In Your Corner | ✓

Epilogue

"Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea?"

Jonny smiles at me through the phone screen, amused. "Come on, Nat," he cajoles. "We talked about this. You've missed him."

In any other scenario, his amusement would probably irritate me, but I'm actually a little too panicked right now to properly register it.

"Right, right," I nod, running a frantic hand through my hair. "But I'm still not sure that means that this was the best decision I've ever made."

He snorts, shaking his head. "Nat, the man literally met your parents after, like, a couple of weeks of dating you. It's been months and you've still not returned the favour."

I worry my bottom lip, knowing that he's right. Letting out a frustrated groan, I check my appearance in the portion of the screen that shows me. "What if they hate me?"

It's late July and the summer has been long. Josh left once exams were over to travel back to Edmonton and start an internship at a history research department there, while I stayed in Vancouver to do an internship with a rather high-profile engineering firm.

We've both actually loved our jobs over the summer, but being away from each other hasn't exactly been easy. Our whole relationship has revolved around supporting each other, so the whole long-distance thing has not been ideal.

Still, Josh came to visit at the end of June, so, now a month later, it's my turn to use up a couple of the few days of holiday that I actually get.

It's incidentally the first time I'm going to meet his family, hence why I'm sat on the lidded toilet in a cubicle at the airport in Edmonton, on a video call to Jonny, having a minor freak-out.

But it's fine. It's really fine.

"They won't hate you," Jonny reassures me, shaking his head. "You're going to be fine."

I'm not really sure why I'm so nervous, but I really, really am. I just want his family to like me, because, even though we've not been together all that long, I know Josh is it for me.

"But what if they do?" I whine, tugging on my hair as my leg bounces.

He rolls his eyes exasperatedly at my dramatics, but indulges me nonetheless. "Then you can fly back home, I'll pick you up at the airport and we'll go to No Frills and get the biggest tubs of ice cream they have. But really, you're going to be great, Nat. They'll love you, I swear. Everyone does. If you don't get your ass out there and greet them, though, they'll wonder if you missed your flight or chickened out of it altogether. So, get going and kick ass, okay?"

He always knows what to say and I find myself so grateful for that, once again.

Feeling slightly appeased after his pep talk, I nod, standing up and smiling shakily at him. "Okay, I'm going, I'm going. Thanks, Jonny. You're the best."

He smirks, clearly proud of himself. "I know. I'll still pick you up in a few days, okay? I'll fight your Dad for the honour and you can tell me all about it."

After I've thanked him profusely again for his encouragement, I hang up and take a deep breath, knowing that Josh is just on the other side of the Arrivals door.

I take my time exiting the cubicle, washing my hands slowly, but once I'm out of the bathrooms, I hurry up because I've missed him so, so much.

Suddenly just hopped up on excitement at the thought of seeing my boyfriend, I rush towards the exit, my holdall hiked up on my shoulder, banging against the backs of my legs with every hurried step that I take.