Bridging Hearts (DNF)

Chapter Thirteen - A Place at the Table

Fanart is not mine.

George's POV:

I'm gripping the sides of my shorts so tightly that my knuckles turn white. My stomach is in knots as I sit in the passenger seat of Clay's car, staring out at the rows of palm trees passing by. Meeting his family is a big step-- bigger than I realized when I agreed to do this.

"What if they don't like me?" I blurt out, glancing at Clay. He's calm, his hands steady on the wheel as he drives down the road to his parents' house.

"They're going to love you," Clay says, his voice gentle but firm. "Relax, George. It's just my parents, my sister, and our cat."

"Yeah, just your ENTIRE family," I mutter. He laughs, reaching over to squeeze my hand, and the touch sends a spark of comfort through me.

"Trust me, you'll be fine," he says. "Mia's probably hiding in her room pretending not to care, but my parents are excited to meet you."

I've heard a lot about Mia-- Clay talks about her constantly. She's a few years younger than us, sarcastic, and grumpy around new people. Clay's face always softens when he mentions her, and it's clear how much he cares. I hope I don't mess this up.

When we pull into the gravel driveway, my nerves skyrocket. The house is a classic suburban two-story with a tidy lawn, a row of blooming flowers along the front walkway, and a cozy front porch. It's beautiful, a perfect picture of a home-- but it's unfamiliar. Unfamiliar means unpredictable.

Clay hops out of his car and circles around to open my door before I can move. "Come on," he says softly, offering his hand. I take it, letting him tug me out of the car. His presence is steady, grounding.

"You ready?" he asks.

"Not even a little bit," I admit, and he laughs again, leaning in to give me a small kiss on the lips.

"You've got this, George,"

With his left hand on my grey hoodied shoulder, we head up the front steps. The screen door cracks open, and before I can brace myself, a woman with wavy brown hair and warm eyes steps out, followed by a tall man with Clay's same easy smile.

"You must be George," his mom says, her voice kind. She pulls me into a gentle hug, and the tension in my shoulders eases a little. "We've been looking forward to meeting you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Carter," I say quietly, and she laughs.

"Call me Helen," she insists, stepping back to let Clay's dad have a turn.

"I'm David," he says, shaking my hand firmly. "Welcome to our home, George,"

"Thank you," I murmur, glancing around. The house feels warm and inviting, filled with the scent of something baking in the oven. My gaze drifts up to the stairs, where I spot a flicker of movement-- a girl's face peeking out from behind the banister before quickly disappearing.

"That's Mia," Clay says softly, nudging me. "Don't worry, she's just being nosy."

"She'll come down when she's ready," Helen adds with a smile. "She's a little shy around new people."

Shy isn't the word I'd use based on the stories Clay's told me, but I nod, trying to relax. "I'd love to meet her."

Clay's parents exchange a look. "Dinner's almost ready," David says.

We follow them to the kitchen, and I take in the cozy room, the shelves crammed with cookbooks. A soft meow catches my attention, and I glance down to see a cat staring up at me.

"Hey, Patches," Clay says, crouching to scratch behind her ears. "This is George, be nice."

The cat narrows her eyes at me like she's deciding whether I'm worthy. I crouch down, cautiously holding out my hand. "Hi Patches," I say softly. To my surprise, she bumps her head against my fingers, purring quietly.

"Well, am I patches approved?" I murmur, glancing up at Clay. He chuckles.

"That's a good start, he teases, standing up and tugging me gently toward him. "Now let's see if we can get Mia to come out of hiding."

---

Clay's POV:

George is doing fine-- better than fine, really-- but I can tell he's still nervous. I know meeting the family can be intimidating, especially when my sister's likely brooding in her room. I glance towards the stairs, half expecting her to come down any second.

"Hey, Mia," I call out casually, leaning against the banister. "Want to come down and say hi?"

Silence. George shifts beside me, looking uncomfortable, but I give it a minute. Sure enough, the door at the top of the stairs swings open, and Mia steps out, arms crossed over her chest.

Her brown hair falls messily around her face, and her eyes are sharp.

"This is George?" she asks, her tone skeptical.

"Yeah, this is George. You know, the one I told you about."

She shrugs, and George awkwardly stands there. "Nice to meet you, Mia," he manages, his voice steady.

For a second, I'm sure she's going to say something rude, but then her expression softens just a little. She shoves her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "Guess you're cool enough."

Relief floods George's face, and I shoot Mia a grateful smile.

"Come on, George," I say, steering him back into the kitchen. "Let's get you something to drink."

---

George's POV:

Dinner is a blur of conversation and laughter, Clay's parents asking me about school and class while Mia occasionally chimes in with dry comments that make me smile. Helen and David are warm and welcoming, making me feel more at ease with every passing minute. Even Mia, grumpy as she is, starts to relax, becoming less pointy and more playful.

By the time dessert is served-- a homemade pie that Helen insists is a family favorite-- I'm feeling almost comfortable. I glance at Clay, who's watching me with a soft smile, and my chest tightens.

"Everything okay?" he murmurs, leaning closer.

I nod, smiling back. "Yeah," I whisper. "Everything's perfect."

Mia snorts, shaking her head, but I catch the tiny smile tugging at her lips. It's small, but it's there.

And just like that, I feel like maybe, just maybe, I belong here.

---

Clay's POV:

After dinner, George, Mia and I head to the living room, and I'm surprised when Mia plops herself down on the couch next to George, pretending not to be interested as she flips through a book. It's a small gesture, but it seems huge coming from her. I settle on the other side of George, feeling prideful.

"Want to watch a movie?" I ask, glancing around. "Or we could play a game."

Mia shrugs. "Whatever you guys want."

"How about a movie?" George suggests cautiously. "Something funny?"

"Fine," Mia agrees, and that's all the permission we need. I grab the remote and settle back, slipping my arm around George. He tenses for a second, then relaxes, leaning into me.

For the next two hours, we laugh together, trading jokes and teasing each other like we've been doing this forever. Patches curls up on the armrest beside us, purring softly, and Mia eventually falls asleep.

I glance down at him, and he meets my gaze, his eyes shining.

"See?" I murmur, my voice low. "Told you they'd love you."

George smiles softly, his eyes drifting to Mia. "Yeah," he whispers. "I guess they do."

Word Count: 1193 :)