Someday I wanted to have a big family of my own, and I was feeling more and more like I wanted Ethan to be a part of that future. A lot was riding on this visit, even if neither one of us admitted it.
"Are you ready?" I asked Ethan excitedly as I threw my backpack over my shoulder. It had two changes of clothes (just enough for a three-day weekend), my toiletries, and a few Hollywood souvenirs for my siblings. I was dressed in my favorite pair of black jeans, boots, a pink tank top with the Speed Motorcycles logo emblazoned on the front, and the new black leather motorcycle jacket Ethan had given me for the trip. My hair was pulled back into a braid to keep it from flying in my face and my helmet was tucked under my arm.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied with just a hint of dread. He was dressed in designer jeans, a tight-fitting, black tee-shirt, and a very expensive-looking leather jacket that must have come from Italy or France. His backpack was even fuller than mine, and his specially designed helmet was propped on top.
"Don't tell me you’re nervous to meet my family," I teased him, but there was a little too much truth to the jibe and he became defensive.
"I'm not. It's just I'm never been very good at the family thing. If you'd ever met my mother, you'd understand. She was never the warm nurturing type, and my dad was always just struggling to hold himself together. I never had what you have."
"Well, maybe someday you will; if you want it." I wrapped my arms around his strong neck, pulling him in for a sensuous kiss. My breasts pressed against his chest, and I felt his erection growing against my thigh.
"Maybe we should just stay home," Ethan arched his left brow at me mischievously.
Giggling, I shook my head emphatically and mounted my bike. "Forget it. We're going and that's final."
"Okay, but maybe we should take the sedan instead of the bikes," he said, procrastinating now for real.
I suddenly realized how nervous he really was about meeting my family and I longed to comfort him. "The bikes are terrific. My brothers will love seeing them and so will my dad. You should be proud of what you've created. I know I am."
"I just don't want to seem pretentious."
"And you think pulling up to our rundown little house in a luxury BMW would be any better?" I teased, and he flushed with chagrin. Touching his arm affectionately, I said, "Just be who you are. Don't worry about anyone else's opinion, and my family will love you or hate you just for who you are."
"Great, this is the first time you suggested they could hate me." He feigned being alarmed, but I could tell he was teasing. He kissed me passionately, drawing it out as our tongues intertwined. His hand grazed my breast before he let me go, seeming much more at peace.
He mounted his bike, and we took off onto the highway side by side. It was a beautiful trip as we road through grassy fields of wildflowers, shady patches of tall trees, and sunny horizons. The sky was clear blue with just the barest amount of clouds wafting through it.
We stopped at a field and ate the picnic lunch we had packed and ended up making love under a large tree. It reminded me of our first date, and when I said so, Ethan grinned brightly and agreed, "Me, too."
The sky was just turning to dusk when we reached my hometown, and suddenly all the sights became familiar. Excitedly, I pointed them all out to Ethan, shouting through the open facemask of helmet as he nodded and grinned at me.
"That's Polk High, where I went to school. That's the Tasty-Freeze, where I had my first job. That's the house where I went to that birthday party and threw up all over the hostess. I was so embarrassed; I never spoke to her again. I was always such a shy kid that I never had any friends. It's why I couldn't wait to get out of this town."
"What happened? You're not shy now," Ethan teased playfully, making me laugh.
"I guess I just needed to meet the right guy," I told him, trying to bluff away my nervousness, but he saw right through to the heart of me.
I was suddenly feeling like that shy kid with no friends again as we pulled to a stop in front of my parents’ house and removed our helmets. We shut off the engines and dismounted, staring up at my childhood home where so many memories had been made.
Caressing my cheek, Ethan said softly, "I'd like to take credit for the confident, powerful, beautiful modeling star you've become in L.A., but I can't. You were like that when I met you. All that you've achieved, you've done on your own, despite setbacks like Mick and the hardness of L.A. You had something inside you ready to break free and shine — you just had to get out on your own to find the courage to set it loose."
"You really think so?"
"I know so." Ethan pulled me to him and gave me a passionate kiss that was so hot it melted away all my uneasiness and reminded me of everything good in my life, including him.
"Hey, you two. Knock that off or go get a hotel room!" A familiar voice startled me and made us both jump. I turned to see my sister Morgan coming out of the house. She wrapped her arms around me in a big embrace, and I hugged her back, blinking back tears of joy.
"Cool motorcycles! How fast can they go? What's the horsepower on an engine like this?" My brother Tommy rolled his wheelchair up to my bike and started touching the handlebars.
"Hey, this is a sweet ride. Can I take Tommy for a ride around the block after dinner?" my brother Joe Junior lifted Tommy out of his chair and set him astride the seat of the bike. Tommy was beaming so wide, I thought he might burst.
"Let me through so I can give my sister a hug," my sister Emily cried out happily, pushing her way past my brothers and holding her arms out wide.
Ethan looked terrified as he whispered to me, "We're surrounded."
"It's okay, they don't bite," I laughed and hugged each of my beloved siblings in turn before pulling them all together into one giant group hug.
"Exactly how many brothers and sisters do you have?" Ethan asked me.