home for the holidays (h.s. christmas imagines)

Home for the Holidays: Ch. 1

December 22nd

        I grasp the lip of the small sink with white knuckles as I stare at my reflection in the airplane bathroom mirror. Deep breaths, Naomi. Only a few more hours and you'll be home, I attempt to reassure myself. My usual golden olive skin appears bleak and pale in the mirror in front of me. My hair is an unruly, frizzy mass of black curls hanging around my mid-back. Yikes. Hour five of nine on this direct flight from London to Chicago is not treating me well.
Nerves overwhelm my mind and I can't help but think: what if my family back home doesn't like Harry? We've been together a couple months now and this is the first boy I'm bringing home since Alex McCarthy my senior year of high school. Things ended badly with Alex. He was never the best boyfriend to say the least, but my family absolutely adored him. Oh god, what if he's back in Evanston? They wouldn't invite the McCarthy's to our Christmas Eve party, right? What if he sees Harry? Or worse, what if he sees me? A knock on the bathroom door from a passenger interrupts my spiraling thought train and snaps me back to the present.
"Just a minute!" I anxiously spit out. I bore into my dark brown eyes in the mirror and take one last deep breath. After tying my chaotic curls back and splashing my face with water, I step out into the narrow aisle and work my way back to my seat.
        "Are you feeling any better, love?" Harry inquires while watching me dissolve into the seat next to him in utter exhaustion. I simply groan and rest my head on his broad shoulder. It's Harry's first time meeting my family, I don't want to scare him away with my worries. He's nervous enough as it is. I mask my concerns of bringing him home with my fear of airplanes. He places his hand above my knee and gives it a gentle, sympathetic squeeze.
        "I know, I know. We're almost there! It should only be a couple more hours now," he glances at his watch, "or... four. Sorry love, I know you're not a huge fan of flying."
        "That's an understatement! I don't remember the flight to London being this tedious," I complain. As if on cue, the pilot announces another turbulence and I feel my last shred of optimism crumble. I hate airplanes.
        Harry's large hand grips mine tightly and he gives me a sympathetic smile as the plane trembles. I screw my eyes shut and throw my head back onto the seat. When the turbulence ends, Harry leans over and kisses my forehead.
"So, remind me of your family. You know, to distract from the airplane. What are they like?" Harry asks kindly. Unfortunately, that isn't much of a distraction, I think to myself. Taking yet another deep sigh, I oblige to his request.
"I have my older brother Colby, he's 24. He's a software engineer in Chicago and lives with his girlfriend. Then I have my younger sister Maya, she's a senior in high school. There's my mom Marie and my dad Chris, but you should call them Mr and Mrs Thompson." I explain. Harry's eyebrows furrow in concentration, really trying hard to remember the details. A chestnut curl rests on his forehead. I can tell he's a little nervous about meeting them; he wants it to be perfect.
        "Can you go over it one more time?"
        "Harry, baby, you'll be fine! Don't worry. They're going to love you. It's impossible not to," I reassure him and kiss his cheek. He turns and lightly presses his lips on mine.
         "I just want to make sure everything goes the right way. For you, Naomi." I smile, kissing him lightly once more and he says, "I love you."
"I love you too, Harry."
I lean into him and rest my head on his shoulder as we wait for the plane to land in Chicago.

* * *

        "NAOMI!!!" A familiar voice yells as we exit the terminal. I know that voice anywhere.
        "Oh my god, AJ! Hi!" I squeal and run up to my childhood best friend, pulling her into a tight hug and leaving a very confused Harry in the dust about 30 feet behind us. "HARRY! This is my best friend from Evanston, Ava! We call her AJ."
         "Nice to meet you, AJ. I'm Harry." He gives her a warm smile and reaches to shake her hand. AJ takes his outstretched hand and yanks him into a hug tighter than the one I gave her.
        "I know who you are, Harry! Naomi has told me ALL about you! It is so great to finally meet you!" she yells. She releases him from her welcoming embrace and grabs onto the handles of my suitcase. "Well let's get going guys, the people back home can only wait so long!"