Love is Patient

Chapter 21

Newt glanced at Tina. He didn't blame her for looking nervous, he would have been terrified if he was in her shoes. When Queenie teased them, it was worse for him than for Tina. Tina knew her better than he did, but at least he knew her and had met her before he fell in love with her sister. However, Tina had never met his parents and he knew his mother liked to tease almost as much as Queenie did. Newt had warned Tina that his mother might make comments about their relationship. Tina had insisted it would be fine, but Queenie had told him she was nervous. He was nervous himself, but he knew it was worse for her.

Newt looked back at Tina. She was staring at the gate in front of them.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

She looked up at him. "I'm fine."

"It's okay if you're nervous. I'm nervous too and I know them."

Tina gave Newt a small smile. Modesty tugged gently on Newt's sleeve.

"Do they know I'm your daughter?" she asked. "I mean, do they even know you have a daughter now?"

"I don't see how they could, seeing as I haven't really written to them since I adopted you. I wrote to them to tell them I'd be coming to stay and that I'd be bringing four people with me but I didn't mention who those people were."

Modesty looked worried. Newt smiled and squeezed her hand. "But I know they'll love you."

"What if they don't?"

Newt knelt down in front of his daughter. "Listen to me, Modesty. I will never, never, let anyone treat you the way that woman did. You're my daughter now and I'm going to protect you, I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Newt pulled Modesty into a hug. He stood up and took her hand. The five of them turned and walked to the gate. It swung open and they made their way down the driveway. A black car was parked by the house. Newt groaned. 

"What is it?" Jacob asked. 

"Oh, nothing. It's just, my brother's here and he's a bit of a nuisance."

"How do you know he's here?" Tina asked.

"He's the only one crazy enough to drive a car."

Modesty giggled and tugged on Newt's arm. "Come on. Let's go inside." 

Newt pushed the door open and gestured for the others to come in. He pulled off his coat and hung it up next to his brother's. He noticed that Elizabeth's red coat was still hanging on the hook next to Theseus's. He grinned.

Theseus finally found a woman who would stay with him for more than a month, he thought to himself. He heard Queenie giggle. 

Newt helped Modesty out of her coat and hung it up. He showed the others where to hang their coats then motioned for them to follow him.

As he was approaching the sitting room door, his mother appeared from a door off to the side.

"Newt!" she exclaimed.

"Hello, mother," Newt smiled.

Newt's mother placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "Newton Artemis Fido Scamander!" she scolded. "Why didn't you tell me when you were arriving?"

"I'm sorry, mother. I didn't know myself," Newt explained. "I wanted to show my friends around London a bit."

"Ah, yes," she said. She turned to the group behind Newt. "Are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Oh, this is Jacob Kowalski," Newt said, gesturing in his friend's direction. "This is Queenie Goldstein, Tina Goldstein, and this--" Newt rested his hand on his daughter's shoulder, "--is my adopted daughter, Modesty Scamander."