Road trip

38- Christmas at home

Surprisingly the weeks following Savannah's suspension were painless. Austin and I made a collective effort to study together after school and I had even managed to pick up a part time job in the school library that I could work around my classes and still be home before dinner.

Austin had also managed to get pretty close with Marcus which actually benefitted me since he would usually bring Olivia to hangout too. We had become a Quadruple of friends, even if it was now blatantly obvious that our friends were deeply into each other.

"Cole wants us all to go to this party Friday night?" Olivia sighed.

"Yeah I think I'll pass." I replied as I added spaghetti sauce to the meat on the pan.

"Fair enough." She sounded a little hurt.

"Look I would, but we are leaving Saturday morning to go home for Christmas break and the last thing we need is to make that drive tired or hungover or both." I explained and I was being honest.

Seriously, in the time that Savannah had been gone for this semester, Austin and I had become well acquainted with Cole, well I mostly tolerated him but still. It turns out he isn't as big of an ass as he makes himself out to be. The reality was it was more of a seventy five percent chance opposed to the hundred percent I had first assumed.

"Fine." She pouted, "but the first weekend you guys get back we are doing something."

"Deal."

.....

When we pulled up to Austin's house I wasn't at all surprised to see my dads truck in their driveway, clearly they had planned for us to return together and all I could hope was that we wouldn't suddenly be separated from each other now that our parents knew we were dating.

We walked into his living room and after hugs and introductions we took turns talking about college studies , something I was doing very good at, while Austin on the other hand was busy hitting home runs on the field and somehow still managing to make above average scores.

"Dinner will be ready soon." Austin's mom announced as she took my mother with her to the kitchen.

"Okay, well we are going to go upstairs and relax for a minute so just call us down when it's ready." He replied as our fathers eyeballed us suspiciously.

"You need to go upstairs to relax?" My dad said as we got to the doorway.

"Stop dad. We have been living together for a few months now, you can put your protective side away." I smiled as him, relieved when his own expression softened and he smiled back and nodded for us to continue.

A short time later we were all seated at the table and no one had commented yet on what the sleeping arrangements would be. I certainly wasn't going to bring it up and based on how hard Austin was squeezing my hand, he wasn't all that comfortable breaking the topic either.

"So Anna?" His mom looked at me. "Will
You be staying here or are you both going to your house?" She asked casually. She always was a mind reader even if no one knew it. Like the time she knew I had started my period at her house even though I wouldn't admit it until I went home in a hurry.

"I was thinking we would stay here since the plan was to do Christmas and Christmas Eve here anyway." I smiled letting go of Austin's hand so I could reach my glass of soda.

"That's fine with me. We will just come back tomorrow afternoon and then borrow a guest room so we can all get up Christmas morning together?" My mother smiled.

"Perfect."

"What is that?" My dad asked awkwardly as I attempted to decipher his intense gaze.

"What?" I asked bewildered. "We live together and it's not like..."

"Not the room thing, what is on your hand, don't tell me you got engaged?" He said as Austin's dad choked on his water and I instantly began laughing. "It's not funny you are still my baby girl!"

"Daddy it's not an engagement ring." I laughed as my dad just shot daggers at Austin, who, was also laughing.

"It's a promise ring.." he clarified for me. "We aren't getting married or doing anything crazy like that, it's just my promise that one day, in the future, I will be that person for her." He had turned to look at me now and our mothers were both cooing over it.

.....

Christmas Day was a major success overall and I was kind of sad when we had to leave the day before New Years to go back to our apartment. Our parents had gifted us a bunch of stuff to use in the house and given us money and clothes to add to the mix. In the end we barely had enough space in the truck to move since it was raining and we couldn't use the bed.

We hugged our parents goodbye as my dad gave Austin some personal words that sounded like a warning. "Take care of her or you'll hear from me.." or something to that extreme, before we climbed in the truck.

"I'm kind of sad to leave." I sighed.

"I'm not. I mean I'll miss our parents, but having your parents in the room beside us and not being able to get dirty with my girlfriend really sucks." He explained as I laughed.

"Well, yeah, obviously I'm excited for sexy time. I just, I kind of miss being here. All the memories and stuff hit me when we came back and I just miss it." He moved to lace our fingers together as he pulled out of the driveway.

"I know Anna, I miss it too, but as long as I have you I can be happy anywhere. You are my happiness and that's never going to change okay?"

"Love you Austin."

"Love you more."

Within a few hours we were back in our apartment tangled up in the sheets after making good on the promise to remedy our five day dry spout.

"So what do you want to do for New Years?" He asked as I rested on his chest.

"Pretend we aren't back yet and have a nice night together, maybe downtown or here?"

"Sounds perfect."