Faking In Love [bxb]

8. Farsi Is The New French (ii)

For a brief moment, Amir scolded himself for being so afraid ever since they had arrived into the country. From the very moment he stepped into the garden and right until he was ushered to the chair, the Kingsley's proved to him that he had nothing to worry about. At least not in the moment.

"It's wonderful to meet you too Mrs. Kingsley," Amir replied with a more at ease smile.

"Please call me Margret. If we're going to be family then formalities shouldn't be uttered," She insisted with a comforting pat on the shoulder. Around her, the whole thing would seem easy. He was the very first person whom her son dared to bring home for the first time in many years and heavens help her if she wasn't going to make the very best of the situation.

"Amir, meet my dad Arthur. Dad, my fiancé Amir," Sebastian introduced.

Amir felt a bit more apprehensive towards the towering grey haired man in his sixties with clear blue eyes and a respectable face. He looked everything like a patriarch would. Nothing but the best interests of his family in mind and suitably earned apprehension towards any outsiders.

But Arthur smiled as he leaned over to shake his son-in-law to be "It's good to finally have the pleasure of your company. Especially since my son has been hiding you for so long in that greyish city."

"Dad, stop calling London that," Sebastian said in a very manly whine. I've told you a hundred time that I love it there."

Arthur didn't care for his son's protests "Oh we both know that's what that city is."

"Honey," Margret said in a chastening tone.

"You really shouldn't criticize the place your son's fiancé is from," Charlotte said in a matter of fact voice. Amir grinned "Oh it's quite alright. I'm from Manchester anyway." The sentence brought forth a few unexpected laughs from the adults at the table.

Arthur smiled good-naturedly "At least he can take a good ribbing and has the backbone for that. Unlike some people."

His daughter immediately shot him a look. Once glance from Sebastian said that he was going to explain everything later. No need to get into anything just a few hours into arrival.

"Where is Chad anyway?" Sebastian asked just noticing that someone was supposedly missing. Margret tried to hide her grimace while Charlotte replied "The kids were a little restless so he took them out this morning for some quality time alone."

"Amazing how it takes his daughter bursting into tears for him to realize it's his duty," Arthur mumbled.

"Dad," Charlotte warned. Margret patted her husband's hand in an effort to get him to cleave the subject alone. Although Amir was still getting to know them, he guessed already that the family was not quite fond of Charlotte's husband Chad for whatever reason. Everyone's attention was disrupted when two miniature squeals came from the house and were bounding towards the table. Two of the cutest children he had ever seen (excluding his siblings) ran towards the table with a man in a grey suit, one that was much too formal for the occasion, trailing behind them with his phone pressed to his ear arguing with whoever was on the receiving end.

"Speak of the devil," Arthur grumbled at him.

"Uncle Sebby!" both the boy and the girl screamed in delight, each struggling to be the first to climb on their uncle's lap. He laughed and embraced their attack.

"Lark, Mark, don't throttle your uncle. We've talked about this," Charlotte tried to calm her children. They both calmed down significantly but their excitement was still significantly bubbly from the top of their little heads. They really missed having their uncle around.