How the Mean Man Changed My Life

Meeting the Family

Liam and the boys have a week off of work. So Liam has taken advantage of it to go home. I'm nervous because it means I'm going to meet his parents. Plus his sisters are coming home to meet me. 

"Hey babe you okay?" Liam asks looking at me and grabbing my hand with one of his.

I nod my head and answer " Yeah just nervous I guess" 

"Nervous why are you nervous?" Liam asks

"Well I don't know oh wait maybe it's because I'm going to meet my boyfriend's family" I answer back half sarcastically.

"Look love it's fine I'm sure they will love you cause I know I do" Liam says leaning over and kissing my cheek.

I look up and see we've stopped. Oh looks like we're here. Yeppee!! (sarcasm)

I take in a big breath and open my door and get out of the car. Liam walk around the front of the car and over to me and takes my hand.

"I'll come back out to get the stuff later" Liam says as we walk up to the door.

Liam opens the door and walks in pulling me behind. 

"Oh honey your here" says a lady running up to Liam and hugging him.

Liam hugs the lady back and then backs away.

"Mum I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Amelia Peterson Amelia meet my mum" Liam says putting his arm around my waist.

"Hello it's nice to meet you Mrs.Payne" I say extending my hand.

"Oh dear call me Karen" Karen says pulling me into a hug.

"Liam your here!!!" I hear two voices call at the same time. I pull back from the hug and look towards the steps where I see two girls standing at the top.

They run down and over to us and tackle Liam in a hug. Liam hugs them both at the same time. 

When they finally let Liam go he turned towards me and said "Nicola, Ruth I'd like you to meet Amelia Peterson my girlfriend" 

Both girls turn toward me. One offers me her hand and says " Hello I'm Nicola Liam's older sister"

I shake Nicola's hand and then turn towards the other girl who I assume to be Ruth.

"Hello nice to meet you I'm Liam's other older sister Ruth" Ruth says pulling me into a hug. Soon Nicola joins the hug. Man this family likes their hugs. Not that I'm complaining.

"Okay okay my girlfriend" Liam says pulling me out of the middle of the sisters. 

I look at him and smile he looks down at me and smiles back. 

"Awww you guys are so so cute" Nicola says.

I feel my cheeks turn red and see that Liam's are too. 

"Well well well what do we have here?" a man says walking into the room.

"Hey dad" Liam says giving the man a hug.

"Hello son" the man says hugging Liam back.

Liam pulls away from the man and grabs my hand and pulls me to his side where he puts his arm around my waist.

"Dad I'd like you to meet Amelia Peterson my girlfriend" Liam says.

"Well this is the girl we've been hearing so much about" the man says holding out his hand "Hello Amelia my name is Geoff it's good to meet you" 

I shake his hand and say "It's nice to meet you too all of you" I say as I turn back towards Liam's mom and sisters.

"Well I have dinner ready if you're all ready to eat" Karen says.

We all nod our heads. Liam grabs my hand and leads me to the dinning room.

I sit with Liam on my right side Nicola on my other and Ruth across from her while Karen and Geoff sit at the ends. 

We pass around the food and eat. We talk about how lots of stuff.

"Amelia dear why don't you tell us about yourself" Karen says.

I look towards Liam and he nods his head. I feel his hand grab mine under the table. I take a deep breath and start.

"Well I grew up in a small town in Iowa Whittemore to be exact. I was a quiet girl and not very popular. I play basketball and run in track.I grew up in a one parent home and had only one real friend named Mindy Divis. That's all there is to know about me" I say

"Did you say you grew up in a one parent home?" Ruth said looking at me.

"Ruth" Karen says

"No it's fine yes I grew up with my mom. My dad passed away when I was three. He was in the service and was shot" I say

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that sorry I brought it up" Ruth says.

"No it's fine since I was only three when he passed away I didn't know him all that well. So I don't really miss him. I mean it's hard to miss someone that you don't really know" I say.

"That's true now is the friend you mentioned the one that came to London with you and is dating Harry?" Ruth asks.

"Yeah Mindy she's like my sister her parents are like my second parents well her mom any way her dad is like my dad" I say

"Aww that's nice" Karen says.

After that the table falls into a silence. With the occasionall clatter of silverware against the plate. I feel like it's all my fault.

I must have had a look on my face because I feel Liam's hand find mine again and grasp it tightly squezzing it every little bit.

Finally dinner is over. Liam and I walk out to the car and get our suitcases. Liam leads me up the stairs to a room.

"This one is yours I'm right across the hall here" Liam says pointing to the room.

"Okay I think I'm going to go to bed it's been a long day of traveling and all" I say.

Liam nods his head  and says " Yeah I think I'm going to go to bed here in a little bit. Good night my little poodle"  Liam says bending down and giving me a gentle kiss. 

When he leaves the room I laugh at the name he's given me. Poodle because my hair is really really curly and crazy.

I get changed and everything and crawl under the covers. I close my eyes and fall into a deep sleep.

Some time in the middle of the night I woke up from a bad dream. I don't even know what it was about. 

I lay there staring at the ceiling. I hear a knock on the door.

"Amelia are you okay?" I hear Liam's voice from outside.

"Yeah I'm fine" I answer. 

Liam's head pops into my room and he smiles. He comes the rest of the way into the room and lays beside me on the bed.

"I heard you tossing and turning on my way to the bathroom and when I came back I heard you muttering is everything all right?" Liam asks

"Yeah I just had a bad dream I guess" I answer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Liam asks

"You know I do but I can't rember anything about the dream isn't that just really strange?" I ask

"Nah that's happened to me before" Liam says.

After that the room falls into a silence. Not one of those akward silences but one of those we're comfortable in eachothers presence silence.

I feel Liam snake his arms around my waist and I snuggle my head into his chest. I close my eyes and fall into another deep sleep.