My Family, My Mate, The Age Gap and Me.

Confronting the parents.

Drew pulled up outside my house and went to get out of the car. “What are you doing?” I asked him. He smiled reassuringly at me, “Meeting your family, don’t worry we won’t mention the wolf thing. Just tell them I’m your boyfriend.” I grinned, “Aren’t you?” “Pretty much, only better.” “How so?” “Well for one thing you’ll never have to worry about me breaking up with you, I couldn’t even try. And for another, I’m a werewolf, so I’m automatically better.” He finished with a cocky smile, I just laughed. “Come on lover boy, don’t want to keep Mum and Darren waiting.” Drew raised an eyebrow, “You call your Dad by his given name?” “Oh no, I forgot to tell you. Darren is my step-dad, I’m the only person living here who has a different surname. Kenneth is technically my step-brother, not that we mention that when we meet people.” Drew smiled in understanding.

I opened the door, and only seconds later was pounced upon by Mum. “Where were you young lady?” I rolled my eyes. “I was with Ava, she had her baby last night.” Kenneth must have over heard me as he bounced into the room. “What did they have? Boy? Girl? Multiples?” Drew and I laughed at Kenneth’s enthusiasm. “A girl, Lupe Ava Eastman.” I said. Mum’s face became suspicious, “Didn’t you two have a teacher called Eastman?” She asked. I swallowed, apparently neither Kenneth nor I remembered to tell mum about Ava getting married to a teacher. Then Drew spoke from beside me, “Yes Ma’am they did, my younger brother as a matter of fact.” “So you’re trying to tell me that your best friend had a baby with a teacher?” “Yes, but can I please explain?” “How can you be friends with someone like that?” “Jill! Stop. Yes, Ava had a baby with a teacher, who she is also married to.” Mum looked ready to explode again. “Mum, it’s ok. The specialist programme that we were in, do you remember?” Mum nodded. “Well, it was all set up so that Ava could stay at school with us, which we didn’t find out until after they were married. It was an arranged marriage, their parents are friends or something.” I looked at Drew to make sure that I was doing ok, he nodded at me with a small smile. “Oh, I didn’t realise that parents still did that sort of thing.” Mum capitulated, “Ok, so are you chill now?” Mum nodded, but asked. “Why didn’t you come home straight after?” “It was late, and I wasn’t going to ask someone to drive me home. Angie said that it was fine for me to stay there, they have a huge house.” “Who’s Angie?” This one Kenneth answered. “Our teacher from the in school programme.” However Drew also answered simultaneously. “My mother.” Mum looked at Drew properly, apparently she is struggling to keep up this morning. “I’m Drew Eastman, I am Holden’s older brother, and one of the doctors who attended Ava last night.” I could see Mum appraising him. “A doctor, that’s nice. And who is your brother that you would mention him?” Drew chuckled, “Holden is the oldest of my two younger brothers, and Ava’s husband.” Mum nodded, “Well thank you for bringing my Sofia home, I’m sure she kept you waiting while she slept half the day away.” Mum was smiling at him in an ‘it’s time for you to leave’ manner. Drew chuckled. “Mum, there is a reason that Drew came inside...” I trailed off and took a step closer to Drew, the closer to him I got the more comfort I felt. ‘You’ve got this, I love you Sof.’ I heard in my head, then as Drew reached for my hand, I heard Kenneth gasp. “Mum, Drew and I are dating.” Mum’s eyes went wide, and then I could have sworn I saw her breathe fire as she called for my step-dad. “Darren! Get in here.”

We all moved to the lounge, and Darren appeared. “What’s going on Jill?” Mum looked like she was going to breathe fire again. “What’s going on? What’s going on?”She shouted, “Sofia is apparently dating this man who is her teacher’s  older brother.” She turned back to Drew for a moment. “Just how old are you exactly?” Drew looked at her quite calmly, I was shaking in fear. “I’m twenty-eight.” “Twenty-eight! Sofia, the man is ten years older than you! How can you think that this is ok?” “Mum, I ...” I trailed off, and looked at Drew who grabbed my hand in support and smiled at me. “Mum, I love him!” “And I love Sofia.” “That’s not even possible, you’ve known each other for less than twenty-four hours!” Darren sat in silence, stunned. “Jill, just drop it. We love who we love; there isn’t always a logical pattern to things. For God’s sake, while we are having confession time: I’m gay and I’ve been in a relationship with Austin for the past eight months.” Both parents turned to look at Kenneth. Then Darren cleared his throat. “That’s fine, you’re both eighteen and Austin is a lovely young man.” We all heard how Darren put the emphasis on the word ‘young’. Then Darren turned to face Drew and I. “This on the other hand.” He said while gesturing to Drew and I.  “Will not be happening!” “Darren that’s not fair, I’m eighteen too. I am not a child, who I choose to date is up to me and not you!” I shouted at him. Darren shook his head and said, “You’re right it’s not fair, but it is out job to protect you from men like him,” He pointed at Drew, “who prey on innocent young girls such as yourself.”

That was the last straw. “Innocent! And you want to protect me? Where were you three years ago? Where were you when I needed to be protected? Or have you already forgotten about Mark and what he did to me?” ‘What did Mark do to you Sofia?’ Drew growled in my head, I looked at him sadly and replayed the beginning of our lovemaking last night to him, the part where I said ‘I’m sorry.’ I could see and hear Drew getting worked up beside me. ‘Be quiet or they will hear you.’ I said to him through our link. Drew snorted and muttered, ‘They’re human, they can’t hear anything.’ Was all I heard back before he started muttering again. “Mark is exactly why we want to protect you sweetheart.” Darren said a little too forcefully. “Drew isn’t going to hurt me like that!” I protested. “How do you know that? Sofia, he is a grown man, a decade older than you.” He turned to Drew and said, “I’m sorry, but you need to leave now.” He walked over to Drew and forcefully grabbed his arm, to make sure he left. Not that he would be able to shift Drew if Drew didn’t allow it. I tried to go with him, but Mum grabbed me and tried to hold me back. If I wasn’t so distraught at the thought of Drew leaving me, and still slowly coming into my strength (for the next week or so, according to Drew), she wouldn’t have been able to hold me. Kenneth came and held me as well, but Kenneth wasn’t trying to hold me back, he was just holding me. As Darren moved Drew to the door, I screamed. “No! Don’t do this to me, don’t make him leave.” “I have to for your own good, Sofia.” Darren said. ‘I’m not leaving you Sofia, I love you with everything in me.’ Drew said in my mind, as he walked out the door. I broke down into sobs, “Please.” I begged in a horrible hoarse, broken sounding voice.

Kenneth helped me up to my room. I was in so much physical pain, that I could hardly move. Then I heard Drew in my head again. ‘I’m sorry love, I know you’re hurting. I am too. It’s because we are apart against our will.’ ‘Oh shit, what the hell are we going to do?’ ‘Take them to meet my family tomorrow. I’ll be nearby but you won’t see me. It’ll help with the pain for a short time anyway. But I’m afraid that it’s only going to get worse the more time we spend apart.’ ‘I love you Drew, we will find a way.’ I turned to Kenneth, “Kenneth, I need your help.” He looked at me warily. “There is something about all of this that you are not telling me, and I don’t like it. But yes I will help you. Only because you and Ava did this for me. What do you need?” “I need you to convince Mum and Darren that we should all go and see Ava tomorrow, Drew won’t be there; but his twin will.” “Why won’t Drew be there?” Kenneth asked suspiciously. “Because he is going home today, to pack. He’s moving here, to be with me.” Kenneth looked stunned, “He really does love you.” I nodded, glad that I wasn’t lying. I had heard Drew muttering about leaving his current job and coming home to be with me, in between all his muttering about wanting to kill Mark. He’s not slow, he figured out that Mark raped me; something that no-one but him outside of this family and the police know about. Kenneth kissed my forehead and said, “I’ll try to convince them, but I’m not making any promises; but I’ll be bringing Austin when we go to see Ava. He would kill me if I went to see her and didn’t take him.” I grinned briefly at Kenneth as he retreated from my room to try and help Drew and I be together.