Just Friends ✹ Phan

Five

Months went by and it was already near the Christmas holiday. Phil wanted me to go up north with him to meet his extended family. When we got to Rawtenstall, we went to his parents' house where we stayed for the week.

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"Mum.. Dad.. I'd like you to meet, my boyfriend." Phil said. "I know you've already met him... But now you'll meet his as the man I'm madly in love with." Both of his parents gave me hugs and Martyn arrived shortly after.

"Oh hello, little bro." He greeted Phil with a hug. "Come here, Dan. You're family now." He hugged me.

We carpooled to the site of the Lester family Christmas and almost everyone was already there. Phil took my hand as we got out of the car. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." I smiled. We walked in and Phil's cousins greeted him.

"Hi Phil!"

"Phil!"

"Wait, is that Dan?" One of his cousins asked him.

"Yes, that's Dan. Go say hi." He urged her.

"Hi Dan."

"Hi sweetie." I knelt down by her.

"Why were you holding Cousin Phil's hand when you got here?" I looked at Phil and smiled.

"Sara... When two people like each other, they tend to hold hands, hug, have their arm around each other and kiss." Phil said.

"Like... Mommy and daddy?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "Except we're both guys. Did Aunt Catherine explain this to you?"

"She said you have a special friend who was coming to meet everyone." She giggled. "She said you really love your friend."

"I do." He blushed and looked at me.

/

Once the kids opened their Christmas presents, it was time for the older cousins, including Phil. Mrs. Lester and I passed out presents to help me learn names and relate them to faces.

"Here Dan." She handed me a stack of gifts. I set them down, ready to pass them out, but I realized they were addressed to me.

Wow.. I'm so touched.

Phil and I opened our gifts and the majority of them including homemade Christmas cards from his little cousins. It was adorable to see how his cousins were told about me and wrote "Phan" on the cards. We each got customized jumpers with our names on them. We swapped our jumpers for the new ones and Phil's mum took our picture with the new Polaroid camera Martyn got us.

/

After taking group photos with Phil's cousins and I met all of Phil's family, we went back to his parents' house and stayed the night before going to Berkshire.

/

The following morning, we said goodbye to Phil's parents and we set off on our trip to my childhood home.

When we arrived, I felt nervous. Phil headed to the door, but I stayed outside. He turned back and took my hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I started to tear up.

"I'm scared. You know what happened last time we were here." I said. "My father clearly didn't approve..." I started to cry harder, but Phil took both of my hands and kissed me.

"I love you.. I'll be right by your side, the whole time." I let my head fall to his shoulder as he hugged me.

"I just wish my family was as supportive as yours... Everyone knew who I was before I introduced myself." I smiled.