Chapter 3

As someone who has never left the United States, it’s normal that you find the Netherlands weird. The people talk funny, things are different sized, the electrical outlets are weird, you can’t read half the signs, and everyone has a bicycle.

On the other hand, the airport is insanely nice, and so is everything else. It’s super pretty outside, although it is a bit cooler than Florida. It is incredibly exciting to walk out of that airport with Lotte, having no idea what’s waiting for you. It feels like an adventure, but Lotte has already told you that her home is boring and nothing ever happens there.

But that can’t be true; if it was boring, she wouldn’t have all this angst about her family.

You got to see photos of her family members, however briefly. They all looked nice. Except for maybe the step-aunt, Elenora. Lotte says that they are all horrible.

So you’re a bit nervous as you get into the taxi to go to the house.

At least it seems like everyone speaks English, though not all of them speak it as well as Lotte does. She says that everyone in her family speaks it well, so that’s a relief. Lotte’s town is super cute, with colorful houses on curvy roads. There are hills, fields, and even distant forests. You have all that in America, but it seems prettier here.

Lotte’s house is tall and incredibly narrow, but so are all the houses on this street. Apparently, this is normal here. The house is green, and boxes outside each window have big, yellow flowers in them.

It is adorable, but everything here seems small and tight compared to America. You aren’t sure what’s up with that.

At least six bikes lean against the wall by the front steps.

A black car drives up as you arrive, stopping behind your taxi. Lotte sees it and twitches, but she gets out of the taxi without a word and starts getting your bags.

The front door of the house opens abruptly, and Elenora emerges. She’s dressed for work, looking very put together and cool in her formal business clothes. She hurries down the steps.

“Lotte,” she says brusquely, pausing to lean in and kiss her on both cheeks. She says something else in Dutch, then glances at you. “Welcome,” she says, stepping over and kissing your cheeks too. You knew this was a thing before you came, so it doesn’t surprise you that much, but it is a bit weird.

“Hi,” you say, but Elenora is already climbing into that waiting car. It pulls out right away and heads down the street. Yeesh. Lotte’s been away for months. That wasn’t much of a welcome for her.

Lotte doesn’t appear bothered. She just sighs and picks up the bags, starting to drag herself up the steps. You follow her nervously. You are in a foreign country, about to enter a house that you know nothing about, but have every reason to fear. This seemed like a better idea when you were safely in bed with Lotte in America.

The house isn’t quite as tight as you feared, but it’s still narrow. The furniture and colors inside are a bit odd, like teal walls and red lamps, but it’s clean, tidy, and modern. You weren’t expecting it to be medieval or anything, but you didn’t know what you were in for.

Lotte calls something out in Dutch, without much energy behind the words. A moment later there are footsteps upstairs, and a woman makes her way down. You almost drop your bags at the sight of her. It’s Famke, Lotte’s aunt. She’s wearing nothing but a gray robe, and the robe is hanging open. Her generous chest is covered, but nothing else is. Your eyes pop open at the sight of not only her dark bush, but the unmistakable gleam of moisture on her thighs. Was she busy just now? What the shit?

She comes down the steps like it’s nothing, looking thrilled to see Lotte. If you can get past the view, this is more like it: she gives Lotte a big hug, and double the kisses that Elenora gave her. She looks Lotte up and down proudly, chattering away in Dutch.

Then she swoops in on you.

“Hello, Riley,” she says, giving you the same treatment. You stiffen up nervously as she embraces you.

“Hi,” you squeak.

Famke absently closes her robe and loosely ties the belt, but it’s still not much coverage. Something’s going to pop out at any moment. Someone else is coming. Suze appears, looking very cute in jeans and a pink hoodie. You stand back as she greets Lotte as well. Many things are said in Dutch, but eventually, they finish with that.

You’re relieved. Lotte still seems a little sullen, but Suze and Famke are super cheerful and friendly. All the vibes you feel in this house so far are positive. Elenora was a little cold, but… she is the stepmother figure, so maybe that’s normal. You watch Lotte go to a sideboard and take something out of a drawer there.

“I will make lunch,” Famke says in English, and Lotte leads you upstairs. You follow her into a cramped hallway, where she takes you to a green door. There, she motions for you to stand back. Puzzled, you do so.

Lotte cautiously turns her doorknob, then inches the door open a little, looking around warily. She seems to spot something out of sight, and takes out that object from a minute ago. It’s a multi-tool. She unfolds a little pair of scissors and reaches up to snip something. Now she opens the door the rest of the way, revealing her room.

It’s small, but very cute. It’s a bit sparse… but if she had tons of stuff in here, it would be chokingly crowded. Her single bed has a blue quilt on it. It’s quite narrow, so that will be… cozy.

Lotte lifts something down from above the door, and you see the cut remains of a string. What the hell is this? Was that a booby trap?

“Glitter bomb,” Lotte says tiredly, wrapping the object in a plastic bag.

“Who put that there?” you ask, baffled.

“My sister,” she replies. You get it now that when she says that, she means Senna, not one of her other sisters. Her twin.

“Is she here?” you ask. It looks like Senna is a bit of a prankster.

Lotte shakes her head and flops on her bed, which squeaks. You put your bags next to hers and sit in the little chair by her desk, which is right by the bed.

“Your family seems nice,” you say.

Lotte stares at the ceiling, but you can tell that it bugs her that you said that. She reaches out with one hand, finding your leg, then your hand. She squeezes it and sighs. Gosh. She looks so pitiful, but it makes you want to laugh. It’s cute. You lean down to kiss her on the lips, and that makes her look at you, but then she goes back to sulking.

“You gonna show me around?” you prompt her. “Or is that too dangerous?” You glance at the defused glitter bomb.

“After lunch,” she says with another long, theatrical sigh.

Good idea. You’re hungry too. What do they eat here?