Alyssa had maneuvered towards the edge of their little group again. The crowd made her restless, her pain had her on edge, and she couldn't even relax with a drink around her mother's watchful eyes.
She was seriously considering begging off to find some more coffee. There was motion beside her and she turned just in time to keep from having a heart attack when Karl leaned down to speak in her ear. She let out a short curse in Japanese before turning to face him, "Karl? What - what the hell are you doing here?"
"Alyssa," her mother's accented voice broke in, "language."
"Sorry, Mum," she responded automatically, glancing over to assess the -- yes, her father had moved to flank her mother and yes, her mother's eyes had narrowed, and her brothers looked like they were about to try to pull rank. Just who was this white boy talking to their sister?
Masking a sigh, she attempted to downplay the situation. "This is Karl Whedon. My partner. From work," she emphasized as she saw her mother's arms cross.