over her coat.
'Of course. What is it?' Henry asked.
'My daughter doesn't listen to me. I know she's going to go out again someday and put herself at risk. Can you watch over her for me?'
Henry considered her words and then responded firmly,
'Of course, Mrs. Betsy. I'll take care of her.'
Betsy let out a relieved sigh.
'Thank you. Goodnight, Henry. It's late.'
'Goodnight, Mrs. Betsy.'
Henry didn't hide his powers. Since Betsy already knew his identity, he slowly lifted off the ground and flew home.
When he got home, Henry climbed the stairs to his room, grabbed his phone, and collapsed onto his bed, anxiously waiting for a message.
Then, his phone buzzed.
It was Eve. She had sent him a waving emoji. He replied.
The two of them started chatting through the night. Eve talked about how annoying her injured leg was. She also asked him how he had gotten his powers.
Eve had received her abilities through experiments, so she expected Henry's story to be similar. But instead, Henry told her the truth—he was actually an alien, one of the last of his kind.
'No way,' Eve replied, stunned.
'I know. Crazy, right?'
After chatting for a while, Henry had to say goodbye. His phone was about to die.
'I gotta go, Eve. We'll talk more tomorrow.'
'Alright…'
Eve ended the call.
Henry was exhausted. As soon as she hung up, he fell asleep.
The next morning, the first thing Henry did when he woke up was check his messages. He was getting kind of anxious. Talking to Eve had become the most exciting thing in his life. It wasn't just because she was beautiful—she was an incredible girl.
Henry picked up his phone and went about his morning routine—eating, showering, brushing his teeth—all while checking his phone constantly to see if she had texted him.
He went downstairs and sat on the couch to watch some TV. It was Saturday, no school, so he was relaxed.
Then, his phone buzzed.
Eve had sent him a funny video.
His mom, Lia, walked in from the kitchen and saw the goofy smile on his face.
'Well, someone looks happy. What's with that silly grin? Is it a girl?'
Henry was so focused that he didn't even notice her approaching.
'Mom, it's nothing,' he said, turning a little red. But, of course, it was something. His mom knew him too well.
Lia sat down beside him.
'Let me see. Show me her.'
'No, Mom, it's nothing,' Henry said, getting up and hiding his phone.
His mom was faster and snatched it from him.
To be fair, Henry wasn't really trying. If he had, she wouldn't have stood a chance.
Lia looked at Eve's profile picture and said,
'She's pretty, Henry. When are you going to introduce me?'
'It's nothing serious yet, Mom. We're just friends.'
Lia gave him a knowing look.
'Uh-huh, sure. Just friends.'
She kissed him on the cheek.
'She seems like a great girl. Treat her well.'
'I know, Mom… You don't have to tell me.'
'If you break her heart, I'm taking her side,' she said, crossing her arms.
'I would never do that.'
'I'm just making sure you know.'
Lia walked away to do something else, leaving Henry to sigh.
They weren't even dating yet, and his mom was already on Eve's side.
He wondered how long it would take for her leg to heal.