The Choreographer

24: Minnesota

Harry and I sit on the plane. We're going to Minnesota, and I'm kind if terrified. I have never introduced anyone to my family. We only have an hour until we land. I'm bouncing around in my seat nervous. Harry is quiet, I think he's just as scared as I am. We haven't talked about my less than perfect girlfriend moment, but I'm okay with it. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to decide what I meant by it.

"So...who are your cousins?" Harry's asks again, trying to remember names before he even meets them.

"Ren is my fathers sisters daughter, and Jesse is my mothers brothers son." I tell him.

"You only have two?" Harry asks.

"I have more, but I'm only close to two." I explain.

"Oh." He says. He pauses fiddling his thumbs. "Okay." He finishes.

I sigh, I wonder how he will react to them.

****

"Move Isabel I can't see your beau." Ren tells me as Harry and I walk in the door.

"Hello to you too." I say.

"We can talk later," Ren brushes away my sarcasm. She walks around me to look at Harry. He amber eyes scan him in a very factual way.

"Leave him alone Ren, you're going to scare him away." Jesse tells her, his son Roland bouncing in his lap.

"I will not scare him away!" Ren argues. Jesse shakes his head at her and sighs.

"Hi," She greets Harry, her hand extended. Harry shakes her hand. "I'm Ren." She explains.

"Hello, I'm Harry." Harry adds with a smile.

"This is Jesse." Ren gives Jesse a look, telling him to get over here. Jesse rolls his eyes, and shift Roland over a seat, standing.

He makes his way over to Harry, giving Ren a look. She makes a face at him.

"Jesse." Jesse tells Harry.

Harry nods at him. "Harry."

"Trust me," Jesse says, "between these two," he gestures between Ren and I, "I know who you are." Ren whacks Jesse and I scowl. Harry ends up laughing.

My mother finally walks over and hugs Harry without even saying hello. I watch as he hugs her back and she whispers something to him. Probably something about me.

She smiles at him when she pulls away and Harry breaks into a grin. I kind of wish I hadn't brought him to Minnesota with me.

****

"So you're all from here?" Harry asks my cousins as we play Apples to Apples.

"No, I'm from Georgia." Ren tells him. "I actually just finished college in Massachusetts." She smiles, I can tell she's glad it's over.

"Oh," Harry looks surprised. Georgia is a long way from Minnesota.

"And I," Jesse says placing his card on the table, "Am from California." He sighs as Ren shuffles then picks up the cards to find the winner.

"Is it everything Americans make it out to be?" Harry asks.

"It's nice, but it's not all like L.A. I'm actually moving Nevada in two weeks." Jesse tells Harry.

This is the first time I've heard of it.

"What? Why?" I ask.

"I need to get out of that house." Jesse looks sad. Ever since his wife Chloe died he hasn't been the same.