Matrimony Homies

42: Acknowledgement (Loren)

The engine is ticking as it cools on this chilly December day, but neither of us have moved to open our car doors.

"I don't want to ruin Gems' birthday," I whisper.

Harry takes my hand, drawing it to his lips and planting a kiss on the back before threading his fingers through mine. "Have you considered that she might be happy for us?"

"Then I don't want to steal her thunder."

Rather than seeing them, I can practically hear Harry's eyes roll. "So basically you're determined to make this a lose/lose situation for us?"

"Maybe we should wait until another time?" I suggest, my stomach twisting into a pretzel. Or perhaps an entire bag of pretzels.

"Hey," he breathes, and I twist my head to look at him. "What's the worst that could happen?"

But his words don't help, and my eyes are flooded with tears instantly. "Well, they could decide that I'm not what they had in mind for their brother slash son's girlfriend, and they could kick me out of honorary family status."

Grasping my chin, Harry forces my face upwards until I am staring into his glorious green orbs. "First of all, that won't happen. Ever. Although I understand why you're worried it will. Secondly, even if they somehow were possessed by aliens from some distant planet and changed everything I know about them, I –" He emphasises the single pronoun, "-- would still feel the same way about you that I do right now." With his other hand, he brushes a loose strand of hair away from my eyebrow. "Unless I get possessed by aliens on the way to the door, that is."

His crooked smile and that dimple conspire to make me giggle, and I suddenly feel better. Logically, I know that Anne and Gemma will at least outwardly exhibit excitement for us, though my past family trauma has been telling me a different story for days. Or maybe weeks.

Sigh.

Months.

"Okay," I murmur, stroking his cheek. "But you know that I'm not one hundred percent confident that you're not already an alien?"

"Oof," Harry presses his hand to his heart. "You know how to wound a Saturnian."

"Mhm. Except I'm confident that you're a Uranian." My words are accompanied by a hearty laugh as I steel myself and grasp the metal door handle to open the car door.

As we approach the house, the door swings open to reveal Anne standing barefoot in blue jeans and a Pleasing sweatshirt. "Well that's excellent timing with the two of you arriving simultaneously." She wraps me in a tight hug, and I recall that this is where Harry inherited his powerful hugging skills. Anne holds me like an otter would its offspring, our chins nestling in each other's shoulders. Just when I'm about to pull away, she loosens her grip before squeezing again, and this time I can feel the broken parts of me being filled with gold like in Japanese kintsugi.

Not gonna lie. It's heaven. Maybe even better than having her son hold me.

Shhh. Don't tell Harry.

When Anne finally releases me, it's to turn to Harry and repeat the ritual. "You must have left London when it was still dark to get here so early!"

My eyes connect with Harry's from where his chin is tucked in his mum's shoulder. Guilt abounds for me, and I recognise its reflection in him. But Anne has had time to scan the driveway and notice that only Harry's car is present so when she ends the hug, her gaze swivels between us. Not accusing. Just surmising.

Harry wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to his side, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "We drove down together from Manchester." The wattage from his grin would blind most people, but Anne simply blinks. First she looks at Harry, then her eyes flicker to his hand at my waist before they bounce up to my face.