Chapter 22 (Aron's POV)
I swear this whole situation would be hilarious if my "girlfriend" wouldn't look like she might just pass out.
"Girlfriend" because I have no idea how to describe what we have right now.
We spend some time together out of the office, well since we live together for time being I'd say we spend almost every second together.
But we keep things professional in the office, while outside of it all bets are off.
And I would be lying if I told you I didn't enjoy every second of our time spent together.
But right now she looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
Her eyes were as big as saucers and she was shaking her head at me.
"No, no, no. Aron no. You can't do this to me. I've never done this. I will embarrass myself. No, no, no. I can't do this."
Now I realized I might make a mistake by bringing her here out of the blue, but right now we can't go back. We'll have to get through this together.
I made my way around the car so I was standing in front of her now.
"Breath Becky. In, out. Come on. Do it with me."
She listened to my words and started to calm down slowly.
"There we go. Now don't panic, ok? It's not so bad. My aunt and cousin know about you, and they already love you. They can't wait to meet you. I am sure they already ambushed the window of the living room and are spying on us right now."
At my words, she managed to relax a bit more and even a soft chuckle escaped her. It brought a smile to my lips.
"Ok. I can do this. But promise me not to leave my side. I am not joking. I never did this before. I never met my boyfriend's parents."
Her words shocked me and I am sure it was written all over my face, but it was something for another day.
I gave her a soft kiss before promising to not leave her side and we were walking up the stairs to the front door, hand in hand.
As I predicted, the front door was pulled open before we even managed to ring the bell.
I shook my head while a smile was playing on my lips.
Aunt Lizz was standing at the door with a massive smile on her lips.
"My gosh. I already thought I wouldn't live long enough to see this day. But here you are
Sweetheart just from things Aron told me about you, you are a perfect match for him and I am so glad to have you here in my home."
In seconds she pulled her from my hands and had her arms wrapped around her in a bear hug.
"Thank you, Mrs. McNamara. I am glad Aron brought me here tonight even if I had no clue until we arrived."
Damn. This woman threw me under the bus in seconds. But my smile remained on my lips.
I was also ready to receive my aunt's slap on the back of my head.
"I swear I raised you better than to lie to your woman!"
I chuckled at her.
"Yes, auntie you did. But she is a stubborn woman and if I told her the truth she wouldn't be standing here right now."
A stink eye was aimed my way from Becky but I didn't care. I would make it up to her later.
"Well honestly, he is probably right. It's my first time meeting my boyfriend's relatives and I would probably panic even worse than I did a moment ago in your driveway."
"Ah, my dear. Don't worry. Just forget about the fact it's a family dinner. Consider us friends, ok?"
She took Becky's hand and I could only hear Becky agree with her.
But my mind was focused on the fact she called me her boyfriend.
Does it mean she accepted me officially?
***********
"So you are trying to tell me, that this man right here that loves his rules and punctuality was once the opposite of that?"
If you thought my so-called girlfriend and both women I loved most in my life were having a laugh at my dispense you guessed correctly.
Lizz was telling Becky stories about my not-so-perfect past.
And honestly, I didn't even mind it.
Because they were all having fun.
And what's better than seeing people you care about to be happy? If only it lasted for a few hours, it was more than enough in my book.
The dinner was over and a huge success. Like I told Becky, aunt Lizz and Ana would love her and I was right.
Becky and Ana also already had plans for dinner in the future with Rachel.
Now we were just sitting in the living room, drinking coffee and having fun.
Well, they were having fun and I was desperately trying to turn the conversation in another direction.
Unsuccessfully as you can guess.
Suddenly Becky's phone rang…
She took it out of her purse and from the look on her face I knew it was someone she had to answer.
"Sorry, I just need to take this call fast."
We all just nodded our heads letting her know it was ok.
"Hey, Margareth. Yes, I am just at my boyfriend's family for dinner. Um yeah, sure just a second…"
She covered the speaker and turned my way to ask for the house address because Margaret needed to speak to her about something important.
I answered her and she relayed the information to her ex-manager.
"I am so sorry for making my visit here so short, but I do have a few more minutes left before she arrives. She told me she'd call me once she arrives."
We continued talking like the call didn't even happen when suddenly there was a knock at the front door.
I stood up and went to answer the door.
There stood a woman that looked somehow familiar to me, but I couldn't put a finger on it.
"Hey. You must be Margret. Becky is still inside with my aunt. You can come in if you'd like."
Her face was pure fakeness.
"Of course dear. I'd love to come inside."
I moved away from the door to let her pass.
When we entered the living room though, the real chaos started.
"Maggy, what are you doing here?"
My aunt was the first to speak and I could see she knew the woman in our house.
Suddenly it all made sense to me.
"You mean Maggy as your sister?"
I gritted out through my teeth.
The woman in question turned around with her plastic smile firmly in place.
"She means Maggy or Margaret as your mother."
Those words were the breaking point for my sanity.
I took a step closer to her and spoke slowly so she wouldn't miss one thing I told her.
"The woman that raised me, and I consider my mother, is sitting right in front of you, and you are standing inside her living room. But you? You never were or ever will be my mother. The only thing you did for me was giving birth to me. And then you abandoned me. So excuse me, but your actions make you a little less than a stranger to me."
I could see a slight trace of hurt in her eyes, but I didn't care.
She hurt me far worse in the past, and I wanted nothing from this woman.
With those words, I turned around and left my childhood home.
I just wanted to forget about the past few minutes of my life.