Surviving Stirling

Epilogue

"Brake! Brake! Brake!" I released my grip on the steering wheel just as I crash landed into the trash cans. Stirling stared at me with wide eyes,
"I think that's enough driving for one day."

I breathed out a sigh, "I'll never get my permit."

"Not with that attitude." He pointed his chin at the car I almost hit, "I think they're already here. I feel nervous, is that normal?"

"If you feel nervous, imagine how he feels. He doesn't know any of us. Kingsley is well and truly throwing him into the deep end without a float."

"It's just that... this is important."

"It's extremely important."

Stirling threw his head back to bang it against the headrest, "and I'm going to ruin it."

I reached over and held his hand, partly offering him comfort, partly preventing him from making a dash for it.

"You are not going to ruin it."

"Aurelia incase you failed to notice, strangers think I'm terrible. They are frightened of me or they're obsessed with my past and don't give up with the questions. I don't have the best relationship with my brother, we're working on it but understandably, it's going to take time. I don't want to fuck this up and push back our progress."

"You won't, you walk in there and if he's wary of you, make extra efforts to be nice to him. Make him see you're not a threat and he has no need to be concerned. Come on, it will be fine."

As we cruised through Sandy's house my stomach rumbled as the aroma of flame-grilled meat drifted towards me.

We followed the laughter and chatter floating our way to out-back in the garden. I surveyed my surroundings to distract from the torture of my empty stomach.

"Hey!" Kingsley greeted, waving his spatula at us. He was standing at the sizzling grill, he flipped one of the steaks over, making it hiss and fizzle as the fat dripped onto the hot charcoal.

I giggled at the sight of Sandy fussing around him like a hover fly, flapping and complaining about how he could burn himself like he was five years old and playing with fire.

My dad sat on a deckchair with a beer in his hand  deep in conversation with Charisma and - I'm assuming - Milton, Kingsleys first ever boyfriend.

I smiled, filled to the brim with warmth and not just from the sun baking down against my cheeks.

With a sharp pull of encouragement I moved us towards my dad. Stirling dragged his feet, I swear he also grumbled some kind of complaint under his breath which I ignored.

"Hi." I interrupted their conversation, leaning over to kiss my dad on his cheek and give him a hug. When I pulled back Milton was staring at Stirling and I could sense how awkward that made him feel because Stirling quickly averted his eyes. "Milton, isn't it?" I gave him a quick greeting hug, "I'm Kingsleys best friend Rae and this is my boyfriend Stirling."

"Hi." Stirling grumbled.

"Hello." Milton uttered and then very quickly dropped his gaze to fiddle with his fingers resting on his lap.

I leaned over and grabbed a grape from the sharing bowl, popping it into my mouth.

"I imagine it's quite daunting meeting his family and friends for the first time all at once."

"I imagine that's not the aspect of this day he finds most daunting." My dad perked up, narrowing his eyes at Stirling who sat there in his own unease.