Angel Of A Morning

Chapter Twenty-Two: Acceptance

At the sound of the door clicking open, the pair tensed and stared the person on the other side of the door who appeared to be a young girl at the age of ten years old with braces and the same matching hair colour as Kate. The girl observed her visitors and squealed excitedly when the girl threw the door wide open and hugged the slightly taller girl in front of her.

"Oh my gosh! It's so good to see you, Katie! I've missed you so much!" The girl exclaimed and met her sister's stare.

Kate's words rang true at the young girl's smile. (Y/n) could see just how much Kate adored whom he presumed was her little sister, Lynn. The girl of ten years smiled so brightly that it seemed to only very momentarily relieve the stress of the young couple's visiting Kate's family for dinner. Kate obligated herself in introducing her boyfriend and her sister to one another before they headed inside to escape the chilly outdoors.

"I've missed you too, Lynn. How's things with you?" Kate asked moonily.

Lynn nodded happily. "Things are good here at home. In spite of everything that's happened to you at Blackwell, your absence has been of much agony to us all, Kate. I'm just glad you're back. And with a friend, I see. Is he your boyfriend?"

(Y/n) glanced at his girlfriend and saw her cheeks redden at her comment.

"Yeah, he is," agreed Kate. "Just try not to scare him off. He really means a lot to me."

"Well that's good to hear, Kate. If he really means that much to you, I'm sure Tilly and I will be sure to persuade him not to break your heart or else he'll be seeing the Lord much sooner than expected." Lynn stated with a serious face.

This caused (Y/n) to tense only slightly until the smile that broke on her face put him at ease before they decided to go and have dinner. Inside the house, (Y/n) found himself intrigued with the layout of the room, mostly by the portraits of each member of the family: the father and mother on top with the three daughters lined beneath them - in Kate's photo, she shared the portrait with her bunny rabbit, Alice, which (Y/n) found awfully cute.

Lynn headed into the dining room where the family had been gathered. Lynn and her older sister, Tilly, were seated at the table, resuming their conversation whilst the father of the house sat on one end of the table reading a newspaper. His wife, however, sorted out the food they were to consume that evening.

The presence of the newcomers quickly drew everyone's attention onto them where Kate's father and mother proudly approached their eldest daughter and pulled her into a hug. Kate bashfully accepted their embrace and enjoyed the hug until what presence of closure was exterminated when the parents drew their attention to the long, brown-haired boy standing awkwardly beside the three.

"Good evening, Mr and Mrs Marsh. I-I-I'm (Y/n) Donohue and I'm d-dating your d-d-daughter." (Y/n) introduced himself in a fit of stutters. As much as he wanted to control his nerves, it seemed that he was incapable of doing so which showed the clear indication of his fear over his girlfriend's parent's thoughts about him.

When (Y/n) extended his hand out to be shaken, Kate's father narrowed his eyes at the brown-haired boy and stepped away from his eldest child and dauntingly approached her boyfriend. (Y/n) gulped as he maintained eye contact with Kate's father and waited anxiously for something to happen.

"Great Scott, it is a truthful delight to finally meet you, my boy! Our beloved Kate has said a great many things about you! John's my name, but you can call me 'Mr Marsh'. Say... have you been in a fight? Your face looks quite terrible." Kate's father commented, speaking so quickly as if he was filled with adrenaline; which he was in some sense.

A shocked (Y/n) struggled to comprehend the fact that the stone-cold demeanour of his girlfriend's father had changed instantly to that of an enthusiastic, goodwilled human being. The father gripped his hand tightly with (Y/n)'s, the strength he delivered into the shake certainly seemed enough to make (Y/n) consider the thought of his hand being broken.