“Mom, meet Shae Garrison, my new fiancée.”
Gwen gasped at the same time I did, though with a slightly different emphasis. Mine being a gasp of shock, hers one of unbridled delight.
“You don’t say,” she said, looking me up and down, pausing a bit too long on my tits, which were put on quite a display in the dress Chris had bought me.
I felt like a bug being scrutinized. Worse I had no idea if she approved of me or not. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t care if she approved or not, but honestly, I did. She seemed like the sort that could make my life miserable if I crossed her.
“I was just going out of a late supper if you would like to join,” Gwen offered.
Chris didn’t object, and neither did I, even though he had given me an out. In truth, I was curious to meet his parents, who would be our baby’s grandparents, though I also braced myself to dislike them for what they had done to Chris.
I could hear the violin music as soon as we were through the door. I shouldn’t have been surprised, really. Of course, Gwen would be going to that kind fancy of place. We didn’t have to wait for a table. As soon as we were through the door, we were being led to one of the best tables in the restaurants. I couldn’t help but be impressed by her clout.
“Scott will be joining us later,” Gwen said as we were seated.
“That’s my dad,” Chris explained helpfully.
“Is Chase coming too?”
“Oh, no, he’s in Sweden right now recording the new album,” Gwen said, gushing with pride.
I was surprised and impressed that a woman who struck me as a dyed in the wool opera diva would be proud of her son being in a metal band. Though, to be fair, Dante Street Massacre was symphonic metal with a strong vocal element and was coming to be world-famous.
“Let’s just hope it lasts,” Chris said.
“Now, now,” Gwen said.
“How many members have they gone through in ten years?” Chris asked.
“Okay, fair point,” Gwen conceded.
I hadn’t expected her to back down so easily. For some reason, I had assumed she would be a hard ass, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Sorry I’m late,” said an eccentrically dressed gent as he took up the third of the four chairs at the table.
“We’re used to it now, dear,” Gwen said kindly, patting his hand.
“And who is this?” the newcomer asked.
“Dad, this is Shae, my fiancée.”
“When did this happen?” Chris’s dad asked delightedly.
“About three weeks ago,” I said, playing along with the lie.
“Congratulations!”
I was so ready to hate Chris’s parents for what I assumed they had done to him, giving him a terrible childhood, but I was starting to think I was wrong. His parents were delightful and warm. They asked about his work and mine, no detail was too small to capture their interest. Both seemed delighted that I was a nurse. They wanted to know about our wedding plans, which was unfortunately something Chris and I hadn’t discussed. All in all, the evening was like a dress rehearsal for my family reunion.
After dinner, we said our goodbyes and got back into Chris’s car. Chris holding the door open for me like he always did, the gentleman that he was.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” Chris said as we pulled onto the road.
“How is that?”
“I thought they might be angry about us not telling them about the engagement. I mean, I never really fit in with them, but they are still interested in my life.”
“I really liked them,” I said, surprising even myself.
“That surprises you?”
“Well, I was ready to dislike them for cutting you out and all that.”
“They never cut me out. They don’t understand my love of art and advertising any more than I understand music, but I know they love me and have always supported me.” He patted my knee. “You ready for the weekend?”
“Maybe,” I said. Now that I knew I was pregnant, I honestly didn’t know. “Want to go back to my place?”
Chapter Eight
Chris
It was a relief that dinner with my parents had gone so well. Though it wouldn’t have stopped me, I still wanted my family to approve of my relationship — fake as it might have turned out to be. Though it didn’t feel fake.
The stuff about being engaged and buying a house wasn’t real, but it wasn’t like we had no relationship. At the very least, we were friends, and there was no denying our sexual compatibility. Knowing that my parents liked Shae and she liked them, even considering the somewhat odd situation, was a weight off my shoulders.
I was feeling pretty good when we got ready to drive up to Virginia for the reunion. We figured my car was the most reliable, and we could take the driving in shifts. We were both used to swing shifts, so a 34-hour drive was nothing to us. It would take a lot of games of eye-spy, but I was sure we could get through it. What I hadn’t planned on was the number of bathroom breaks Shae needed. I figured it was just nerves about seeing her family and her ex again.