“Thanks,” Piper said, giving me a kiss. She’d stopped protesting me helping her, which was nice. When the two of them got back, Preston ran to give me a hug and I spun him around while he laughed.
“You want some Hulk juice?” He flexed to show me his muscles and then growled.
“Whoa! I don’t even know if you should have this. You might get even Hulkier!”
Piper watched us with a smile on her face.
“Please, Kenna?” Preston asked and his face was so cute, I would have given him anything.
“Just be careful,” I said, giving him the cup. “Only use your powers for good.”
He was already busy sucking the juice down through the straw.
“Some green juice for you?” I asked Piper as I poured some in a glass for myself.
“Yes, please,” she said, her hand caressing up and down my back. I loved those little touches. I loved being in the kitchen with her and helping her put Preston to bed. I loved being here. Somehow I’d gotten used to the huge house and the white couches. I couldn’t be any worse than Preston with spilling and staining things, and the house still stayed immaculate. She did have a very dedicated and wonderful house cleaner, but the majority of the work was done by Piper. She was incredible. I was in so much awe of what she had accomplished.
“I should probably go back to the farmhouse. I have to teach tomorrow and you need to go pick up your parents,” I said at dinner.
“Pop Pop and Gramps!” Preston said. The names he used for them were too adorable for words.
“I’m going to miss you tonight, but I get it. I’m going to have the conversation with them on the way back. Lunch on Saturday?”
I nodded, and my palms started to sweat. It was a big deal, meeting her parents. We were only doing it so early due to them coming and not wanting to be parted for that time.
“Do you want to meet my family?” I asked.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to.”
“Of course I do,” I said. “I just didn’t want to overwhelm you. Meeting two dads is a lot different than meeting the entire Williams circus.”
“Yes, but I think I signed up for the circus when I said that I wanted to be with you,” she said, giving Preston another egg roll when he whined.
“I mean, we have dinner every Sunday. You could come with me. That’s what Julia and Hollis did.”
Piper thought about that.
“How about this: I leave Preston with his Pop Pop and Gramps and I come with you.”
My fork clattered to my plate.
“Hold on, this Sunday? As in the day that happens after this Saturday?”
Piper nodded. “Why not? Do it all in one weekend. Go big or go home.”
“I love going home,” I mumbled.
“You know what I mean. Do it all at once.”
I couldn’t believe her, but she was serious.
“Okay, why not? Let’s go for it.” This could turn into a complete disaster, but at least we’d know sooner rather than later.
I didn’t tell her that I’d never brought anyone I dated to family dinner. Family dinners were only for serious contenders, and I’d never had one of those. Plus, I had always worried that exposing whomever I was seeing to my family would make them run screaming for the hills.
“I’ll give you a chart,” I said. “Julia made one for Hollis, but she didn’t end up needing it.”
“A chart?” Piper asked. “Actually, that would be really helpful. Can you pull pictures so I can get a visual as well?” This chart was starting to get complicated, but I’d do it for her.
“No problem.”
I only had to meet two people. She had to meet twenty-two. Well, twenty-one since she already knew Julia.
“I’ll work on the chart tonight,” I said.
“You’re amazing.” She gave me a look that would have melted my heart if it hadn’t been already in a constant state of melt from being around her.
Going back to the farmhouse was jarring after being with Piper for just a night and a day.
“You’re back!” Ellie said as she sat on the couch watching a movie with Amanda.
“Feels like we haven’t seen you in ages. How are you? How’s Piper?”
Amanda patted the couch next to her, and I sat down and told them that things were great with Piper, we were meeting the parents this weekend and everything else was perfect.
“See? They’re meeting the parents already,” Amanda said, giving a pointed look at Ellie.
“Next weekend. He’s coming next weekend,” Ellie said. “Do you want me to call him to come over right now?”
“Don’t be silly,” Amanda scoffed, but I had the feeling if Ellie told KJ to come over and meet Amanda, she’d be over the moon.
“I’m going to say hi to Julia and Hollis,” I told them and walked over to the barn. I made sure to knock really loudly before listening to hear if I could come in.
I’d walked in on the two of them in the loft before and I didn’t want to do that again.
They were just sitting on the couch together, playing with Lucky and a laser pointer.
“This is what passes for a wild night,” Hollis said. “We’re very domestic now.”
I sat down in the comfy chair and sighed before I told them about Piper and my weekend plans.
“Are you sure about doing the family now?” Julia said. “I’m not being unsupportive; it just seems fast.”
I looked at her and Hollis.
“She has a point,” Hollis said. “We also moved pretty fast.”
“Not really,” Julia said. “Seeing as how we were…” she trailed off after a sharp look from Hollis.
“You know that I know you two were faking it at first, right? You don’t need to hide it anymore.”
They both gave me shocked looks.
“Come on. You were so transparent.” I rolled my eyes. “And it’s not like it matters now. You’re together.”
Julia looked at Hollis and they had one of those silent conversations.
“You should make her a chart,” Hollis said.
“Already on it,” I told her.
“Hey, if you want, I can digitize it. Make it a presentation.”
That sounded like something Piper would like.
“Can you help me with that tomorrow?” I asked.
“No problem. We’ll make it really fancy.”
“I appreciate it,” I said, and then Lucky did this cute little jump as if to remind us that she was there.
I stayed to play with the kitten and talk with Hollis and Julia for a while before heading back to the farmhouse and the bed.
It felt small. My room seemed small, and I wasn’t as comfortable here as I’d been over at Piper’s. How strange was that?
I pondered that feeling for a while and then finally forced myself to go to sleep. I had a class early in the morning.
After my morning class, I had breakfast and then Hollis immediately started helping me with the presentation about my family for Piper. We added pictures and effects and made it fun.
“She’s going to love it,” I said as Hollis and I checked the final draft before I sent it to Piper.