A Change of Heart

Chapter 51

The lobby looks breathtaking. A mix between modern and elegance. Becky's asleep on one of the sleek black chairs. I forgot that I told her I'd be here at midnight. We walk over to her.

I can't believe it. I'm looking at Becky, face to face. It's all so surreal. She looks exhausted. The wedding planning must've really taken a toll on her. I shake her shoulder, and she wakes up.

"W-what time is it?" she yawns. Once she opens her eyes, her expression shifts to utter shock.

"Howard? Howard!?" She jumps up and hugs me. This feels like a fever dream.

"Didn't know you missed me this much," I smile.

"Of Course I have, you douche. It's been six years!" she sobs. I graze the light fabric of her shirt. This is real. We end our embrace and Becky wipes her eyes.

"Joanna. Thank you so much!" She goes and hugs her. Joanna awkwardly pats her back, smiling.

"Well, I can't miss my only friend's wedding," she replies. We go to the counter for our room key. The receptionist hands us our key and we walk with Becky to the elevator.

"How long were you sleeping in that chair for?" I ask.

"When I got your message, I went to the lobby at 12 and waited. A few hours later, I fell asleep and Liam woke me up at 7. I had to go back to my room and get ready for breakfast. I came back here as soon as I was done with my duties and fell asleep again," Becky explains. The elevator opens on our floor.

The hallway is beautiful, with white and gold wallpaper, soft carpet flooring, old paintings and designer tables with glass vases full of white roses.

"This place is nice," I comment.

"It's my wedding, it needs to be the best of the best," Becky smiles. We walk to the end of the hallway and see our room number. I use the key and open the door.

The room is huge! We walk through the marble kitchen into the living room with a flat screen. The couch takes up most of the space, with a few pillows and a blanket.

"I can definitely live here for a week," I say.

"Well, it must certainly seem like an upgrade to you," Joanna remarks. Becky chuckles with her, like two highschool girls.

"Haha," I reply, sarcastically. We see the bedrooms and bathroom, then Becky leaves us to settle in.

"Alright, first we'll unpack our luggage. Then we can-" before Joanna can continue, I plop onto the couch and grab the remote. She glares at me.

"What? This is the first vacation I've had in years. Any type of labour will probably kill me," I explain.

"Fine, then. I'll go unpack my things, and you can... slack off," she walks into her room. She can't even turn off boss mode on vacation.

After resting for a few hours, it's time for dinner. I can't believe I'm going to see everyone. While I'm fixing my tie in the mirror, someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," I call out. Joanna steps into my room. She's wearing a glittery navy dress with a slit. Her hair looks so glossy and bouncier than ever.

"I came to check if you were done," she explains.

"Just putting on my tie," I reply. She seems to want to say something, but is hesitant.

"Is there anything else?" I say.

"Do you think your parents will approve of me?" she asks, quietly.

"It takes a lot for my mom to not approve of someone, and my dad is easy to please. He would call you family if you brought him a bowl of buffalo wings," I smile. Joanna laughs. I walk over to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Trust me, they'll love you," I reassure her. We leave the room and head to the restaurant. Becky waves us over once we go in. I wanna run up to everyone and hug them as if I'm leaving today, but we're in a restaurant. So, I walk over to them hand in hand with Joanna. My mom gets up from her chair and hugs me with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, my baby's here. He's finally come back," she sobs. I hold her.

"I've missed you too, mom," I say. The others at the table get up, waiting for my mom to let go so they can greet me. Once she does, my dad comes.

I put my hand out to shake his, but instead he pulls me into a bear hug. I've never seen him show so much emotion.

"I've missed you, son," he whispers. A smile creeps up on my face. Everyone is here, family and friends. I greet everyone else and stand next to Joanna.

"Everyone, this is Joanna. She's my girlfriend," I introduce.

"Hello everyone," she says. It's obvious that she feels nervous,  but she tries to mask it with her usual sophisticated stance.

"Hello dear. Howard's told me so much about you," mom smiles.

"She's really easy on the eyes isn't she?" Becky teases. The others laugh. We sit in our seats and order some drinks.