by Taylor Wade
TWENTY
My mother was in the living room reading a book off of her kindle when I got home. She looked up from under her reading glasses and smiled at me.
“Did everything go alright, honey?” she asked me.
“Yes, I have everything here,” I pulled the papers from my bag and handed them to her for her to read.
After a couple of minutes she looked up from the documents, “Well everything sounds like it’s been taken care of. Make sure you keep these papers on you, sweetie.”
“I know, Mom.” I smiled warmly at my mother and stuffed the papers back into my purse. “Where are Daddy and Wes?”
“Your father just called. They’re heading home from the club now,” she gave me a soft look. “I think he’s a good boy, Brookelyn. But you haven’t been together very long so just remember to take it slow, okay?”
“Mom!”
She chuckled, “Honey I meant take things slow with your heart. I wasn’t giving you the sex speech.” I sighed with relief and she paused, “Should I be giving you the speech, Brookelyn?”
“No! Mom, we haven’t—I didn’t—uh,” I sputtered, and threw my hands up, exasperated. “Just no, Mom. No speech.”
“Alright, sweetie. But if you have any questions you know you can—,” her statement was thankfully cut off by the sound of laughter entering the house.
“I can’t even believe what I’m hearing! There’s no way that Chicago’s going to win. No chance.” I heard my dad say just before they came into sight.
“They’ve got those two new guys on the team! They’re gonna kill it, I know it.” Wes replied.
“Hey honey, how did the meeting go?” my father asked me as I stood comprehending the scene that I had just witnessed. Wes and my father coming home from playing golf, laughing like longtime friends, arguing over sports. He leaned over and kissed my forehead before placing a kiss on my mother’s cheek, a smile still lingering on his face from his conversation with my boyfriend.
“It went well. Everything is all taken care of,” I told him and gave Wes a questioning glance. He smiled and just shrugged his shoulders in a way that translated ‘what can I say, he loves me.’ I rolled my eyes but laughed. I was glad that they had had a good time together male bonding. Having my father approve of the man I loved meant everything.
“Brookelyn, why don’t you go show Wesley around while I start dinner? Be home by five.” My mother said to me.
“Let’s go, Wesley,” I grabbed his hand and nudged my shoulder with his playfully.
“You think you’re funny don’t you?” Wes said to me, nudging me back gently as I pulled him through the front door and over to my car.
“Oh, I know I’m funny,” I leaned up on my toes and kissed him softly, letting my lips linger for a moment. “We’re taking my car,” I muttered against his mouth.
I felt him smile against my lips, “You gonna give me the best ride of my life?”
I laughed and shoved him in the chest, “Very funny, perv. Get in.”
I walked around to the drivers side and he chuckled, “Bossy, too? You’re getting me all riled up now, ugly.”
~~~~
I felt more at peace than I had in a very long time. I had taken Wes around town and showed him all of my favorite places, and we even swung on the swing sets that Elle and I used to go to. I felt like I was taking my favorite childhood memories and creating something even greater to be remembered.
After spending the day together we headed back to my parents house for dinner. My mother made my favorite home cooked meal: Lasagna with a Caesar salad and warm rolls from the oven. Wes and I stuffed our stomachs until we were completely full, cherishing a home cooked meal. Over the course of dinner the four of us chatted about school and our friends, how we were doing in our classes and what we liked to do for fun. I didn’t tell them that my favorite hobby was kissing Wes. They seemed to like him, but I didn’t want to push it.
Wes and I helped clean up and wash the dishes, and then we all put on a movie and curled up on the couch together. It was weird at first because I felt like I was on a double date with my parents, but once we got into the movie all thoughts left me.
“Wes, there’s a spare bedroom across the hall from Brookelyn’s room that you can use for the night,” my dad told him after the movie ended and we all stood, stretching our legs. “Remember that the floors creak, sweetie.”
“Oh, nonsense, Dan.” My mother told him, waving her hand at the idea dismissively. “We don’t have to worry. They’re not going to try anything. Brookelyn wouldn’t want her first time with Wes to be when her parents are down the hall.”
“Mom!” I yelled as Wes choked on his soda, my dad chuckling.
“What? You told me you haven’t yet and I believe you,” she defended herself and smiled at our embarrassment.
I looked at Wes and saw that his face was bright red. I couldn’t even imagine how my own face appeared.
“Oh, stop it, Debbie. You’re embarrassing them.” My dad said as he continued to chuckle. “Goodnight you two. No funny business, Wes!”
“No worries, Sir. I would never disrespect your wishes.” Wes assured him and I smiled at his manners.
“I like this one,” my dad told me indicating at Wes.
“Me too,” I laughed as my dad gave me a hug and clapped Wes on the back before retreating upstairs.
My mother gave me a hug goodnight, along with Wes, and I took his hand as we walked up the stairs that lead to the guest room.
Once we got inside I shut the door behind us and pressed my back up against it, “I am so sorry.”
Wes snickered, “It’s fine. Although a heads up that your mom knew about our sex life,” he paused, “Or lack thereof, would have been nice.”
I frowned, “she tried to give me ‘the talk’ for some reason and it just came out.”
“Don’t worry about it, baby.” Wes gave me a quick kiss and went into the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth. My bedroom and the guest room had an adjoining bathroom so after I changed into my pajamas I joined him at the sink.
When our faces were washed and our teeth were brushed I stood in the doorway to guest room and watched as Wes shrugged out of his shirt. His toned chest came into view and I licked my lips subconsciously. Wes smirked and unbuckled his belt before unzipping his jeans and letting them fall to the floor beside the bed so that he was standing in only his boxers.
“You’re sexy,” I whispered as he walked over to where I stood and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. I trailed along his tattoos with my fingertips and he shivered.
“I love you,” he said, bending his head down to give me one last hard, passionate kiss.
After a few minutes we broke apart and I panted, “Goodnight, Wesley.”
He gave me a crooked smile, “’night, ugly.”
I laughed and shook my head, closing the door to the guest room and walking back through the bathroom that lead to my room. Pulling back my sheets, I slid into bed, feeling lighter than I have in a very long time.
TWENTY-ONE
After saying our goodbyes to my parents and promising to visit again soon Wes and I started heading back to school.
“Wes?” I asked as we pulled out of my parent’s driveway.
“Yeah?” Wes glanced over at me from the drivers seat.
“You said your dad lives close by,” I said hesitantly, “Why don’t we visit before we head back? I’d love to meet Ariana.”
Wes was quiet for a moment and he chewed on his bottom lip in thought.
“I’d love for you to meet Ariana,” He said and smiled over at me.
I smiled back, glad that he agreed to stop by his father’s house on the way. After introducing Wes to my parents I really wanted to meet his as well. I wanted to know everything about this man. Wes decided not to call and give a heads up, but rather surprise everyone and hope that they were there. It was Saturday morning so we figured everyone would be home. During the thirty-minute drive I scoo
ted close to Wes and he placed his hand on my thigh as he drove. We sang along to the radio and I laughed when Wes would get the lyrics wrong. We finally pulled into a nice neighborhood with pretty houses with fenced in yards and well-landscaped lawns. We stopped at a large white house at the end of the street and I admired how beautiful it was. I frowned realizing that Wes’s mother had to support three children on her own while his father started a new family and acquired wealth.
Wes parked at the curb next to the driveway and took a deep breath. I could tell he was uneasy about being here by the way he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel before finally getting out of the truck. I squeezed his hand as we walked up the long driveway and got to the porch steps. Wes paused as we got to the door and looked over at me.
“Ready?” he asked, and I smiled reassuringly and nodded. Wes rung the door bell and bounced a little on his toes nervously while we waited for someone to come to the door. A few moments later the door swung open to reveal a petite woman with blonde hair held up by a clip and large round green eyes. Her immediate reaction of surprise was followed b a warm smile.
“Wesley! What a great surprise!” She held out her arms and pulled Wes into a hug that he reciprocated, although his face showed his discomfort.
“It’s good to see you again, Anne,” Wes told her politely before motioning to me. “This is my girlfriend, Brookelyn.”
Anne turned her attention to me and greeted me with a smile before sticking out her hand for me to shake, “It’s great to finally meet you, darling. Wesley told us all about you over thanksgiving break.” She kept her hand in mine as she studied me from head to toe. “You’re quite the beautiful young lady! Good work, Wesley.” Anne winked at him and I laughed. “Come in, come in! Ariana will be so thrilled to see you.”
We stepped inside the large foyer and my eyes widened as I took in the gorgeous artwork that hung on the walls and the intricate designs of the woodwork around the house. Anne called out to Ariana from the bottom of the foyer while motioning us to follow her down a short hallway that lead to the large, well-decorated kitchen. The black granite counter tops contrasted the stark white cabinets. There was a large table towards the end of the room and a man, who had to be Wes’s father, sat in one of the chairs with a mug of coffee in his hand while he laughed along with two little girls seated beside him. Roy was very attractive for his age and there was no doubt that Wes and Reese got a lot of their appearance from him. He had dark hair with a slight gray color to it that he kept short, and a similar dazzling smile. His eyes, however, were a light brown so Wes and Reese must have inherited their unique eye color from their mother.
“Wes! Wes!” two tiny voices shouted when our presence was noticed. The two little girls dropped their crayons and ran over to us, both of them attaching themselves to Wes. He laughed and scooped them up. They had their mother’s light hair with their father’s light brown eyes. The twins were dressed in matching pajama sets and if it weren’t for their hair I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart. One girl had her blonde hair in pigtails, while the other had he hair piled high on her head in a ponytail with wisps falling into her eyes.
Anne smiled at the exchange and Roy got up from the table and headed our way. “Wes! What a great surprise.” Wes placed the girls back on their feet as Roy pulled Wes into a manly hug, slapping him on the back gently. “And who to we have here?”
“This is my girlfriend, Brookelyn. We were visiting her parents which is on the way so we figured we’d stop by and say hello,” Wes explained. “Brooke, this is my father Roy.”
I shook Roy’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well, Brookelyn. I see you’ve already met my wife, Anne. Ariana’s probably on her way down here now.” He explained and we all followed after him and sat down at the kitchen table.
A tiny hand poked me in the shoulder and I turned to find the little girl with pig tails standing beside me, “Hi cutie, I’m Brookelyn. What’s your name?”
“I Princess Madeline,” she told me.
“And I Princess Melanie!” Another little girl popped up on the other side of me and I couldn’t help my smile. They were adorable. “Do you wanna be a Princess too?”
“I would love to be a princess,” I told them and they both broke out into wide smiles.
“Princess Brookyn!” The girls couldn’t pronounce my name and it ended up sounding like broken. I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. I was surely a little bit broken.
I looked up to see Wes smiling at the exchange, as was Roy and Anne. Footsteps turned our direction to the kitchen entrance and we all turned to find Ariana strolling through the archway. She stopped in her tracks and squealed when she spotted Wes. Wes stood just as she ran and threw herself into his arms.
“What are you doing here!” she exclaimed as he set her back down onto her feet. She was just as beautiful as the rest of the family. Her long brown hair was lighter than Wes’s but her blue eyes were just as striking. She had dark eyeliner lining her eyelids but the rest of her face was natural. She had the same tanned skin and the same full lips as her brothers and father. She was wearing tight light blue jeans and a loose dark blue t-shirt with a band name across the front.
“We came to surprise you,” Wes told her as he ruffled her hair. She swatted his hand away but smiled. The exchange was sweet; anyone could see the close bond the siblings had. Ariana glanced over and noticed me sitting at the table with Madeline now seated on my lap, Melanie sitting on the chair beside us as they continued coloring.
“Hi,” I said to her, “I’m Brookelyn.”
“Oh, so this is the famous Brookelyn?” she said, turning to Wes and raising an eyebrow. “It’s about time I got to meet the girl you won’t shut up about.”
Wes rolled his eyes and Anne spoke up, “why don’t you three head into the living room and catch up? I’ve got to get the girls dressed for the day anyways.”
The twins pouted but didn’t object. They stopped coloring and Madeline hopped off of my lap as I stood to follow Wes and Ariana into the other room. Both girls gave me a hug before I left and I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down to see Melanie motioning for me to lean down. I bent down and she moved towards my ear, cupping her hand around her mouth as she whispered loudly to me. “After our we change can we play princesses?”
I laughed, “Of course we can!” The two girls clapped and smiled.
Wes grabbed my hand and threaded his fingers through mine as we followed Ariana into the living room. The room was a dark red with two beige sofas surrounding a coffee table. There was a grand piano in the corner of the room and pictures of the family were spread across the mantle of the fireplace. I settled into the couch next to Wes and he pulled me closer to him and put his arm around me. Ariana sat across from us, crossing her legs as she studied us intently.
“So what have you been up to, Ari?” Wes asked her. “Have you finished all of your college applications?”
Ariana rolled her eyes at her brother, “Yes.” Wes chuckled. “So Brookelyn, how long have you been dating my brother?”
“Uh,” I muttered, not expecting an interrogation from Wes’s little sister. “Since the beginning of November.”
“Huh,” she said thoughtfully. “Wes never introduces his girlfriends to the family.”
“Ariana.” Wes warned his little sister, “Quit it.”
“What?” she asked innocently, “I’m just stating a fact, Wes. She must be pretty special for you to bring her here.”
“She is,” he told her, shaking his head at his sister before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.