secrets

thirty

-SIMON-
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"Simon, do you know how to drive?" Adele asks as I run through a stop sign.

"That stop sign is pointless, I've lived here all my life and never stopped there." I say, turning onto my parent's street.

She sighs. "You're so stupid."

"Love you too, babe." I say, taking my eyes off the road and giving her a sarcastic smile.

After a full day of touring through the busy streets of the city, I decide to take Adele to my parent's house. It will be the very first time that she'll meet them.

As I turn off the car in the driveway, she turns to me and says, "I feel like I should be nervous, but I'm not."

"That's good. Don't be nervous, it's just my parents." I assure her.

"Simon I have to make a good impression. As far as they know I'm the secret you kept from Clary, that doesn't sound good."

"They don't know that. I didn't tell them any of that, especially because Clary's new boyfriend is also in prison for what he did to you."

She turns away and looks straight ahead, and I suddenly feel bad for mentioning a painful memory.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that u-" I start to say until she leans over her seat and slams her lips onto mine so passionately that it takes my breath away. The kiss lasts only a few seconds, but it's magical.

"Don't worry about it, if it weren't for you he could be frolicking in London abusing another woman. You've saved my life, Simon." She says, and I marvel at how calm she is talking about it when she used to be afraid of the dark because of it. She's come a long way.

I kiss her hand and say, "My parents are going to love you. Probably even more than they love me."

She cackles, her infectious laugh causing me to laugh. We walk hand in hand to my parent's doorstep, and I realize that this is the first time I've been eager to bring a woman home. I'm not afraid of what my parents will think, or if it may not last. That had to mean something about us.

My mother answers the door, taken by surprise. She engulfs me into a tight hug, saying how much she missed me and how she thought I was still in London.

She then turns to Adele, having no idea who she is. "And who is this beautiful young woman?"

"I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Adele." I say, never feeling this proud until now.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Konecki." Adele says as my mom hugs her almost as tightly as she hugged me.

"Oh please, call me Rose. I must ask how much someone is paying you to date my son though."

Adele laughs, looking at me. She contemplates an answer, and I anticipate a sarcastic one. She takes me by surprise as she says, "You and your husband have done a brilliant job with him. He's the most loving man I could ever imagine."

My mom drops her sarcastic expression, replacing it with a proud and grateful one. She thanks Adele and then invites us in.