Want You Back - River Laurent Page 0,18

was part of it but there was more that I couldn’t put into words. “What binds you together?” I watched movies and TV and I knew that families shared meals, their days and stuff like that. Maybe what I wanted to know was what made them a family.

“That’s a difficult question,” he said. “Shared dreams and goals, a love for each other, support. I’m not sure if that’s the kind of thing you mean.”

I nodded but was a mess inside. I felt even more of an outsider. I took a deep breath. With time, his family would be mine too. Didn’t in-law relationships work like that?

It would take time, but I would work for it, I told myself. I would do everything in my power to get along with them and spend time with them. These thoughts calmed me down. I felt as if I had a purpose.

By the time we landed at LaGuardia, I was ready to meet my future family. We took a cab from the airport to Manhattan where Alex’s parents lived. Alex hadn’t been home in the year we had been together and his attention was on the passing landscape.

Guilt flooded me. I’d been selfish and hadn’t encouraged him to go home either. Well that was going to change.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the cab stopped in front of what could only be described as a mansion, set back away from the road. After paying the cab, Alex and I hopped out. As he went to the trunk to fetch our bags, I looked up at the massive house and a knot of anxiety formed in my stomach.

“Let’s go,” he said and shot me a reassuring smile.

I smiled back but I was sure that my smile was a grimace. Alex walked me up to an imposing huge, curved wooden door. He placed our bags down and rang the bell.

My heart felt like a fist pounding the inside of my chest. We stood for a few seconds and then the heavy door was opened. A plump woman with a smiling face and a black apron over a white dress, stood there smiling.

“Alex, you’re finally home!” She stepped forward and Alex bent his head to kiss her cheek.

“It’s good to be home Nina. I’ve missed you all,” he said. He turned to me. “This is my girlfriend, Charlotte Evans.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Evans. Come in. I’ll take those,” she said. “Everyone is in the drawing room having pre-dinner drinks. You know that’s your mother’s favorite time.” She winked at Alex and they shared a laugh.

Pre-dinner drinks? I’d never heard of those in a private home, but then again, how many private homes had I ever been in?

Alex

As soon as we stepped into the drawing room, voices rang out as Alex’s family all stood up to welcome him back home. I stood apart to give them time to greet each other. It also gave me a chance to observe them for a few seconds.

Mr. Turner was a big burly man and clearly the main donator of Alex’s big guy genes. He had a loud boisterous laugh but an intimidating presence nonetheless. He clapped Alex hard on the back and said how he couldn’t wait for his son to join him at the law firm.

I tried to imagine how it felt to have a job in your father’s firm waiting for you, and failed. I was proud of Alex though. He studied harder than anyone I knew when he didn’t really need to. It wasn’t like his dad was going to withdraw the offer if Alex didn’t graduate with honors.

His mother was one of the slimmest women I’d ever seen, with a stylish bob that fell to the sides of her face. She was clearly ecstatic to see her son and she seemed to disappear in Alex’s huge arms as he hugged her.

His sister, Mary, was a carbon copy of her mom. Her bob was shorter, younger but she had the same oval face and brilliant blue eyes. Her husband, Richard was dark haired with an easy smile and manner, and clearly, he and Alex were good friends.

When Alex had done the rounds of hugging his family, he beckoned me over and draped a protective arm around me.

“Everyone, I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is my girlfriend, Charlotte Evans. Chaz, this is my father, James Turner.”

I smiled and struck out my hand. He enveloped mine in his huge one, reminding me of