MALLORY
“I’m so glad you could come!” Mallory squealed before pulling Lily into a tight hug.
With the way the last couple weeks had gone, she was expecting Christian to say no. Sure, they had a conversation and did their best to clear the air, but meeting her family was a big deal. It’s a step she would never have considered when she first met Christian.
“Me too! Does this mean you and Dad aren’t fighting anymore?”
Mallory nearly choked in surprise. She’d done her very best to keep Lily out of it and not let on that she was on bad terms with Christian. Hopefully he hadn’t been saying anything negative about her to Lily.
“It was just obvious that all of the sudden Dad never wanted to come up when he was dropping me off or picking me up,” she said as if she could read her mind. “He never said anything.”
“Sweetheart,” Christian said, finally moving from his spot in front of the door. “Mallory and I are fine. We had a disagreement, and we should have talked about it sooner, but everything is fine now. I’m sorry if we made things weird for you.”
Lily shrugged. “It’s not a big deal, I was just saying.”
Before Mallory could say anything, he pulled her into a hug before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. A soothing warmth traveled down her body as that small act calmed her and made her feel more relaxed about the entire evening. She’d missed his touch, his scent.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear before he stepped back.
He didn’t look too bad himself, but she didn’t want to embarrass him by saying just how good he looked in front of Lily. He wore dark-wash jeans and a gray button-down shirt. He wasn’t over the top dressy for a family dinner, but he looked respectful. Even Lily was dressed in some of her nicer black clothing.
“You two look nice,” she commented. “If you want, I can drive since I know where I’m going.”
“No need. I got the address from your brother and I’m pretty sure I know where it’s at. Unless you want to drive, that is.”
God, things were awkward. It was obvious she wasn’t the only one having trouble figuring out what to say. It probably wasn’t smart to invite him when they had only barely made up.
“Can we go?” Lily asked. “I’m hungry.”
She was exactly what they needed to snap out of their awkwardness and get going. Mallory grabbed what she needed and followed Christian out to his car. The drive wasn’t long, but he held her hand the entire way. In front of Lily.
When they pulled up in front of her childhood home, she took one last calming breath before climbing out of the car and preparing to introduce the two most important people in her life to the family she only recently reconnected with. It was fine. Everything would be fine. What the hell was she thinking …
“Mallory!” Sheila exclaimed as soon as she swung the front door open. “I’m so glad you guys could make it!”
She bristled slightly. “Can you let us get inside first?”
Sheila’s face fell, and Mallory immediately felt a pang of regret. The anxiety of bringing Christian and Lily to meet her family was obviously wearing on her, but she had no excuse for taking it out on Sheila. The woman had been nothing but nice to her, even after Mallory had treated her so badly over the years.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “We’re all excited. I’ve just never …”
“Nope. No need to apologize, I understand. I can be a bit much.” Sheila chuckled and waved a hand in dismissal. “Let’s get inside so you can introduce me to this beautiful girl and the handsome man who’s with her.”
Mallory tried once more for a cleansing breath as they stepped into the house. She had no idea why she thought this was a good idea. The smart thing would have been to wait until she was completely comfortable around her family before she brought anyone else around, let alone the man she had allowed into her heart.
“Mallory! It’s so good to see you!”
She turned to see Alyssa making her way over as fast as she could considering the baby bump that seemed to have doubled in size since she’d seen her last. A genuine smile spread across her glowing face as she pulled her into a hug.
“Chris! Hey buddy,” Alyssa said as she moved to give him a hug. “And Lily! You know I can’t help myself from giving you a hug. I feel like you double your height each time I see you.”
Mallory looked over to see Michael standing back, waiting his turn. Once Alyssa moved on to her dad and Sheila, Michael made his way over. He pulled Mallory into a hug, and it was just the comfort she needed. Having people around who already knew Christian made her feel much more at ease.
“Now,” Sheila spoke up once she’d gotten her hugs from both Michael and Alyssa. “You two must be Lily and Christian. I’m so happy you could make it. Come on in and make yourselves at home.”
Mallory didn’t miss the shine of unshed tears sparking in Sheila’s eyes. She’d been so worried about herself that she didn’t stop to think about how her dad and Sheila must feel. They didn’t know anything about her dating history or the abusive relationship that almost completely destroyed her. They didn’tknow how amazing it was that Christian was able to knock down her walls and make his way into her heart, but just the act of her bringing someone “home” to meet them must have meant the world to them. She wasn’t even sure Christian quite understood the magnitude of what they were doing.
She watched as Sheila brought Lily into the kitchen while everyone else made their way to the sunroom out back. It was a nice night, and the sunroom had a large farmhouse style table that could seat everyone. Christian, surrounded mostly be people he already knew, appeared completely at ease. It made sense. Alyssa was one of his closest friends so that made Michael basically his brother-in-law.
