Nora's POV
It's been two months, three months of just Shawn and I together, traveling. He stayed when we met in Rio. It was difficult. It's still difficult at times. A relationship isn't easy. It's work, if you want it, you work for it. Rio was awkward, their was tension, their were times I second guessed what I was doing, what we were doing. But we were trying.
Our relationship isn't perfect but that's okay. We stayed in Rio for a week and I told him I was going to Rome. Shawn came too. I didn't ask him, I wanted him to come but I didn't know what he would think so I didn't ask. And I wasn't surprised when I realized I was so happy he was coming. Things got easier in Rome. We played tourist and looked at all the sights, we held hands. We grew in comfort. We started to get that flow back.
We saw my friend Serafina in Madrid. I didn't know she was a big fan of Shawn and his band, so it was a treat for her as well. Paris was beautiful. I'm lucky to get this opportunity to travel around and get to see all the world's most beautiful treasures. All these perfect places at my fingertips. I'm not going to lie that having Shawn with me has helped me relax, I feel more at ease traveling from country to county having a travel partner.
Today were in London. Well, we've been in London for a few days and I'm absolutely in love with it. Minus the cloudy weather, I mean, it's suppose to be summer and it's been raining since we got here, I haven't seen the sun yet but I love an old city. New York City is Europeanish but nothing can compare to the real thing.
I'm set to meet Shawn's family this weekend, just a few days away and I'm terrified. I've known Shawn for so long but it's just the thought of meeting his mom and dad and sisters that frightens me. What if they don't like me? What if I say the wrong thing? What if I think something is funny when it's not suppose to be? I keep telling myself to relax and let it go but it's always in the back of my mind.
A knock at the door pulls my mind away, I don't think he was expecting anyone as he didn't let me know. He's currently upstairs showering so I decide to at least look through the peep hole to see who is here. When I look I cant believe my eyes. Noah at the door. Yes Shawn and his band are all amazing, yet I've only ever met Andrew, and I still get starstruck. He knocks again and I take a deep breath, and fiddle with the lock to open the door.
"Hey! You're not Shawn." He laughs to himself.
"Right, I'm Nora, Shawn is in the shower." I tell him as a beautiful blonde comes out of their car, I instantly recognize her as his wife, Erica.
"Noah, be nice to her!" She tells him as she joins his side. "I'm Erica, nice to meet you." She holds her hand out for me to shake. She has an odd accent, a mix of English and American.
"Oy! I am being nice!" Noah defends himself. "We'll just make ourselves comfortable and wait for him." He tells me as he guides Erica in and I lean away for them to have room. These two are seriously cute, you can already tell. "So you're Shawn's girlfriend?" Noah asks as he takes a seat on the sofa. I can't help but wonder if Erica is expecting, she's got a loose shirt on but when she sits she's got a small belly. I'm not going to ask, that's just rude and I don't know her.
"Um, I don't know our official title." I feel awkward answering this question.
"Of course she's my girlfriend." Shawn comes down the steps, hair pushed back and still wet. "What the hell are you two doing here?" He asks, I would be uncomfortable with his question but his smile tells me he's just joking.
"We came to see some family. I don't know why Erica wanted to see you though." Noah jokes as he stands and gives Shawn a hug.
"Erica! I've missed you!" He pulls Erica in for a hug. We've talked and I know that him and Erica used to be the best of friends but sometimes time gets away from you and you can't keep up with friends as easily. "Is this what I think it is?" Shawn pulls away and points to her stomach.
"Um, yes." Erica smiles as she rubs her stomach, looking down at Noah who is just beaming. He's probably the most excited man I've ever seen when it comes to knowing he's going to be a father.
"No way!" Shawn's smile is massive, it's so neat to be a part of this moment. I don't know Noah or Erica at all but it doesn't feel awkward. "When are you due?" They both start laughing.
"September thirteenth." Noah smiles.
"Your birthday? Your baby is due on your birthday?" Shawn asks for clarification and they both just smile and nod. "Jesus, how neat is that?" He asks a rhetorical question and sits down next to me, patting my knee. I've all but forgotten that Shawn referred about me as his girlfriend. We haven't talked about it, I guess officially we didn't break up so I guess we're still considered a couple? Once again, over thinking everything.
"So you two good now?" Noah asks cautiously. I'm assuming that they probably know more about me then I know about them, that's okay. I watch as Noah drapes his arm around Erica's shoulder and pulls her in close. Their body language is so in sync.
"Um, we're a work in progress." Shawn begins and looks at me to make sure that he's not in the wrong with his speech. "Taking it one day at a time and just living in the moment." He squeezes my hand and I relax just a little bit more.
"That's good." Erica speaks. "It's like that quote from one of my favorite books, Captian Corelli's Mandolin, he quotes, "When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out weather your roots are to become so intertwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is." She squeezes Niall's hand and they share a moment, something else is there but it's not my place to push. That quote is beautiful.
"That's perfect." I whisper. I don't know how she has memorized that whole section but I do know that she's a very smart woman. She smiles at me and I can tell that she's someone you could become easily friends with.
"So do you guys have plans for dinner?" Noah asks. "I know we didn't really call in advance but I had heard you were in London so I thought we could at least stop by and check in, it's been so long mate."
"No plans. Let's do it." He stands, and bounces just a little bit.
"Okay, we'll meet you at Lazlo's? Follow behind us?" Noah suggests, standing and helping Erica off the couch. Shawn nods and we walk behind them to the door.
"I'll tell you all of Shawn's secrets." Erica whispers to me, giggling.
"None of that! You two can't sit together at dinner." Noah interjects as we follow them to the door. Shawn grabs his keys and my hand as he presses the code to open the garage door.
"I'm sorry, I haven't really meant to ignore you, I didn't expect them to show up." He opens the door for me and closes it quietly as he rushes to the other side. "It's okay that were going to dinner when them, right?" He asks.
"Oh yea, it's totally okay." I smile, it's a real smile.
"I love you." He kisses my hand. "You know that right?" He looks at me before he pulls out of the driveway. "I don't want to rush things, I know things aren't perfect between us but I want us to work. I will do anything for us to work. I will do anything." He stands firm on his words and he just melts my heart.
"I love you." I almost surprise myself at my words but I feel it in my gut. This is it, this is real. I know it in my heart. I can see he's blushing and it makes me smile even more.
"I'm so much better when you're around." He laughs just a little bit and decides to cross the street now, Noah and Erica are way far ahead of us and I don't care. As far as I know it's just Shawn and I against the world.
THE END
A/N: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. To everyone that stuck by me from the beginning, who all commented, voted, subscribed but most importantly all those who took the time out to read. This journey has been one of the best, and I'm so excited to share more with you. Keep dreaming, reading and living your best life, because that's all that matters. I love you❤️
- @goldenrosemendes
