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WITH A BOUQUETof flowers sitting on my lap I look out the window as we drive down a dark two-lane country road, passing single-family homes of all different styles on lots about ten times the size of the one my home sits on. This afternoon with my parents at the house, Aiden took the dogs out for a walk, which gave me a chance to tell my dad about Aiden’s strained relationship with his family, his soccer career, and the reason why he came back to Tennessee.
Needless to say, my dad was much more open to getting to know Aiden by the time he came back to the house, which was a relief. I would like to say that how my dad felt about Aiden wouldn’t have any effect on my feelings for him, but the truth is, it would have taken a toll over time. I love my parents and enjoy spending time with them, and I’ve always envisioned having the man I care about feeling the same way about my family as I do.
When Aiden flips on his turn signal, I come out of my thoughts, and anxiousness instantly fills the pit of my stomach, which is strange, because last night when I knew I would meet his mother and sister, I wasn’t nervous at all. Maybe because, going in, I knew they wouldn’t like me but their opinion wouldn’t change the way Aiden feels about me. But I know that won’t be the case if things don’t go well tonight.
“Ready?” I look from the small ranch-style home sitting back from the road to him as he pulls down a long, paved driveway.
“Yep,” I lie, hearing him laugh as I reach down to grab my bag off the floor while he parks behind a long row of cars.
“How many people are here?”
“Noah, his mom Rebecca, his sister Candice and her husband and their son Billy, plus whoever else Rebecca invited.”
“Right.” I lick my lips, then turn my gaze to him when his warm hand wraps around the back of my neck.
“You already know Noah likes you. Everyone else is going to feel the same.”
“Okay,” I say softly, and he puts pressure on the back of my neck, leaving me no choice but to lean into him, then his lips brush over mine softly at first before he deepens the kiss. When he pulls back, his thumb brushes over my bottom lip as he watches, then his eyes meet mine. He doesn’t say a word, but the look he gives me makes me feel like everything will be okay no matter what happens. “We should go in.”
“Yeah.” He touches his mouth to mine one last time before he lets me go and opens his door. By the time I unhook my seatbelt, he’s got my door open and is waiting for me with his hand out. I take it and let him help me down, then hand in hand, we walk up the sidewalk to the house, where you can hear people laughing and talking inside.
Without knocking, he opens the door, and as soon as we step into a simply decorated living room that is filled with people, it goes quiet before everyone swarms around us. I don’t know what I expected, but I never would have thought I would be enveloped in hug after hug as I was passed from person to person, each of them telling me their names with welcoming smiles.
“These are so beautiful,” Rebecca, who was the first to hug me, says once everyone is done making their introductions. “Come on.” She grabs my hand so she can drag me with her through the living room to the kitchen that is small but filled with everything someone who loves to cook might need. “While I put these in a vase, I want to know everything about you.”
She lets me go near the stove, where there is a giant meatloaf in a pan along with a huge pot of mashed potatoes and another with boiled corn on the cobs. I smile, seeing she made Aiden’s favorite meal tonight, then focus on her.
“Well, I grew up in Tennessee a couple of towns over, and now I’m a librarian at a high school nearby.”
“You’re a librarian?” Her eyes light up as she grabs a vase from the cabinet under the sink. “I love reading.”
“Me too,” I tell her as Noah and Aiden come into the kitchen, and Noah grabs a couple of beers out of the fridge.
“I know I raised you two better than to not offer a woman a drink before you get one for yourself,” she sasses them while clipping off the ends of the flowers so she can place them in the vase.
“Sorry, Mom. You’re right.” Aiden wraps his arm around her shoulders, then his eyes come to me. “Do you want something to drink, doll?” he asks while Noah takes off back into the living room when someone shouts for him.
“I’m okay for now.” I smile.
“So how did you and my Aiden meet?” Rebecca asks me, and my chest warms, because I love that she calls him her Aiden.
“We met in my subdivision.”
“She was pulling a kid out of one of the retention ponds when it snowed a couple of weeks ago, and I drove up just in time to see her sliding on her belly across the ice to get to him,” Aiden tells her.
“Oh my.” She looks at me. “Was he okay?”
“He was.”
“Thank God.” She rests her palm against her heart, then she looks up at Aiden. “How is your dad?”
“Doing better. I haven’t seen him in a few days, but I’ve been texting his nurse who’s there with him every day, and she seems hopeful. I should see him tomorrow.”
“Well, with any luck, he’ll be back up and about before long, so you can figure out what you’re going to do now that you’re here.” Her brows pull together. “Unless you don’t think you’re going to stick around after that.”
My stomach bottoms out at her statement, and it’s a wonder my knees don’t buckle. The thought of Aiden leaving isn’t something I’ve allowed myself to dwell on, but maybe I should have.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he says, and his eyes bore into mine. “I’m not sure what I’ll do when Dad’s able to take over, but I’m not leaving town again.”
“Good, it’s time for you to settle down and plant some roots.” She pats his chest, then looks at me. “We’ve missed him.”
“I’m sure you have,” I say quietly, knowing I would feel the same if he was suddenly gone.
“Well.” She clears her throat as she places the last flower into the arrangement she’s made. “You, place this on the table.” She passes the vase to Aiden. “Then let’s eat before it’s cold.” She looks at me. “Do you mind helping me get everything to the table?”
“Not at all. Just tell me what you want me to do,” I say, and she gives me a smile before showing me what she needs help with.
Once we’re done, I take a seat at the table with a family that reminds me of my own, and seeing Aiden so relaxed and at ease as dinner carries on, it makes me understand even more why every time he’s spoken about these people, it’s been with such love. These people are his family. They might not share the same DNA, but these are the people who have been there cheering him on and lifting him up when things have gotten hard.
And by the end of the evening, when Aiden and I are home and in bed, I don’t think about the craziness that has happened since the moment we met. But instead, as he makes love to me, I pray that I get a million more days just like today with him.
