The Not So Perfect Love Story

3|| Knights and Scotts

When all dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are

faith, family and friends.

-Barbara Bush

3|| Knights and Scotts

There was a knock on my office door on the Sunday after that hung over Tuesday morning, right before lunch. It was Finn and he was here to remind me of the lunch date with my parents and Amelia. So I called out to him to enter, and without looking up told him I remember the lunch and would be leaving in about 5 minutes, so he should get ready too.

"That's not all. I came here to tell you that there's going to be guests at this lunch thing." He said.

"What guests? Mum never said anything about guests." I asked him looking up.

"That's because you had to be the old lady you are and move out of the house. Now suffer the consequences." Amelia said from behind Finn. I smiled at her and she waved back.

"So do you know who these guests are Mia?" I asked, shooting her an amused look to which she shook her head no and we shared a laugh.

Looking down I signed the last page of the document and gathered all the papers and put them away. With my phone, keys and bag I went around my desk and we exited the room walking into the elevator. Finn was pretty much a brother-we-never-had to us and we enjoyed his presence in our lives and these family food times. Sometimes Maddox or Maddy, his husband, would join us too, but this week he was on a business trip to Canada.

We got to the diner picked out for this week pretty early since it was closer to the office. Our chauffeur parked the car in front of the diner and just as we were getting out of the car, another car came to a stop next to us. Mark and Bash got off that car and all five of us greeted each other and went inside.

Only for me to wish I didn't come here, the moment I found my parents. Because sitting with my parents was the Knight family and Arabella. Bash placed his hand on the small of my back and I looked at him to see his eyes already on me. I gave him a tight smile and a small nod, appreciating his support, and walked towards the table and he walked right next to me. 

Mia held my hand and squeezed it gently letting me she was there for me too. I smiled, I had good friends and a great sister, and I wouldn't mess up things for them over a man who let go without a fight, without even the slightest of tugs.

"My darling child is here, finally!" My mother exclaimed. And dad sighed.

"Hi mom, hey dad." I greeted them with a hug and sat down between Finn and Bash. Arabella was right in front of me and James was in front of Bash. We all placed our drinks order and jumped right into conversation as it had been a while since I'd met the Knights.

"Hey guys, this is Finn here and he is my secretary. He usually joins our lunches and dinners, per force of my mother, so here he is today too." I said as a basic introduction.

"That's a good looking lad you have for a secretary hun, anything we should prepare for?" Madeline, James' mother, asked me with a wink punctuating her question.

"No no mama Knight. He's taken already, I missed my shot." I said to her and she laughed.

This is what it was like all the time from way back when. The Knights and Scotts have been business partners since our grandparents' time. My dad and papa Knight went to the same school and were thick as thieves causing all sorts of mischief. The grands had hoped my aunt would marry papa Knight, but they were both in love with different people. Everybody had been ecstatic when James and I started dating, because finally the Knights and Scotts were going to be related to each other and become true family.

Our break up affected our parents too, but they pulled through, it was the friendship of two lifetimes, anyone would be stupid not to. Last I heard papa Knight speaking to dad saying that James finally started dating some girl, that he needed to get into a serious relationship to show the board members that he was reliable. He was upset it did not work out between us but said I could do better than to settle for someone who didn't stop to ask for my explanation.

The waitress came in with our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. By the time we finished the whole menu was jotted down on her notebook. It was hilarious to watch the girl look so lost but it was heart warming at the same time. I missed this; the laughter, the pigging out, the inside jokes, the 'remember when', all of it.

The rest of lunch after that went pretty normal. Well, as normal as it could've been. James, Bella and I avoided directly talking to each other. Finn avoided those two too, and our parents were trying not to bring up memories from when we were dating. It was slightly awkward, but what's life without a little awkwardness?

After all I had the best of family and the best of friends, and they were all here at the same place without wanting to tear at each other's throats. What more could I have asked for?

**************

The song above may talk of a love that is romantic in nature, of the support of and dreams with a lover. But I find it suiting the familial love too, and therefore wished for you guys to enjoy it too.

Family is not just of blood relations. The connections that hard times and strong love bring are more family that most blood relations. I hope all of you get to experience such love.

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