A bundle of nervous energy, I busied myself with becoming accustomed to the kitchen and timing the portions of my meal, from appetizer to dessert. This would be the first time each set of parents would meet and I wanted it to go off without a single hitch. JC ended up leaving to go hang out with Matt, which was perfect timing. I needed an uninterrupted block of time to work my magic.

I finally reached a point where I could do nothing but wait. Wait for the oven, wait for the stove, wait for the freezer. I indulged in a glass of wine and tried to relax. After a few minutes, I got bored and decided to take a peek around the ground floor of the house. I started down one hallway, peeking into closed off rooms.  One room was stuffed full of boxes of clothing and books and posters. Remnants of his previous lives.

Behind another closed door was an office. It wasn’t fancy, but it was functional. Some shelving, mostly empty, lined the walls. JC’s Mac Notebook was attached to the keyboard, monitor and mouse. I recognized the desk as a department store brand, the chair an office supply store special, likely. JC was not really a big spender, and this amused me.

As I turned to leave, I bumped against the table. The monitor popped and hummed and came to life, and the image of an open, half finished email appeared.  My eye was drawn to ‘S’ and ‘a’ in the email.

Was that my name? What was he writing about me?

I willed myself to leave the room.  Mind my own business. Don’t look at his email. I had no reason to be looking at his email.

But I was curious to see what he was writing about me. And who was he writing it to?

I left the room in a hurry, went back to the kitchen and paced. Checked everything, twice. Sat on the couch, flipped some channels, and then tossed the remote onto the couch and slowly wandered back into the room.

I wouldn’t read the entire email. I just wanted to see what he said about me. I sat gingerly in the chair, touching nothing, not even scrolling up. I told myself to just read the line that contained my name.

‘Things with Serena are better than I ever thought they could be. She is moving to LA and if things keep going this well… well, all I’ll say is keep that tux clean, man.’

Who was he talking to? About me?

I heard the unmistakable sound of my car pull into the driveway, and the door slam shut just outside the windows to the office. No time to find out. I rushed out of the room and ducked into the bathroom just down the hall. I could barely breathe—and I could just smack myself. For someone so smart, I had just done something so stupid!

“Serena? You around?”

I opened the door a crack and called out, “I’m…. I’m in the bathroom! Be out in a second!”

I took a few seconds to calm myself, patting my cheeks with cold water, ran a few fingers through my hair, and then came out of the bathroom. JC was nowhere in sight. Not in the kitchen or the living room. I thought he had gone upstairs, so I returned my work in progress.

I never heard JC walk up behind me. When he grabbed me by the waist, I screamed so loud I could have broken glass.

I pummeled him with an oven mitt while he laughed, that high pitched giggle I so rarely heard.  “I’m sorry…” he stopped to breathe, trying to hug me, but I pushed him off. “I thought you heard me. I’m sorry!”

“You scared me! Jesus!”

“Well, maybe if you weren’t doing things you’re not supposed to be doing, you wouldn’t be scared.”

I felt all of the blood drain out of my face and my veins go ice cold as I stiffened. Shit! How did he figure it out already?

He turned me around and wrapped both arms around me, holding me close to him so I couldn’t escape.

“Were you looking for something?”

“No.”

“You sure? Like, maybe something in my email?”

I couldn’t even look at him. I almost felt our entire relationship going down the drain over my nosiness.

“Not on purpose,” I said quietly, in a near whisper. “I was just walking around, and I bumped the table, and the monitor came on. I didn’t read it, I didn’t even see who it was to, I just… I left the room and went to the bathroom, I swear. I swear I wasn’t snooping.”

“You swear?” 

I swallowed. “Okay, I saw it and I left and then I came back but I only read the one line. Because I saw my name. But that’s it. And then I left. Now, I swear.”

I gripped his arms, and then his face, willing those worry lines and that look of disappointment to disappear. “I’m sorry, don’t hate me. I would have never seen it if the monitor didn’t pop on and then I saw my name and I was curious but I swear I did not intend to snoop.”

JC stared at me for what felt like forever, then a smile broke and he leaned forward. He left the sloppiest kiss ever on my cheek and loosened his arms around me. There was no way this was real, and he wasn’t mad. It had to be a trick.

“What the fuck? Why aren’t you pissed?”

“I have no reason to be, if I have nothing to hide from you. You can go in there and read every email if you want. They’re boring but you can read them.”

“Well, you probably deleted all the incriminating ones.”

“Funny.”

“So, how did you know? Is the monitor still on?”

“Well, the door was open, and I was sure I closed it. And…” From the counter behind him, he picked up a wine glass with the telltale lip gloss mark on it and handed it to me.

“Fuck.” JC laughed as I turned white, then red.

“Just remember something.” He grabbed my chin with his thumb and index finger, forcing me to look him in the eye. “I trust you, too. Don’t give me reasons not to. Okay?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay. Thank you.”

He let go and walked out of the kitchen, after which I nearly melted against the counter.

‘Learn this lesson, Serena,’ I thought to myself, trying to breathe. ‘Learn it, right fucking now! You’ve worked too hard to get here. Stop acting stupid and do not screw this up!’

My parents were the first to arrive. I knew they would be—my father was a notorious time Nazi. 7pm meant 6:30 for him, so even showing up at ten minutes after probably drove him nuts.

Dad handed me a bottle of wine with one hand and hugged me with the other. “Hi, sweet pea, sorry we’re a little late. The ladies took forever to get dressed, with their talking and gossiping.”

“It’s ok, Dad. You’re here. Say hi to JC.”

JC stood behind me, looking handsome in a button down shirt and tie and black jeans. He tried to play off any nervousness about our parents meeting but I caught him chewing on a thumbnail a few times earlier that afternoon.

I put my arms around my Aunt and Uncle and ushered them into the living room. “So, these people are my Aunt Esla and Uncle Walt.”

Aunt Esla gave JC a big hug and kissed his cheek, then pulled back, holding his face in her hands. “You… make my niece very happy,” she gushed in her thick Island accent. “This look, on her face? I never saw it before she met you. Thank you. Such a good man.”

JC invited everyone in to make themselves at home in the living room. Appetizers were fresh out of the oven and several wines were open. Mom and Aunt Esla noticed the lilies and admired them for a few minutes. After I explained that they were to celebrate our anniversary, they both smiled and nodded and stole glances at JC, in deep conversation with my dad.

While they settled, I saw a flash of headlights in the window of the door-- JC’s family had arrived. Heather was the first one in and ran at me, throwing her arms around my neck. Which surprised me because… I had just met her.

JC led the group to the living room and I let him make the introductions. “Uhm, this is Serena’s family—her dad Terry, her mom Donna, aunt Esla, and her husband, Walt. Everyone, this is my family—my dad Roy, my mom Karen, my sister and brother, Heather and Tyler, and Heather’s boyfriend Ryan. “

There was a commotion as everyone made their way around shaking hands and giving hugs and talking and dishing up appetizers and pouring glasses of wine and water. I was breathing a little easier. We had made it through the first ten minutes. Smooth sailing from here.

“Now JC,” my dad was saying, a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. “I’m sure you know this, but a word to the wise: Do not piss her off!  The Greek are not known for being a passive people. She’s got a good arm, and she will throw something at you, if provoked.”

“I haven’t found that out yet but I will definitely keep that in mind. And learn to duck.”

“Dishes, glasses, books… bricks…” The room erupted in laughter. “I’m not saying I’m violent, I’m just saying… yeah, learn to duck.”

“I’m taking notes.”

Heather piped up and said, “Yeah, take notes for Tyler, too? He might need them more than Josh, if she’s gonna be living at that house.”

Tyler looked incredulous as everyone laughed. Karen reached over and placed her hand on his cheek to comfort him. He kissed her palm and gave her puppy dog eyes. I just loved how loving his family was.

“So JC, tell an old woman…” Oh, no. Aunt Esla was asking a question.

“What does a musician do in Los Angeles? You play, you write, you sing? And you do okay with money? If we send our Serena to LA she won’t be on the sidewalk begging for change holding a guitar case while you play?”

“Esla…” Dad glared down the table at her, then apologized with a glance at JC.

“Oh, I don’t mind the question at all, Terry. I’m happy to answer. Uhm, the group I was in, about 5 years ago, we did really well. I wrote a lot of what we sang and recorded. We toured a lot, which is… great money. Uhm, and now I write and produce other artists, including myself. I’ll be on tour for a few weeks next year trying out some new music, and hopefully get signed to a label.”

Cheers filled the room from JC’s side of the table. It seemed to be bigger news to them than it was to me. I had been so irritated that he was taking a sluggish, passive approach to getting a contract that I saw everything in a negative light. Seeing his family rejoice at him just doing anything made me feel bad about how seemingly unsupportive I’d been. 

“So, yes I do okay,” he continued. “I’m stable. Serena’s gonna be fine in LA. I will make sure of it. Promise,” he said, looking right at me.

“So, is there a concert here? In Orlando? I would like to see a performance.” If wasn’t mistaken, my Aunt Esla had a new crush. I thought it was cute. Uncle Walt may have disagreed.

“If I get the chance, I will definitely perform here in Orlando, just for you, Esla.” JC beamed at her and she blushed and looked away. I tried not to laugh, making the excuse that I needed to prep dessert. JC invited everyone to relax in the living room so we could clear the table.

“How adorable is your aunt?” JC whispered as he walked by with an empty dish.

“I’m so sorry she asked that money question. I wish I could say it’s just because she’s not from here but it’s not. She’s just nosy.”

JC blew me off with a shrug. “It’s alright. Your dad is hilarious. You need to finish the story he was telling, about you cutting your own hair…”

“There’s a reason I stopped him from telling that one. You don’t want to hear it.” 

Large family gatherings were the stuff dreams were made of, for me. My family and his family all in the same room, several conversations going at once, the smell of coffee and cake in the air and music in the background filled my heart with joy. I perched on the arm of the couch next to Tyler and scratched the top of his head. He smiled up at me and patted my knee.

Karen caught my eye and nodded her head toward the porch. I stood and followed her out and we sat on the swing on the side of the house. We made small talk for a few minutes and then she grew quiet. 

“So Karen, I hope that you’re not concerned that I’m going to hurt JC or anything like that. I mean, it’s a dumb thing to promise I won’t hurt him, but I can promise I won’t hurt him on purpose. I’m lucky to be with him. I know that.”

She chuckled a little, staring off into the darkness, the swing swaying forward and back, just a little.

“Sometimes I want things for my children. Josh specifically. Things that elude him, but I can’t physically give to him. You know?  I can’t give him happiness. I can’t buy him some success and mail it off to him. I can’t knit him true love, or someone to come home to, someone to go through hard times with.” She glanced over at me, smiling slightly, then a little more.

“I’m not worried about you, Serena. The way he talks about you, I never have been. I’ve been overjoyed that he met you. That he liked you, and he pursued you, and you responded. He’s…” She glanced back at the window behind us and smiled.

“He’s so happy. I was really concerned about him for a long time. Roy and I both have been. You might never know what you’ve done for him. But from a mother’s heart, thank you.”

She scooted closer to me and laid an arm across my shoulders. I swiped at a tear as it rolled down my cheek. “I thought you brought me out here to give me the ‘if you hurt him, I’ll kill you’ speech.” I laughed and sniffled.

“Well that one is coming up next,” she said, laughing with me. “I can see you’re going to be just fine. I’m not worried about you hurting him. But if you do—run. You’ll have a lot of people after you.”

“Knowing him has changed me, completely. I can’t even count the ways. I’ve had so much fun with him, and I fell in love in a way I never ever knew was possible, for me. I love your son. You and Roy did such a great job raising him. He’s a wonderful person.”

“It wasn’t really all that hard. That’s just the way he is. That he treats you well is the greatest compliment I could hear about him. He treats me well, too.”  She bumped against my shoulder and smiled, like we were members of an awesome club, together.

“And I’m happy to hear that things worked out so well with your mom. He was really concerned for awhile.”  She smoothed down my hair where it had been mussed with our hugs and squeezes, and then… then she said the sweetest thing. 

“Josh is going to make sure everything goes fine, in LA. I’ve grilled him to an endless degree about it, and I’ve threatened him within an inch of his life if he’s moved you to another city and not made it work. Roy and I—we’ve loved you since before we met you. I want you to know that we’ve got your back.”

I laughed – because otherwise I would cry--and leaned into her. “Wow, thank you. I appreciate that. I’m starting to not be so scared about it.”

“Well, I suppose we should go in. There will be a search party, soon.”

JC’s face lit up at Karen and I walking into the house, arm in arm. “There’s my ladies. You two were talking about me out there, weren’t you?” 

“Yes.”  Karen kissed JC on the cheek as she passed him and resumed her spot next to Roy, easily falling into the conversation.

“…so, really, we just got to a point where we needed to be actual parents to Serena and not just guardians. I mean, we had all rights to take care of her, but… it’s just not the same. I’m sure you understand.” Dad pointed at Roy and he nodded.

“If we did something Regina didn’t like, she would just throw a fit, and threaten to take her. Our attorneys assured us she couldn’t do that easily. Come on, she was homeless. But it was such a disruption to Serena’s life. So when she was turning eight, Serena said, ‘find her, make her sign the paperwork, I want to be adopted.’  So… we made it happen. All kinds of illegal and we had to completely circumvent the system but we made it happen. Adopted her just a little bit after her eighth birthday.”

“So you… had to pay her off, basically?” Karen asked, brows furrowed.

“Unofficially and off the record,” said my mom, patting my back as I sat next to her. “Of course, it did no good. She disappeared and came back.”

“I was in social work for awhile… I saw cases like Regina every day.” Karen’s expression was sympathetic. My parents hadn’t had an understanding ear in quite awhile. “Of course you tried rehab and counseling…”

“Oh, rehab, we did a few times. She would come out clean and last about… what do you say, Donna? 90 days?”

“If that.” Mom shrugged, her eyes rolling.

“Yeah, so we did that twice. And then Serena had started working and said she would start taking care of her and to do no more for her. Serena did what she could to keep Regina healthy. I wish I knew something we could have done for her. I’m so happy that she found us when she did, and reached out to us and let us take the baby.”

“Well, as you found out, an addict needs to hit that bottom and want to help herself. Can you even imagine where Serena would have ended up?”

“I got lucky. Very lucky.” I held Mom’s hand and smiled at her.

“Me too.” JC said, laying an arm on his dad’s shoulder. Both sets of parents bore proud grins, looking up at the children they welcomed into their homes, loved as their own and raised into responsible, pretty well adjusted adults. For the most part.

Hours later, JC and I stood in the doorway waving goodbye to the last of our guests. After watching the headlights disappear down the street, we went back inside. I closed the door, then leaned against it and slid down to the floor.

JC squatted in front of me.  “Well, I don’t know what you’re tired for. It hasn’t been a very exciting day.”

“Yeah. Boring.”

He held out his hands and pulled me up, into his arms, then pushed me toward the stairs. “Go. Get up there, get your shower. Let me know when you’re out. I’m gonna work on this down here and I’ll come up when you’re ready.”

I finally rolled into bed an hour later, freshly showered and rubbed down by JC. He was very good at it--called himself the Master Lotion Applicator—even though I could accomplish the task in a fourth of the time. It would feel nowhere as good as it felt when he did it.

JC left to grab a quick shower before getting into bed. I tried to stay awake but lost the battle a few minutes after he stepped into the bathroom.

I didn’t feel him get into the bed, so when I opened my eyes to find a blue eye staring at me, I jumped. “What the hell is with you sneaking up on me today? What are you doing?”

“Looking at you. You’re pretty when you sleep. I watch you sleep all the time.”

“You don’t. You’re always sawing logs when I wake up.”

“Not true. Sometimes I’m up before you.”

I yawned and stretched, blinking against the bright lamplight. “How long are you gonna stare at me? I can’t sleep with the light on.”

“As long as I want. Close your eyes.”

I was too sleepy to argue, so I obeyed and snuggled up against his warm, sweet smelling skin. I felt my body completely relax and melt up against him. I heard the lamp being turned off, then felt his arms close around me.

“You still awake?”

“Hm.”

“Don’t you even want ask about that email?”

“Hmm-mmm.”

“No?”

I sighed, tired of this game, the dangling of the carrot, the saying one thing and doing or inferring another. I was sure I’d made myself clear earlier in the year that I wasn’t expecting a proposal—was he now hoping I’d changed my mind and was pining to be a Mrs? My feelings hadn’t changed. I still wasn’t expecting a proposal—not that I’d turn one down. But he wasn't ready to be a Mr anymore than I was ready to be a Mrs. Even I knew that.

“You know what, JC?” I turned, presented my back to him and invited him to curl up against me like normal. I clutched his arm as it crawled across my waist. “I said I trusted you, and I do. If you’re asking, ask. If not, quit hinting. Either way, I’m cool. Alright?”

###

Sunday morning—the first day of our road trip—came faster than I thought it would. I’d had a wonderful time in Orlando with JC and his family. Our goal of bringing our parents together had been accomplished and now the real fun was about to begin. Ten days on the road, driving across the country. One stubborn girl, one silly man, a GPS device and a list of what I could only imagine was the most insane places to visit, ever.

I was so looking forward to it.