"I should warn you, Pops really don't care about anything else. You know, the typical grumpy old man. But you should be okay." Carl opened the door for her. Elsa didn't respond, she just gave him the side look. "Pops, we're here." Carl announced their presence. Elsa stood timidly behind him.

An old man in front of her walked towards her with a stick." Oh. Hello there. You must be Elsa. Carl talked about you on the phone. Look at you, he didn't mention you're such a fine lady. Welcome to the family, girl." the old man greeted her warmly. So much for being grumpy, Carl.

She smiled back at him. "In the flesh. How are you Mr Jones? "

"Oh please. Call me Pops. You're about to become one of the Jones, even though the way you met him was quite odd. But don't worry, love will eventually grow. It just matter of time. Just like the old days, it is common to date only after the marriage. I myself met my late wife-his Nana- almost the way he met you..." Mr Jones rambled.

Carl sighed. Am I invisible now? "Pop, maybe we should sit first, and then you can begin your exquisite story-telling."

Mr Jones snickered. "Stop being so grumpy you big baby." He replied while gesturing Elsa to follow him to enter the house. Elsa smiled awkwardly as she tugged her fiancé to walk in together like a little child.

As she walked into the house, she examined every corner. The house was small, but it looked comfortable. There were pictures of his family in one corner by the fireplace, mostly him from when he was a baby until now. There were pictures of his late parents too.

"You can see more photos if you want," Mr Jones show her an album on a table nearby. It was thick, and Elsa's inner self squeal secretly, excited to see a part of her half-stranger fiancé's life.

"Sure, if he don't mind," she playfully teased Carl who stood quietly behind her.

Carl just shrugged off, showing he didn't mind. "Go ahead. That just like scrolling through instagram"

Elsa opened the album. It was like opening a Pandora box-not that she ever opened one-. Every piece of his life was recorded in a nice time line. From the moment he was born until now. Flipping through the photos making him feel like less of a stranger. Halfway through the album, she saw a woman with him, and they definitely posed like lovers. Then, again after a while she saw another different woman with him, making her getting curious.

"I made them for pops to look at." Her fiancé explained. She nodded in response.

"The women with you..." she trailed off with hesitation to finish up her questions.

Carl sighed. "They're my exes. Elizabeth and Taylor. I wanted to take them out, but Pop wouldn't let me." He explained.

"Taylor.. You broke up with her a year ago. Did you get on your knees for any of them?" she finished her question.

Carl shook his head. "Nope, I got dumped each time." he jokingly answered.

"That's because he was married to his job. But don't you worry, I will beat some talk into him." Mr Jones intervened. "And also, he doesn't have a sense of humor. You're in trouble." He added.

Elsa laughed. "Don't worry, I'll teach him what a sense of humor is. I'm a teacher." She joked. She could hear Carl was groaning behind her.

Mr Jones chuckled heartily.

"Where is this?" she asked, pointing to a picture of him with his late parents in a farm. There's a field of lavender at the background.

"That's the family's farmstay."

"It's beautiful." she said, amazed.

"Do you want to go there? It's only 1 hour drive from here. Sort of my weekend getaways. It belongs to my cousin now." Carl explained.

"Sure..."she agreed. "Are you coming, Pops?" she invited.

"No. Just go with him. I'll be fine here. Be sure to come before dinner." He replied.

"Alright." Carl and Elsa said, almost at the same time.

Carl drove his red Jeep Wrangler carefully. Elsa always wondered why he drives such car, considering his profession and he was living in the city. She got her answers now. The road to his hometown was fine, but the road to their farmstay made up of gravel and dirt road. He must always come here, she thought to herself.

"It's just up there," said Carl, pointing at a blue farmhouse. The farm was vast; cows were everywhere, mooing as they passed through them. They reached the farmhouse. They stepped out of the car and his cousin, Robert greeted them. He was a muscular man, face full of beard. Carl introduced her to him.

"When is the wedding?" Robert excitedly asked.

"In another 1 month and a half. I'll send you the invitation." Carl answered.

"Really?" Robert smiled. "I'll be sure to come then."

Carl nodded. "I'm just bringing her around to see the farm. Send my regard to your family." He said.

"Alright. I'll tell Linda you came. You should come with him on weekends here, Elsa. They have a small cabin uphill. It's beautiful."

Elsa smiled. "Sure. Thank you. I'll see you at the wedding." She replied.

They bid farewell to Robert. Carl gestured her to follow him to a pathway leading uphill. Later, Elsa found herself in a beautiful lavender field and a little bit uphill, there's a small A-framed cabin, made up of black zinc cladding.

"Who lived here?" Elsa asked.

"I do." Carl answered simply.

Elsa's left eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah. Sometimes. On my free weekends." Carl replied. He took out a key and opened the cabin door.

Elsa stepped inside. The wall was mounted with wood, and it was surprisingly spacious. There is a fireplace at centre by living room wall. The cabin was complete with a small kitchen space and hanging bedroom.

"Built this with Pops few years ago." Carl added, opening a window to let the air in.

Elsa nodded. She secretly admired his ability to build something like this. Somehow, he managed to keep surprising her. "This is nice." she complimented, walking around to explore the place.

"So... where do you hide the bodies?" Elsa walked up to him, asking a sudden question.

"What?" Carl asked her back in confusion, but then he gets what she was trying to do. "Oh, I just threw them in the woods behind." He played along.

Elsa laughed. "No, for real, where do you keep them?" she questioned again in a serious tone. "Or better, where do you hide the weapons and evidence?"

Carl scoffed off. "Who do you think I am? Ted Bundy? Jack the Ripper?" He laughed the question off.

"You're one hell of a mysterious man, Mr Jones. I cannot find you anyway on social media."

"So you stalked me."

"Can't help feeling curious." Elsa admitted.

"You could have just asked me." Carl bantered.

"I'm planning to. That's why I'm asking you now, honey." Elsa said, purposely making her voice sounds sultry, as if she was flirting.

Carl flustered at the word honey coming out from her. "Ask me anything anytime."

"Sure babe." She jokingly called him babe, knowing now how he would react to the word as she walked to the exit door.

Carl bit his lips, annoyed at just how much she could made him flustered. "You're stepping on the secret door to the basement." Carl suddenly warned her, teasing.

Elsa immediately stopped. Carl walked towards her, patting her hair lightly as he passed her. "Just kidding dear." He whispered and walked out first, smiling to himself.

Elsa scoffed off.

"What? You started it." Carl laughed.