Someone In The Crowd [Paul Wesley]

66. IRL

Loki barked as the taxi pulled up outside the Wasilewski house in New Jersey. Cece absentmindedly stroked his head.

"You nervous?" Paul asked. She always went quiet when she was nervous.

"No, I'm so used to meeting my boyfriend's family, do it all the time!" she said sarcastically. They hadn't met each other's parents before, as on the previous Christmas they had only been dating for a few months.

He chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"It'll be fine," he promised. "They'll love you."

They got out of the taxi, Cece carrying Loki and Paul carrying their bags. She knocked on the door and they waited for it to open.

The door opened and Paul's mother, Agnieszka, smiled back at them.

"Long time no see!" she said, hugging her son.

"Sorry mom," he said, before stepping back. "This is Cece, and Loki."

"I've heard so much about you, both of you!" She took Loki from Cece, giving him a kiss and setting him down, where he went running into the house. Then she turned to Cece and wrapped her in a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you," Cece said, basking in the warmth of the motherly hug. She couldn't remember the last time she'd received a hug from her own mother.

"Come in," she ushered them inside, where they saw two girls (one about 19, the other maybe 15) already besotted with Loki.

"Leah," Paul said, pointing to the older one. "Julia." The younger one.

"Hey girls," Cece said with a smile.

"Oh my God, Cece!" Julia said, immediately jumping up. "I love you on the Vampire Diaries, you're better than Paul!"

"Thanks!" Paul said sarcastically, smiling.

"Is it true that Becky Cameron is your sister?" Leah asked, scratching behind Loki's ears.

"Um, yeah," Cece said. "You know her?"

"Know her? I love her! I'm gonna be a model," she said, smiling brightly.

"Not until you finish college," her mother said sternly.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Did you go to college Cece?" she asked

"Yeah," Cece said. "I went in LA. English lit."

"Does that mean you can help me with my report?" Julia asked excitedly.

"Give her a chance to settle in!" Paul's father, Tomasz, said. Coming into the room, he gave both Paul and Cece a hug, before sitting on the couch next to his daughter and stroking Loki.

"Do you cook Cece?" Agnieszka asked.

"A little," she responded. "I don't really get a lot of time while filming the show."

"Well, do you want to come and help me in the kitchen?" she asked.

"Mom," Paul said. "She's not here to cook for us."

"No, it's fine," Cece said. "I'd love to."

She followed her boyfriend's mother into the kitchen, revelling in the fact that she already kind of felt like part of the family.