Page 6

Will

It’s been two weeks since Ellen invited me home with her and even though it was her who was nervous back then, as the plane descends into San Francisco, I feel my own stomach start to churn with nerves.

This feels like a big step, meeting her family and while I don’t doubt my feelings for Ellen, I do wonder what they will all think of me.

“You okay?” she asks, as we grab our bags from the overhead compartment.

I offer her a smile. “Yep.”

Ellen stares at me for a second. “You sure?”

I force my smile wider. “Definitely.”

She laughs. “You’re so full of shit.”

“What?” I reply, laughing as I gently nudge her down the aisle.

“You are totally nervous about meeting my family, aren’t you?” she says.

“Not at all,” I lie. “I already know they’ll love me.”

Ellen gives me a funny look as I grab her hand and we walk off the plane.

The terminal is filled with people and we traverse the crowd, heading to the baggage claim.

As we are riding the escalator down, Ellen soon waves to a lady that looks like an older version of her, waiting at the bottom with a huge smile on her face.

“Mom, this is Will,” she says, hand on my back. “Will, my mom, Cathy.”

We say our hellos and then we are collecting our bags and heading toward the parking garage, Ellen and her mom chatting the entire time.

Not long after we start driving, her mom shoots me a look before saying, “So, Will, you’re the one who saved my daughter from a deadly skunk?”

Ellen immediately blushes even as a laugh escapes me. “Yeah,” I reply. “Something like that.”

Cathy smiles in the rearview mirror, a knowing look on her face as she continues. “And it’s safe to assume the whole incident was alcohol related?” she asks.

“Well,” I say, stalling a little as I glance at Ellen. “I’m not sure I’d say that.”

“Ugh,” Ellen groans, shaking her head. “Of course it was,” she admits. “The hangover part anyway,” she adds.

Ellen’s mom laughs, seemingly cool with the fact that her daughter has just admitted to underage drinking. “Well, we won’t be telling the insurance company that part,” she says.

The rest of the drive is filled with talk about college and how our courses are going. Her mom asks a few questions about my family and where I’m from and everything about it feels relaxed and friendly, and nothing like the interrogation I was half expecting.

By the time we pull into a winery, driving past a sign indicating Somerville’s , I’m feeling completely relaxed about the idea of meeting my girlfriend’s family.

We eventually pull into a drive that takes us to the back of the property, stopping in front of a pair of cottages. On the steps of the larger one, a young girl sits, waiting for us .

Cathy chuckles. “Just to warn you,” she says, motioning to the girl, “she’s been in a terrible mood ever since Jack left.”

Ellen smiles. “Misses him, huh?”

“Oh yeah,” Cathy replies. “Won’t admit it of course, but she definitely misses him.”

Ellen laughs as she hops out of the car, the grin on her face only getting bigger as she walks toward her younger sister.

“Hey Lauren,” she says, tugging on her sister’s hair as she sits down beside her. Their mom just laughs, as she walks past them and disappears inside the house.

“Hey,” Lauren answers.

“What’s up?” Ellen asks.

“Nothing,” Lauren replies, shaking her head.

“You sure about that? You seem a little sad?”

“No,” Lauren replies, a stubborn tone in her response.

“You sure?” Ellen repeats. “Maybe you actually miss him?”

“I don’t!” she shouts, standing, hands on her hips.

Ellen laughs again, reaching for her sister as she pulls her back onto the step. “It’s alright if you do, you know? I get it,” she adds, gesturing toward me.

Lauren glances up now, seemingly noticing me for the first time.

“Hey,” I say, offering her a smile.

“Hi,” she replies.

“I’m Will.” I step over to her, hand out.

Lauren stares at my hand before looking back up at me. “Lauren,” she finally says, shaking my hand.

“You want to give me a tour of the place?” I ask.

Lauren glances at her sister now, who shrugs at her before she turns back to me. “Okay,” she replies.

I nod, glancing at Ellen who gives me a strange look. I wink before pulling them both up.

Lauren leads the way, taking us back up to the sheds we passed on the drive into the property.

I grab Ellen’s hand as we follow her, smiling when she squeezes it in thanks.

Our tour is filled with references to Jack, the boy from Australia and all the annoying things he apparently did to her at each location we walk past. It makes Ellen and me smile, even if we both try to put on a serious face for Lauren’s sake.

Ultimately we end up in the grapevines, Lauren scowling as she points out the huge puddle of mud that Jack pushed her into only days ago.

“You know,” I say, hands on her shoulders. “It actually kinda sounds like he likes you.”

Lauren shakes her head. “No,” she says, stubbornness back. “He was a jerk. All he did was annoy me.”

I laugh. “Yeah, but that’s what boys do,” I tell her. “We act like jerks when we like someone.”

Lauren looks up at me, a questioning look on her face as though she’s trying to figure out if I’m being serious or if I’m really just giving her shit like her sister’s been doing.

“Seriously,” I add. “I mean, I totally gave your sister shit when we first met.”

Lauren cocks an eyebrow now, glancing sideways at Ellen before looking back at me. “How?” she asks skeptically.

I grin. “Well, she did totally get nailed by a skunk, remember?” I say, giving Ellen’s side a pinch, teasing her a little. “While she was completely hungover and doing the walk of shame back to her car. I mean there was so much material to work with.”

Ellen shakes her head, a smile on her face even as she buries her face in her hands in mock embarrassment.

Lauren turns to her. “Is that true?” she asks.

“Yep,” Ellen says, looking up. “It is. He still doesn’t let me live it down, even now.”

“And you’re okay with that?” she asks, still doubtful .

Ellen looks over at me and I grin, winking as she stares at me as if seriously contemplating her answer. “I am,” she eventually says.

“Why?” Lauren asks.

My grin widens as I step closer and pull Ellen into my arms. “Because she’s crazy about me,” I say, kissing her cheek. “Like I am about her,” I add. “And, like Jack is about you.”

Lauren blushes now, turning on her heel as she stares off into the distance, watching the sun slowly setting over rows and rows of grapevines.

“You know, you could write to him,” I suggest. Lauren glances at me over her shoulder and I smile. “I’ll bet you anything he’s missing you just as much as you’re missing him right now.”

She swallows hard, her face a mix of confusion and embarrassment as she takes in my words.

“Go on,” I tell her. “What’s the worst that could happen? He never writes back? So what, it’s not like you’ll ever have to see him again.”

Lauren says nothing as Ellen and I stand here watching her. Eventually she nods once, before turning and walking back toward the cottages.

I turn to follow her, but Ellen grabs my hand, stopping me. “You okay?” I ask.

She stares up at me, a look on her face that I can’t read. I reach out and brush a strand of hair back from her face and she smiles, pushing up on her toes to press her lips to mine.

“Yeah,” she whispers, mouth against mine. “I’m really great.”

We spend the rest of the afternoon and evening chatting with her parents on the back deck of their house over dinner. It’s easy and relaxed, just like it was on the drive home from the airport and both of her parents get a good laugh out of my version of events regarding the skunk and Ellen’s car.

Despite Ellen’s worries and the apparently difficult phone call she made explaining it all to them, they seem remarkably chill about the fact their daughter was drinking. I guess growing up at a winery makes you a little more casual and open about alcohol.

By the time we all go to bed, it’s late, her parents bidding me goodnight as Ellen walks me next door to the guest cottage, because there’s not a chance in hell I’m sharing a bedroom with her in her family’s house.

“Your family are great,” I say, pulling her into my arms.

Ellen smiles up at me. “They really like you,” she says, arms around my waist. “And Lauren clearly thinks the sun shines out of your ass,” she adds, chuckling. “Thanks for being so nice to her today, even if she was a total grump.”

I laugh. “She’s sad and depressed,” I say. “Her true love has left her.”

“Pfft,” Ellen says, swatting my chest. “She’s being kinda melodramatic,” she adds. “I mean I know she’s totally crushing on him, but she did nothing but complain when he was here.”

I shrug, leaning in to kiss her lips. “Like I said before, that’s how it works. He drives her crazy with his teasing and then she misses it when he’s gone. In the meantime, he’s smug as shit because he knows she can’t stop thinking about him.”

Ellen laughs now. “Oh, is that so, is it?”

“Yep,” I tell her. “Just like,” I add, kissing a slow trail down her neck to her shoulder, “you’re not going to be able to stop thinking about me when you’re lying all alone in your bed tonight,” I whisper, pulling her hips hard against mine.

“Will,” she murmurs, fingers tightening at my hips as she presses her chest against mine .

“Good night, El,” I whisper, nibbling on her ear lobe. “Sleep well,” I add before turning and walking inside the guest cottage and closing the door.

I’m woken by a noise, what sounds like a door closing. Staring into the darkness of the house, I will my eyes to focus as the sound of a creaking floor board has me sitting up in bed.

“Hello?” I whisper-shout, my eyes on the open door to the bedroom I’m sleeping in.

“Hey,” comes Ellen’s voice as she creeps into the room.

I smile as she walks over to the bed and climbs in beside me. “What are you doing here?” I ask, pulling her against me.

I feel her lips against mine, her hand as it slides around my waist and into my boxers. “You were right,” she whispers against my mouth.

“About what?” I ask, smiling as I slip my hand beneath her tank.

Ellen pushes her body against mine, her fingers digging into my skin. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she murmurs.

I grin now, rolling her beneath me as I say, “I knew it,” before kissing her hard.