MANDY POV

So, it´s Sunday morning and here I am, running in the park with my ninja mom. And it´s more than just a figure of speech. My mom is black belt in many categories of martial arts. Her two favorites are karate and jiu-jitsu.

She works as a personal trainer with emphasis in these fights. Anybody would think that the weekends were days of rest for her. No way. They were days of exercise.

We had come to terms that I would join her for running on weekends and that was it. Mainly I was kept in good health, but she didn´t force me to like the same things she did.

I think nobody works out that hard with such happiness. She jokes and smiles and encourages you naturally.

And it´s not an obligation of her job. I mean, when we visit grandpa in his farm on vacation, this woman chops wood. “For the fun of it,” she says.

I´m so proud of her. Due to good genes and so much practice of sports she looks amazing. She could model if she wanted, but when invited she said it was not for her. I know that she declined because it envolved much traveling and I am her absolute priority. But so, she is mine.

What got me a little worried at the moment was my fear of her reaction to Mark´s presence in our house the next day. I had never invited boys to our house before, there was never the need, really.

Of course, groups of friends for birthday parties were commom at my place.

But to have one special guy every Monday and Wednesday to study together could be too much for her taste. And that´s what Mark and I had arranged to do.

“Mom, can we stop for a while?”

“Sure, honey. Do you wanna eat?” We loved the fruit stand at the park.

“Not yet. Let´s just sit and talk a little, ok?”

Now she was kind of worried and she just sat down quietly. Mom is a great listener. I decided to be direct. It was better to face her.

“Mom, I arranged to be tutoring math on Mondays and Wednesdays at our house.”

“And who will you be tutoring?”

“A school friend. He is a senior and his name is Mark.”

“How come you say he is your friend if I never heard about him?”

“He is a new friend, mom. Mark just entered the swim team with Charlie.” I decided to pull two cards at a time, so I mentioned Charlie, who she considered a “nice boy” and I mentioned sports to be on her good side.

“I don´t know if now is the right time for you, Mandy. You´ve just started the internship. You study so hard, and now you get yet another extra activity, and it´s related to study.”

“But it´s just what you do, mom. I mean, it´s Sunday, and you are exercising.”

Now she had to laugh.

“Oh, baby, you are so right in what you say. Then, I guess you really want to do this…”

“Yes, mom, please.”

“All right, let´s give it a try.”

When I hear that, I just hug her excitedly.

“Isn´t the sun shining on you now, Mandy? Ok, house rules…”

My mom is way too smart. She knows me well.

“Shoot.”

“Studies in the living room only. Boy can visit the kitchen and use the bathroom. Bedrooms are forbidden. And most important rule…”

“What?”

“You must tell him I´m a black belt.”

“Mom, you can be so silly.”

But I really couldn´t tell if she was joking or not.

MOM POV

Oh, wow, what a thrill. My baby girl is growing so fast. I know she will turn 16 in a couple of months, but I had not yet pictured any guy in the scene.

I guess it will follow the same path of what happened to me and Dave. I met her father when we were little, and we passed from neighbor, to friends and from that to grow into love was just natural.

We lived in neighbor farms, and passed our childhood climbing trees and swimming in the river with the other kids. Then, later, our romance envolved long horse rides and sweet talks about our future dreams. We got married at 18 and the next year Mandy was born.

Beautiful memories. Now I watch her face and I see the same deep feelings being born in her soul. My daughter has a delicate spirit. She is caring and unable to cause offense or pain to anyone.

Then I know that when love happens to her, it will be like a jump from a waterfall. That´s why she will need to find an extraordinary partner to meet her mid jump and hold her hand and land on safe grounds. The grounds of respect, care. Real love.

That´s why I have one or two karate moves ready for this guy, Mark, is his name? That is, if he even thinks of hurting her…

Talk about challenge, Mark, young man, brace yourself.