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Which, well. Is certainly worrisome for the mother of said brother.

"What'd Darren do now?"

And why this conversation was the last in a long chain of conversations. Eileen had done her best to keep it off their mother's radar, but there were surprisingly few people who really understood their particular situation.

"He's just-- He's getting quite serious about this girl, mm?"

Such was the way of things. Rachel is more glad to know, to be truthful, than to have it be kept from her, even for her own sake.

"Is he? How serious?"

Because his levels of seeming-to-be-serious had altered over time, after all.

"Meeting family serious." Which was somewhere along the lines of how serious he had been about Lisa, really. Which was normal-human-being standards of 'serious,' in Eileen's estimation, and worth worrying over. "She's... I mean, she's a sweet girl and all. It's just-- He's still so young."

"Really." Because meeting family is a pretty serious step across the board, "I hadn't realized they'd gotten to that point already. And he still hasn't brought her back to meet me."

She's very hurt.

"He hasn't been very good about sharing this one." Really, Eileen had had to do a good deal of snooping to find out the girl existed. "Which-- is a sign, isn't it?"

But of what?

"It is." But yes, the question is of what.

"I do wonder if he's so caught up in being with her he's simply neglected to bring her around or if she's not the type we'd approve of."

Or perhaps they're not the type she'd be comfortable with. But she likes to think she raised her son not to be ashamed of his family.

The younger woman's shrug is slight, just a touch helpless. Was this what it had been like for Rachel to watch the older child grow up? She hopes not--it's infinitely frustrating.

Then again, Eileen had never done anything silly like 'date people' or 'attempt to have a personal life outside helping raise Darren and do school' beyond that one brief dalliance into adult film. So. Different children, clearly.

"From talking to her, it sounded like-- they were worried about how serious things had gotten. And didn't want to get us riled up."

Very different children. But both causing their own sorts of frustrations and joys to their loving mother.

At the moment, it's the younger of the two that's causing her to go grey, "You've spoken to her, then? What's she like?"

Because there are very certain sorts of people that worry about how serious things can get, and there's only really one or two of those sorts Rachel wants her son dating.

"She's... fine."

Which isn't fair. Tempest is actually quite lovely. Not at all a bad sort of girl for Darren to be involved with.

But Rachel will be able to see from the wrinkling of her daughter's nose that someone is feeling overly protective and therefore unwilling to admit anything like that.

She can't help the fond twist of a smile at the expression and tone of voice her daughter's showing, "Very descriptive, little one."

Not that she'd have a very different reaction internally upon meeting the young woman.

"I'm not little anymore."

But the chastening works well enough. One shoulder, as always, hitches slightly up into tension, the younger woman's lip going briefly between her lips.

"She's... she's lovely. She's intelligent enough, and seems really quite caring. Passably pretty. She-- made him cupcakes for a date."

The one Eileen might have crashed.

Rachel just smiles, a little pained now, at the response, because Eileen's always going to be her little one, no matter how grown she gets.

But that's neither here nor there. They've got more pressing matters at hand, after all.

"She sounds very sweet. Did she-- seem averse to the idea of meeting us?"

Or, well. Meeting her, she supposes.

"I think she wouldn't mind it." Now that the bridge had been half-crossed by Eileen breaking in on the date. "It's... always going to be harder, don't you think? People meeting you?"

The actual star of the family.

"I think so," she agrees after a moment, hand running through her hair unconsciously in a gesture she'd borrowed from both Eileen's uncle and father.

"I'm not exactly the easiest person to face, after all."

For so many reasons.

"Can't imagine meeting the mother ever is."

And, well. When the mother is also an internationally famous star of screen and song, it's even more complicated. Or, rather, horrifically intimidating.

"But... you should, right? If-- he's going around meeting grandmothers?"

"I rather think so." Turnabout is fair play, after all, and this is something like that, "Besides that, you've already met her, which already is sort of a first step towards meeting me."

There's a mirthless sound like a laugh.

"Mm. The less pretty, less famous, far less intimidating version of you."

Which is just the way it is. She's fairly settled in that.

"Ease her into the family and all that."

"You're far prettier than I am, Eileen, and just as intimidating in your own right," Rachel chides gently.

And they both know that the 'famous' part isn't all it's cracked up to be.

It's a nice, maternal answer. It's not completely reassuring, but then, mothers' answers almost can't be by definition.

"Is it weird for me to ask her to come meet you? Side-step Darren completely?"

"I'd rather he ask her, first," she says with another sigh.

"But... Perhaps if it takes much longer than it should, after he meets her grandmother."

"Fair enough." Because otherwise, well. They'd probably be waiting forever. Her sigh is infinitely frustrated as she leans back in her seat. "I'm not ready to be a grandmother."

She actually manages to laugh, at that.

"I believe that's my line, little one."

But they both know it's a fair sentiment all the same.

"I'm not that much younger than you are, Mom."

Which, well. There was no helping how life had been when the one child was so much older than the other. It led to rather awkward generations.

"An aunt, then."

"Better," Rachel accedes with a kiss to her daughter's forehead, "Let's just hope they wait to make old ladies out of the both of us, then, mm?"

There's the tiniest bit of a snort as she wrinkles her nose, eyes rolling just a little.

"So we have to trust Darren not to be stubborn and mulish about things."

"Which might be difficult," her mother admits, "Considering he's an Eicheln."

And just like his father in temperament, really.

That, at least, gets a proper laugh.

"He'll never be worse than Dad was."

"No." And she's able to laugh about that fact, now, far easier than she was, "Your father was one of a kind."

"Thank goodness for that."

Even though he was gone. At least the ghost he had left was also one of a kind--had been looking after them for years.

"Indeed."

And that's not something that hurts as much anymore. Especially since she can still feel him around, more often than not.

"I can't imagine what he would have thought."

Or, well. She can. A bit.

"No?" It's a bit of a sad thing for Rachel, the fact that she and Edgar's children will never know their father.

"I imagine he would likely have rushed off to Darren and told him he needed to introduce this girl as soon as possible. He'd've wanted to know anyone either of you got that serious about as soon as possible. And then he probably would have come back and complain about feeling old."

Darren will never, of course, know the man. Eileen, at least, gets an understanding smile at the description. She was older, after all, even if still too young to have known him properly as an adult.

"You think he would have-- been happy I'm single, then?"

It's reassuring to see that smile. Has her mother smiling back easily.

"I think so-- so long as you're okay with it. He only ever wanted for the both of you to be happy, little one."

Although she imagines that if Edgar had been around if Eileen had started seeing people, then the poor young man would have been subject to quite the interrogation.

"More than okay with it. Who's got time for it, mm?"

Other than, apparently, Darren. But Darren was still, in her mind, a child.

"If you're certain."

She'd guessed quite some time ago that Darren was probably the more likelier candidate to give her grandchildren.

"Have you met men my age, Mom?"

Which was an excuse she'd been using, admittedly, since the age of twelve.

"Besides, you deserve one of us not giving you a headache."

There's just a huff of laughter in response to the query, but she doesn't press, just nods.

"I suppose that's true enough."

It's a good bit of parenting. It keeps the younger woman almost smiling. "I'll let you know, then. If she's up for a visit."

Then soft smiles to one another it will be.

"Thank you, little one."

"Basically my job."

As second-mother to the young man.