Mia
We worked along the tree slowly, adding baubles and lights. Every so often, I would reposition Luc’s efforts and he would grumble under his breath about the “stupid tree”.
"I'll talk to your Dad this week," he informed me. I knew Dad would agree considering we had never spent a Christmas apart. "I'm not his favorite person but I'm sure you being with me is going to send his blood pressure through the roof."
My face fell at the comment. I hadn't actually thought about what Dad would think of our relationship. Luc and I had been in a bubble where everyone had accepted us being an item.
Luc latched onto my change in mood and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "What's wrong?"
Placing a small bauble on a branch, I leaned back against him. "I'm just thinking, maybe we shouldn't tell my Dad."
"Why not?" Luc asked, his grip around me became tighter as if I was about to walk away.
"As you said, he's not going to like it."
Luc let out a small, mirthless laugh and let go of me. "Right."
"Luc," I tried.
"No."
"Luc."
"What Mia?"
I placed the decorations in my hand onto the floor and moved over to Luc who sat on the back of the sofa. "I'm just worried about what he'll say."
"It's probably nothing he hasn't said about me before."
Luc made a valid point. I had already heard my Dad's thoughts on Luc. There wasn't much worse he could say but I wanted him to like Luc and see what I saw. Maybe it would be a matter of time the same way it had been for me. Once you got to know Luc there was more to him than what he allowed the world to see.
"I don't want to hide, Mia," Luc told me. "You're mine and everyone should know that." He pulled me into him, and I leaned against his solid body.
"I'm not hiding it," I said gently.
"You don't want to tell him. That's trying to hide it."
"Can we just wait until after dinner?" I tried to compromise. "We can sit down and tell him together."
Luc looked unhappy but eventually nodded his head. "Okay, but we are telling him, Mia."
I gave him a kiss in agreement. The entire situation made me nervous, but Luc wasn’t asking for much. Just like I wanted to be a part of his world, he wanted to have a place in mine. Luc let go of me and we both drifted back to the tree to continue decorating with Luc working on the branches I couldn't reach.
"Whilst we're on the topic of telling people," Luc started.
I popped my head around the tree to look at him. "Yes?"
"Xavier Moretti throws a New Year's ball every year. He's requested I bring you."
The name sounded familiar to me and I grasped at the memory. "Xavier Moretti? The guy who stuck a knife in your Mom's hand?"
Luc gave a tight smile. "The one and only."
"And you want us to go?" I asked, slightly alarmed.
"Not particularly but I'm going to leave the decision to you," Luc said with a shrug.
"Why don't you want to go?"
