"Dollface, wake up." Alexa sits straight in the uncomfortable car seat. She looks around as she adjusts her headband. Grayson purchased one of the new Ford cars. Alexa thinks the new contraception was not necessary, even when he offered to give her a ride.
"Where exactly are we, Grayson?" Alexa questions very skeptical. Grayson exits the vehicle, Alexa follows his actions, and the two face a field full of nothing. Alexa grasps Grayson's hand as he leads her deeper into the field of nothing.
Grayson can't keep his excitement at bay, so before he can bring Alexa to the destination he turns to his love, her blue eyes wide causing his insides to turn into mush. It's unhealthy how much she affects him.
"I love you," he blurts. Alexa looks around, not sure what has him so riled up but none the less she says she loves him as well. He grasps both of her hands. "I love you a lot."
"I love you a lot too," she giggles. "What's wrong, Grayson?" She presses a hand to his forehead. "Are you sick? Oh my goodness--," she cups her mouth in actual shock, "are you sick sick?"
"No, no, love," he breathes out heavily, "I'm all right. I am not sick." She breathes a sigh of relief. He once again clasps both of her hands. "May I ask you a very serious question?"
Alexa nods her head softly, once again confused. Grayson takes a deep breath.
"Will you come with me, tonight, to meet my parents?"
Alexa bursts into laughter. Unrestrained, knee slapping laughter. Grayson waits for her to finish her fit, completely unimpressed with the situation at hand. Alexa isn't good with her feelings, her fear has been converted to laughter.
Meeting the parents, for the woman, makes the relationship real. Alexa knows what happens after you become chummy with the parents-- marriage. Once Alexa gets married she knows there will be a honeymoon. And she definitely knows what people do on honeymoons. And doing that only results in pregnancy.
"I-I-I am terribly s-sorry," Alexa weezes. She sobers up in a moment and clears her throat. "Uh, yes. I can meet your parents tonight."
Internally Alexa is scared out of her mind. She's met his brothers at the wedding but his parents were unable to make the occasion. Grayson presses a small kiss to Alexa's red lips.
Grayson is just happy that Alexa even thought about it.
➖✖➖
"You look-- dang," Mary whistles. Her porcelain white skin is now darker, her hair lighter. Her and Joseph honeymooned on a cruise ship, paid for by Grayson Ryker himself. At first, Alexa and him argued about him just handing them thousand dollar tickets for a boat. But finally Alexa caved when he brought up them going on the cruise. She's deadly afraid of deep water.
Alexa's petite body is covered by a red, long sleeved, lace turtle neck, dress. It's the same length as her other dresses, a few inches above the knee. She sports three inch white heels and a white bow in her hair. Her lips are coated in the red everyone seems to wear nowadays.
Valentina sobs at the sight of her daughter, Timothy trying to soothe his wife without crying himself. Alexa has grown up to be a beautiful woman. A woman whose destiny says she'll be the best mother, wife, and person a woman can be.
Lilly slips a wrapper into Alexa's hand incognito. Alexa glances at the little square packet and groans at her sister. Lilly shrugs and walks away, muttering how you can never be too careful. Alexa drops it in her handbag anyway.
Grayson stands beside Natalia and Amy. Clara holds onto Mary's hand, waiting for Grayson and Alexa to leave. Everyone presses a goodbye kiss to Alexa's cheek before her and her man can leave.
➖✖➖
Alexa looks around nervously as Josephine Ryker sobs uncontrollably into her hand. Grayson was taken away by his brothers and father, leaving Josephine and Alexa alone in the kitchen.
Josephine cups Alexa's face. "You're even more beautiful than what everyone says."
"Everyone?" Alexa asks softly. She is unaware that anyone spoke of her without her knowledge.
"Oh yes, honey, everyone speaks so highly of you. You work at home with your mother, you're unbelievably beautiful, and you've always been a mystery to us."
"A mystery?" She cannot help but feel like the Greek myth Echo who can only repeat the last words someone has said to her, but she's very curious as to what others say about her.
Josephine laughs. "You don't speak to others much. Honey, nobody really knows who you are or how you managed to keep my trouble making son on a tight leash since you were children."
Alexa never knew she kept Grayson on a 'tight leash'. If anything she thought the opposite.
"Oh."
"Don't be ashamed. What I'm saying is that you are a mystery to us pedestrians, and that my son has always been a lost puppy when it comes to you."
"Mother!" Grayson's booming voice startles Alexa, causing her to jump. Grayson lowers his voice immediately. "I'm sorry, Dollface." Before she can reply, Grayson is back yelling. "I don't need you sharing information I told you in private with my girlfriend."
Josephine only laughs. Grayson grabs Alexa's hand. He drags her out of his parents' home and to the local tavern for dinner.
