Eventually Yours

77 ✽

~Aiden

I draped my jacket over Breanna’s shoulders as she shivered outside her parents’ front door. Behind us in the driveway, Leslie and my sister were giggling like school kids.

“Are you sure you don’t mind him spending the night?” Breanna asked, teeth practically chattering.

Beck's mother, Angela, shook her head.

“Not at all, Breanna. He's my grandson. We’ll have a slow start to the morning and make a big breakfast together.”

Breanna smiled.

“Okay, I’ll come by in the afternoon to get him.”

Roman had fallen asleep on the sofa after eating more pie and turkey than a person of his size had any right to be capable of. When Breanna had tried to wake him, he didn’t stir.

Bruce shook my hand after Beck's family left.

“Thank you for honoring our invitation, Aiden. It was nice to have you here. We’ll have to have another night like this soon.”

“Maybe I’ll cook and have you guys over,” I offered.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Rebecca grinned, hugging us. “You two have a good night.”

I walked Breanna back to my car, rubbing her arms to warm her up, and hollered at Iris to get in the car if she wanted a ride. I waved to Breanna's parents, who stood wrapped up around each other, as we drove away. Breanna smiled and watched them disappear in her side mirror.

“Tonight was perfect.”

It really had been. I had so much to tell her, but I wasn’t going to spoil it by sharing while Leslie and my sister were doing everything they could to play it cool in the back seat. Both were buzzed, drunk on the crushes they had for each other, and content with full bellies.

“Am I dropping you off at two different locations, or just one?” I asked.

Iris giggled bashfully, and Leslie wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I like your sister, Aiden.”

“Just answer the question, Les,” Breanna chuckled.

The pair whispered back and forth before concluding that they were both going to go to my house as Leslie claimed he wanted to make sure my sister got upstairs to her room safely. Shortly after we reached my house, they spilled out of the back seat and stumbled toward the front door. Breanna and I watched them go.

“I don’t know if I should be alarmed or happy for them,” I said.

“Maybe a bit of both,” Breanna said.

“Let’s get out of here before we see something we don’t want to.”

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

My girlfriend curled her legs under herself in the corner seat of her sofa. A piping hot cup of cocoa steamed in her hands, and she blew gently on it while looking at me through the rising vapors.

“Your father gave me his approval tonight,” I told her. I’d been itching to tell her all about my conversation with Bruce and her brother ever since we came in from the back patio, but I wanted to wait until we were alone and the moment was right.

“What did he say to you?” she asked.

“He told me he could see how happy you and Manny were now that I was in the picture, and how he was glad to see you laughing more easily. Basically, he kissed my ass instead of the other way around. I thought I was dreaming.”