AMOUR

Chapter 45.

DENVER

It was around 5am in Toronto when our flight landed and I could see that the want to meet their families was overpowering the tiredness right now. Everyone wanted to just lie down on the cold airport floor and sleep but we somehow managed to go through the security and baggage and headed to the pick up and exit area.

Dave and I didn't talk much on the flight. We were both nervous but in a sense we were also looking forward to meet the parents.

I didn't get up to meet Roya or Jordan either. I needed the space to prepare myself and to think about what all could happen.

Once we reached the waiting lounge where outsiders were allowed to enter, they all started looking for a familiar face.

Roya told us her dad will be picking us up. Soon Roya and Anna ran up to 2 men coming our way in khaki shorts and polos. One looked older that the other.

Roya nearly jumped in the arms of the older looking one. They were pretty near, so we could hear their chuckles. We all startes moving towards them with our bags too.

Anna was still squeezing the life out of the other man. I'm pretty sure they are their dads judging from the familiar features they had.

Roya's dad pulled away from her and shook Dave's hand since he was the first in line.

"Hello Mr. Anderson," he greeted him with a smile but a tired face.

Mr. Anderson waved a hand in front of his face making a sour expression, "Call me Joe, Mr. Anderson sounds old," he smiled at the end. Roya was still by his side.

"You are old Joe," the other man raised a brow at Joe and we all laughed.

"Thank you for having us Joe," I shook his hand next.

"You're like our kids now," he smiled at both of us. He had short black hair and brown eyes that matches Roya's. His eyes had wrinkles on the corners. He looked like he's in his early fifties.

But what caught my attention was the warmth in his eyes. The warmth that I'm sure Dave noticed too because it's the warmth we never received. The warmth of a parent for their kid.

I smiled at him and he went on to meet Jordan, Ian and Anna next to me. They all hugged him together causing him to chuckle.

"Look at you all, can't live without uncle Joe for long," he smiled.

Anna's dad met us too and just like Joe he asked us to call him by his name, Mark. He had the warmth too and it made me think if this was the normal me and Dave never got.

They divided us into 2 cars. Mark taking Anna, Ian and Jordan home while Joe taking Dave, Roya and me. Roya as always called shotgun and we all took our seats after placing our bags in the trunk.

Joe put on a news station on the radio and I realized that I'm so used to listening to Roya's playlist by now that news just feels..abnormal.

"It's a 40 minute drive kids, take a nap if you want to," Joe suggested.

"Dad, are we all staying together?" Roya questions, looking at him.

"Well we were thinking ro leave it to you kids if you want to mix up or take one house while the parents take the other?" He replied, focusing on the road.

Maybe he caught to look of confusion on my face because he explained further, "ours and the William's house is next to each other so we usually divide whenever we all stay together."

Me and Dave only managed to say an 'oh' in reply. We weren't used to kids and their families staying together and enjoying. All we had seen were rich kids throwing parties in their big houses when the folks were away. This was new.