Ember felt her eyelids becoming heavier. The seat she was sitting in was starting to look pretty good by now.
"Hey, stay with me now. Only a couple more places we need to go." Michael ran a hand through her hair comfortingly. Ember looked over at him and smiled sleepily.
"Alright I'll do what I can to stay awake." Ember stifled a yawn. "Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean?" Michael asked, looking over to her when they stopped at a red light.
"Why are you taking me on this big long date?" Ember rubbed her eyes. Michaels gaze softened.
"I just wanted to have a big night out with my girlfriend to show her how much a love her." Michael smiled and Ember smiled widely at his words.
"I love you too, even when you sometimes deprive me of my sleep." Ember let herself yawn. Michael looked at her for a split second out of the corner of his eye, and smiled. Michael continued driving until Ember recognized the house which had previously belonged to Michaels grandparents. She was beyond confused.
"This was where you met my whole family for the first time." Michael gestured to the home. "I mean well...you know...before the whole situation."
"I know," Ember smiled sympathetically before smiling fondly at the house that stood in front of her.
----flashback---
Ember played with the hem of her nice shirt nervously, so many people would meet her. So many people would have to have a good impression of her, and Ember wasn't sure she could stay calm about that. It wasn't that she didn't like talking to people, it was the fact that she was nervous Michael's family wouldn't approve of her. Which Michael had continually told her wouldn't be the case, seeing his whole family knew he had been with Ember for around a year and two months.
"Don't be nervous they're gonna love you." Michael parked the car in front of a small home. Ember slowly stepped out of the neat car with her flat shoes and met Michael at the curb. It was a typical neighborhood. Trees planted in front of almost every house, and a sidewalk stretching out in front of the homes.
"Sorry." Ember apologized, for what seemed to Michael the millionth time that day.
"It's fine, stop apologizing." Michael gave Embers hand a comforting squeeze. Ember squeezed it back lightly as if to say it was okay. They made it to the door, and Ember looked at her shoes and noticed the small flowers planted near the door. She loved how they danced in the light wind. She almost jumped out of her clothes when she heard the front door click open. Michael looked over and stared her oddly, which Ember replied to with a sheepish smile.
"Why , you must be Ember. You are just as beautiful as Michael says." A older looking women said to the blushing girl. Michael was turning light shades of pink as well.
"Well don't just stand there, you'll catch a cold standing outside." The women ushered them inside the house where there were people sitting on all of the pieces of furniture. Ember darted her eyes around nervously. She was grateful when Michael began leading her over to an open spot on a couch in the back of the living room. Michael sat next to another guy and gently pulled Ember down next to him. He placed his hand on her knee in reassurance.
Soon enough Michael started up a conversation with, from what Ember understood, was Michael's cousin. Or as Ember referred to him, the random guy sitting next to them. Not very clever, but Ember tried thinking of a better name to ease the awkward and nervous feelings churning inside of her.
"So you must be Ember?" The guy leaned forward to talk to Ember, which snapped her out of her thinking. Ember was momentarily irritated, but was overcome with nerves to even think about that.
"Uhm, yeah that's me." Ember shrugged, laughing quietly and nervously to mostly herself. The conversation in the large living room was enough to drown out this particular conversation, which to Ember meant attention wouldn't be put on her just yet.
"Never knew Michael could get a girl like you." The guy snickered a little as Michael turned pink again and shoved him harshly into the women sitting next to the 'cousin'.
"Shut up Josh." Michael mumbled, sending an apologetic glance to his girlfriend. Ember just smiled a little at him.
"So you've been together for how long?" Josh asked, not really directing it to Michael or Ember in particular. Ember looked towards Michael, clearly wanting him to answer. Michael put an arm around her waist and turned to the dirty blonde haired boy.
"Over a year now." Michael responded and Josh's eyes widened slightly at this reveleance. Michael smirked at him before turning around again and pecking Ember's cheek. Ember was starting to feel a little more confident around these people, they couldn't possibly all be that bad. Josh wasn't too bad.
"Wow, how'd you manage to stay with her so long?" Josh looked genuinely surprised.
"He's not too bad." Ember let out a quiet laugh.
"And she speaks." Josh laughed a bit to himself. Michael smiled clearly happy with the fact Ember had opened her mouth. Ember smiled a little wider. They talked for awhile with Josh until someone, who Ember was assuming was Michael's grandmother, called everyone to dinner. Everyone sat down, Michael sat next to Ember which left his left side open. A little girl slid in next to him and that's when the older women called everyone to attention.
"So, we haven't gotten together as a family like this in awhile. We used to do this at least once a month just to catchup, but we've all been busy." Ember could've sworn she took a teasing glance over at her and Michael. "However, it seems we've all made time to get here, and of course there's news to share so let's get started."
There wasn't that many people at the table, but it was a little over 11 people. The family started sharing things around the table, Ember had only just gotten acquainted with most of these people so she was a little confused. She hadn't had any background information prior to this. They had been going around for five minutes throughout dinner. She enjoyed the atmosphere of closeness that hung in the air, and she appreciated Michael whispering to her who was who. Before she knew it, the whole tables glances were on the two. Michael was in the middle of whispering something to her, but he stopped when he noticed.
"Yes?" He asked slowly, looking towards someone across the table who Ember recognized as Michael's mother.
"Any news Michael?" His mother waved her fork ever so slightly, implying with subtlety to mention the girl sitting next to him. Ember quickly knew this and bit her lip, looking at Michael who looked like he had seen the paranormal.
"Well, uhm, my family, this is Ember," Michael said clearing his throat after every word, "my girlfriend."
The whole room fell silent, before cheers of joy busted out from everyone in the room. Ember looked at Michael with a confused look only to see him lightly banging his head on the table.
"Don't be ashamed of us, if she's been around this long it's unlikely she'll be going anywhere anytime soon." Ember heard Josh call from down the table. Ember smiled and looked at him. Michael's mother was letting out muffled laughs of her own. Michael turned his head to the side to look up at Ember who was still smiling at him. Ember leaned down so she was at a level where he could hear her whisper over the noise of everyone else's own conversations.
"He's right you know."
"Who's right?"
"Josh, he said it's unlikely that I'll be going anywhere anytime soon." Ember said to him, in which Michael reached under the table and intertwined their fingers.
***
