she's mine

sarah | baptized in fire

      "You ready for this?" I ask, glancing over at Ben in the passenger seat of my car. We decided arriving together would be less scary and appear like we were closer than we actually were.

      "As I'll ever be," he chuckles, "any last minute advice?"

     "Just act like you're into me enough for my parents and siblings to believe it but not too overboard or else they won't like you."

      "Got it," he nods, looking uncomfortable still.

     "Thank you again," I say causing him to look over at me, "you have no idea how much this means. Bella means too much to me for me to lose."

         "You're saving my ass from failing college math, I can be a fake boyfriend for a few hours if it will really save your parents from forcing you and Bella apart."

       I smile then take a breath before stepping out of the car, Ben following from behind. I lace our fingers together before walking in the front door to the bustling house. This was an immediate family only birthday since Isaac was turning 9, our extended family lived far away so they only ever came out for baptisms and one or two big birthdays per kid.

        "Sarah!" Miriam calls, running over and pausing when she sees Ben. "Who are you?"

    "This is Ben," I tell her," my boyfriend." I feel guilty. Out of all of my siblings I hated lying to sweet little Miriam, but I had no choice.

          "You can't have a boyfriend!" she declares, "boys are gross!"

       I chuckle. If only she knew. "This boy is really nice so he's going to be our friend okay?"

     She sits there thinking for a second before deciding he was alright, lifting her arms so he could lift her. He smiles at the fact he was able to win her over, carrying her on his hip as we walk past the foyer into the kitchen where the rest of my family is.

        David notices us first, looking surprised, but before he can react my mom turns around and squeals.

      "Sarah!" she says, "who is this?"

                  "This is Ben," I introduce, "Ben this is my mother Mary Magdalene."

      "Nice to meet you Ma'am, I can see where Sarah gets her natural beauty from" Ben says, reaching out and shaking her hand. She smiles at him, an actual real smile, and looks between the two of us.

        "Sarah why didn't you tell me you found such a gentleman," she coos and it takes everything in me to keep my jaw from dropping to the ground. My mom never liked anybody, but one sentence and Ben has her swooning. 

           "That was my fault ma'am. We have been taking things very slow and I am always so slammed with essays for college that a good time hasn't come up until now."

      "College?" she asks, looking impressed. I'm sure because she was thinking how a college degree meant a good job and a good job meant he would be a good provider. 

        "Yes, I am currently studying English and Pre-Law at the local University. Once I get my Bachelor's I am hoping to go on to Law School," he says, and at this point she is basically swooning over him.  

           "Well it is a pleasure to meet you young man," she says, glancing back behind her as my dad walks into the room. "Oh Gabriel, this is Ben, he is going to be a lawyer!"

       "Nice to meet you," he says smiling softly and shaking Ben's hand. My dad was not a very talkative person but he was always kind. I felt closer to him than my mom, but still struggled with him because he did not seem to notice how horrible my mom could be to me. 

           They both get swept up in the chaos of Jacob and Isaac who were running around shooting each other with nerf guns, luckily getting the attention off our backs. Ben is quiet but polite through lunch and cake, and my parents are perfectly fooled. David however keeps eyeballing me like he doesn't believe we are actually together and I can't quite figure out what his motives are. Is he going to tell mom and dad on me or is he hoping to use this as blackmail over me?

         Afterwards we make up an excuse about going to the library to both work on homework together, and I nearly make it back to Ben's car without anyone pestering me. 

      "How much are you paying him Sarah?" I hear David ask, causing me to turn from my spot on the driveway and see him on the porch with his arms crossed. 

                "I'm not paying him anything David," I say, my voice not wavering. If he hears so much as a hesitation he might be able to pick up I'm lying. 

       "So where did you meet?" he asks.

              "She's friends with the Callaghan's," Ben answers for me, having climbed back out of the car, "I'm friends with one of them and my best friend dated another one of them for a while. Seen her around for a while at different events there but the youngest Callaghan thought we would hit it off and set us up together." Close enough to the truth that neither one of us has to remember an elaborate story but still believable. 

          David nods but still doesn't look 100% sold.

   "Now if you don't mind we did have some homework to get done," I say, turning and climbing into the car before David has a chance to question us further. 

    It isn't until we are down the street that I let out the shaky breath I had been holding. 

         "You're my savior," I say, causing him to chuckle, "seriously I have never seen my mom like anyone as much as you. 

         "You underestimate how terrible at math I am," he says, "wait until after you teach me math to complement me."

        "To Bella's?" I ask, "she should be home by now." 

       He nods and heads the direction of the Callaghan's. I watch trees go by as we drive, lost in thought about my family, Ben, and Bella.