Until Series(308)

“Nico, you wanna come help me out?” a guy yells into the house, my heart rate automatically kicking up.

We talked about this. This morning, he told me that everyone was meeting at his parents’ for dinner. Like it told him last night, I am excited but still nervous. I know that I put this off for as long as I could. And honestly, it wasn’t fair to Nico to keep pushing him away even if it was unintentional. When I told Maggie what was going on, I could hear her clapping and jumping up and down while we were on the phone. She loves that Nico is forcing me to step outside of my bubble. She is happy for me and excited to meet Nico.

“Yeah!” he yells back before kissing my neck and whispering into my ear, “You’ll be okay. I’m here with you.”

“Okay,” I agree nervously. I just don’t want to have some kind of breakdown in front of his family. Once, in Job Corps, I passed out when I was with a group of people at lunch. After that, I tried to just stick to myself.

“So, Nico said you work as a librarian?” Susan asks, smiling at me.

“Yes. Well, I do that part time. My real job is as a private insurance specialist.” I watch as she goes to the stove and pulls out a giant ham, the kind you would have at Thanksgiving, with the pineapple and cherries on top of it.

“Wow, that sounds fun,” she says sarcastically and giggles, making me laugh.

“Yeah, it’s no fun, but it pays the bills.” I shrug.

“That’s always important.”

“Well, really, the thing is—my shoe addiction isn’t going to pay for itself,” I say with a smile.

“You too, huh? I had to take a job working for my boys when their dad told me he wasn’t going to give me any more money for shoes unless I got rid of some first. I told him fine, I didn’t need his money, and bribed my boys with cookies and started working for them. Needless to say, James had to build me a bigger closet.” She laughs and shakes her head, and I burst out laughing too. I can’t help it; she’s so sweet and totally puts me at ease. “Can you help me out with the rolls and put them in the oven?” she asks.

“Sure,” I say, going to the counter and putting a pan of Hawaiian rolls into the oven.

“Thanks, honey.”

“You’re welcome.” I smile, feeling warm inside. I wonder if my mom would have been like her if she were alive. All of the memories of my mom are happy; she was always laughing and smiling.

“What’s wrong?” Nico’s arms wrap around me. I hug him back, breathing him in before bringing my hands to my face, wiping my eyes. “Talk to me,” he says against my ear before kissing it.

“Nothing. Just thinking about my mom and wondering if she would be like yours,” I tell him.

He tilts my head back with a finger under my chin. “You gonna be okay being here? If not, we can go,” he says quietly, searching my face. Hearing him say that only makes me love him that much more. I know how much his family means to him. I know how much he wants me to get to know them, so his asking if I need to leave says more than words ever could.

“You love me,” I whisper. It isn’t a question; I know he does because I can see it in his eyes. I don’t know how I missed it before.

“I do.” He smiles, his mouth touching mine. “I love you, Sophie,” he says softly for only me to hear.

“I love you too,” I whisper, closing my eyes. I feel him smile against my lips before he kisses me again.

“Well, shit.” He lifts his mouth from mine and I turn my head. “It is true. Fuck me—I thought Mom was kidding,” a guy says, looking between Nico and me.

“Trevor, this is Sophie. Sophie, this is my brother, Trevor.”

“Nice to meet you,” I tell him, pressing closer to Nico.

Trevor is big, and we were in a kitchen, so I can’t help but feel some fear as the thought of my attack in my childhood home’s kitchen drifts into my mind. I try to fight it, remembering what my counselor said about not letting it control me, and I take a deep breath and put my hand out to Trevor, who immediately takes it. I scream when he suddenly pulls me to him, and it takes a second to realize that he’s hugging me. My heart is pounding in my chest, but my breaths, which were coming in rough pants, slow, and I return his hug for a second before being pulled back by Nico’s strong, tattooed arms.

“Aw, now you get it.” Trevor smirks, shaking his head.

“I get it, and you got your own woman, so keep your hands off mine,” Nico says, tucking me back under his arm.

Then a very pretty woman with long blond hair comes into the kitchen holding a little girl—well, trying to; it appears more like the girl is being detained, and the woman looks like if she moves wrong, her very pregnant stomach would explode.