Way Down I'll Go

All Hope Abandon, Ye who Enter Here

"Jo, I'm not driving you to your death."

"Hmm?" He straightened up in his seat and glanced at Rachel, confused.

"If you were any more tense, you'd snap in two."

"I'm fine." 

He was not. He couldn't be more terrified if she was driving him to a pit of vipers. Which, in a way, she was.

Rachel snorted. 

"You couldn't lie if your life depended on it. It's going to be fine. This is Easter dinner, not the Spanish Inquisition."

"More like the St. Charles Inquisition..." he muttered.

"You're being dramatic," she giggled, but it did little to ease his apprehension.

Jo ran a hand through his hair nervously. 

"How much do they know about me?"

"I told my mom that you're from South Chicago, that you work in construction and take care of your siblings, and that we met when you brought your youngest brother in for medical care. And that you're amazing and sweet and gentle and kind and handsome."

Jo could feel the color creeping into his cheeks and his nervous hands found their way to his hair once again while he wondered how he'd gotten in to this mess. Since bringing it up, Rachel had not backed down from the idea of introducing Jo to her parents. Jo, for his part, had done his best to distract her or to put her off, but she would not budge. The boys were no help at all, though Jo suspected they would side with Rachel if she said penguins could fly or the moon was made of muenster. Jo had officially been replaced as their favorite adult, but he couldn't bring himself to be resentful. 

Rachel was by far his favorite adult as well.

Ah, yes. That was how he got in this mess.

He began to fidget with the cuff of the new button-down Rachel had bought him. She had put her foot down when it came to dressing him for this occasion. Though she insisted that the prices at Nordstrom were far less than the stores she'd considered taking him, the numbers on the tags still caused him temporary panic. Rachel had finally forbidden him to check the cost of each item before trying it on.

Trying on clothes before buying them was a whole new experience. He lost count of the combinations Rachel made him model before she finally decided on the long sleeve chambray, fitted black jeans, and tobacco-colored belt. The real fight had come about the dark brown oxfords she'd snagged from the shelf.

"No way. Those are too much."

"They go with the outfit perfectly."

"You can't hide the price tag this time, Rachel. It's listed right up there." 

He pointed to the triple digit sign.

"That's actually not bad for this brand."

"Rachel. That's twice what I pay for electricity every month."

"You can't think about it that way-"

"-How else am I supposed to think about it? I can't justify you spending that on shoes I will only wear once."

"You won't wear them once! They super high quality. They'll last you several years at least!"

"Where else am I going to wear these, Rach? To work?"

"Jo! Just listen to me!"

He ducked his head at her tone. She continued, a bit softer.