Reality

Meet the Parents

Aubrey

"I really think I'm going to shit my pants right now," I nervously and embarrassingly confess to Liam as we pull up to his parents' home in St. Louis. 

Today is the day ... the day I meet his parents. After the conversation to be had between Liam and his dad, it's probably my last day on earth. As much as he will try, I don't think Liam will be able to save me from the wrath of his father.

I've done a lot to mentally prepare myself for this day. Harry has tried to help me get over my anxiety, and Liam has tried to talk to me about how everything will be okay in the end. I even went to the mall to pick out some new clothes to wear. God only knows that the outfits I brought with me from New York are not meet-the-parents material. So here I sit in a fancy blouse from some expensive shop called Anthropologie and a sleek pair of black jeans. This is probably the nicest I've looked in years. And by nicest, I mean cleanest ... maybe even the most sophisticated.

This whole ensemble, expensive black pumps included, doesn't even feel like me. I'm not sure why I thought that trying to impress and be respected by Liam's parents would be a good idea when I'm dressed like an Aubrey from some alternate universe. Maybe it would have been a better idea to come dressed in my normal attire of jean shorts and a t-shirt. At least then if they like me, I would know they like me for the real me.

"I can't do this," I shake my head, clutching onto the seat belt as Liam looks over at me in concern. "I can't go in there. It's going to go horribly. And what the fuck am I even wearing? This isn't me! Why didn't anyone talk me out of buying this shit? Liam, turn around and go back to the hotel."

"Babe, chill out," he reaches a hand out to grab mine, prying it off the seat belt. He gives me a gentle and reassuring squeeze. Somehow just the look in his eyes is able to get me to calm down some. "Everything will be okay. You look beautiful and those clothes are ... nice. You're right, they aren't really you, but you look great in them. And they'll look even better on the floor of the hotel room tonight."

"We're sitting outside your parents' house and you're thinking about sex right now?"

"Listen, you don't want to know how many times I've had sex in that house when I lived here. I'm surprised my parents never caught me in the act."

I shake my head and unbuckle the seat belt. The thought of having sex in a house in which parental units were home makes me cringe. I made it a point to be out of the house and in someone else's home for that kind of thing when I was younger. If I pulled any stunts like those in any of the foster homes I lived in, I wouldn't have lived in one for longer than three days. 

"Aubrey," Liam gently turns my head to face him before he presses his lips on mine for a short second. "Just relax and be yourself. This is going to go smoothly. If you keep thinking it's going to go bad then it's going to go bad. Only positive thoughts here."

He gets out of the car and makes his way to my door, opening it slowly and offering a hand to help me out. He's so gentle and calm and it's a side of him that I love. As much as I am anxious and nervous about what's to happen in the next hour, somehow being next to Liam slightly relaxes my nerves. He hides it very well, but I think he's terrified of this upcoming conversation, too. I think he hides it for my sake because he probably knows that seeing him nervous about this would make me even more nervous. 

The two of us walk up the steps hand in hand until we reach the front door. Liam turns to me and gives me a kiss, lingering longer than I expected as he tries to reassure me that everything will be okay. He doesn't let go of my hand as we stand on the door step, and at the moment, I don't ever want to let go.