Vanessa felt the whole anxiety of the situation build. This had to go off without a hitch. She plastered a vanilla smile on for Jamison. His adoring green eyes latched onto her.

"I can't wait to meet your family."

"I'm sure they're going to love you." She assured him as she flounced up the stairs, knocking on the door in a quaint manner as he came to stand beside her.

Her father answered the door his sallow face turning upward in a smile like a tight thread.

"Good evening, and you must be the effervescent Jamison." His accent thick like a molten river.

"Pleasure to meet you sir!"

Vanessa cordially led her boyfriend into the house and watched his eyes widen.

Dolls.

Thousands of dolls.

"Aren't they lovely?" A velvetine voice purred from an amber lit corridor.

Jamison finally located his vocal chords again, "Y-You must be Vanessa's Mother, pleasure to m-meet you."

"Poppycock the pleasure is all mine." She cooed before fussing with his dark hair in the same way a treasurer might appraise a diamond. "Maybe a bow tie..."

Vanessa scoffed in disgust pulling him away from her. "Mother..." She complained.

Her mother laughed the noise as a silver bell colliding with concrete. "I'm sorry darling, you know me. Come now, dinner is all set. Roast beef, potatoes..." She continued to list things as they meandered towards the dining room Vanessa arm in arm with Jamison.

The dining room dripped with lavish trimmings of crimson and auburn the amber lighting creating a sanguine atmosphere. They began dinner with simple niceties and quickly evolved into asking deeper regarding their relationship and Vanessa poured over gushing details of how romantic and charming Jamison was.

"The food was delicious, did I detect a hint of rosemary in the potatoes?"

"Chef's secret ingredient." Vanessa's mother smiled coyly.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal and this night has truly been well spent it is a wonder you didn't introduce me sooner Vanessa." He put his arm around her and she laughed.

"You know me, I catastrophize too often."

"Perhaps before you leave you'd like a tour of the house? It will only take a moment, the rest of our home is rather minute." Her father invited with a dimpled grin.

Jamison swallowed clearly thinking about the porcelain dolls all neatly in an array on every wall except in the dining room.

"Don't fret over my darlings, they don't bite."

He laughed nervously. "A tour of the house would be lovely."

"Perfect!" Her mother grasped his arm and Vanessa's and took them around the house along the way introducing them to a couple of her 'darlings'.

"Jamison, why don't you sit, you're looking a bit pale." Vanessa helped him to a couch as he nodded.

"I'm tired is all."

"Just relax, take as much time as you need." Her mother crooned.

The morning sun shone on a pale face, his dark hair neatly arranged and a bowtie neatly tied around his petite neck.