Inevitable

Chapter 69

The next day I was a bundle of nerves. I still hadn't met Henry's father and the little I knew of him was intimidating. I was also going to meet all of his extended family, including his grandparents. It was a lot of pressure. The party didn't start till 4 but the house was full of people setting up. From the look of it, this party was going to be big and extravagant which did not help my nerves.
After breakfast, Henry suggested taking a drive since his father was at the office for a few hours before the party started and we were in the way of the party preparations. He drove us all over his hometown pointing out different landmarks like his old high school and the playground he played on as a child. I loved that he was sharing this part of himself with me. Everything I was learning about him this weekend made me feel so much closer to him.
    Later that afternoon, we were sitting on lounge chairs by the pool waiting for the party to get started. I was wearing a swimsuit and a white coverup dress. I had my hair pulled back in a French braid. I really hoped I was dressed appropriately. Henry was wearing a pair of board shorts and a white tee shirt. It was so different from his usual attire of jeans and dark t-shirts but of course it looked good on him. I was relieved when Anne walked out dressed similarly to me except her cover up was black. The back yard had been decorated beautifully. There was a large white tent set up filled with tables and a bar. The lawn had been filled with various lawn games and the pool was filled with floats. The air was filled with the smell of BBQ chicken and ribs. It was the perfect summertime party.
    I started to get nervous when the first guests started to arrive. An older man with an air of authority strolled over to us and I could see Henry visibly tense up.

"Henry, son, how nice of you to join us this weekend. Your grandmother will be thrilled."

Henry stood up and took my hand to bring me to my feet.

"Dad, nice to see you too. This is my girlfriend, Emily."

"Girlfriend? Wow! I never thought I see the day. Emily it's nice to meet you. Do you go to school with my son?"

"Yes, my best friend and his roommate are together and that's how we met."

"What's your major Emily? Hopefully not English like Henry."

What the hell?

"No, unfortunately I'm not a talented writer like Henry. My major is psychology."

He looked taken aback by my response but I didn't like anyone badmouthing Henry, even his own father.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Emily. I need to say hello to some people. We'll talk later."

I let out a breath I apparently had been holding when he walked away. Henry turned to me and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you so much. Thank you for that."

"I hate that he doesn't appreciate how talented you are."

"He's disappointed in me for not following in his footsteps. No matter what I do, I'll never be good enough for him."

"That's his loss then. His son is amazing and he's missing out."

He pulled me in for a hug and I leaned my head on his chest. The moment was interrupted by some new guests that wanted to talk to Henry. And that's how most of the afternoon went. Henry talking to everyone and introducing me. It was a whirlwind. When his grandparents arrived, his grandmother was brought to tears when she saw Henry was there. I was glad he had some family that cares about him. When he introduced me to her, she pulled me in for a hug. I usually didn't feel comfortable hugging someone I just met but there was something about her that made me not mind.

"You are so lovely! I'm so glad that Henry found someone special. You know, he's told me a lot about you. You are even more beautiful in person."

I knew I was blushing. This was the sweetest old woman I had ever met.

"Thank you. That's so kind of you to say. I've heard a lot about you too."

She squeezed me again and then moved onto the rest of her guests. Henry led me into the tent to the buffet table. After we filled our plates, we found a couple of open seats at the table that Anne and James were sitting at. They were more than happy to tell me all about Henry's childhood which was of course embarrassing. After a while, Henry and James got up to say hello to one of their cousins while I stayed with Anne.

"Emily, I have to tell you, I can't remember the last time I saw my brother this happy. And I think it's all because of you. You are good for him."

"He's good for me too. I'm so glad he came into my life."

"You know, after our mother died, Henry shut himself off from caring about anyone else. If he didn't get attached, he couldn't get hurt when he would eventually lose them. I think that's why he never really had a girlfriend before. But seeing him with you now, he's like a whole different person."

I didn't know what to say. I remembered what Henry said to me that day by the waterfall. How he felt like he had been broken but I had put the pieces back together.

"Anne, I love your brother. He's everything to me."

Her eyes became shiny like she might cry but she kept them back. I had a feeling she had become a motherly figure for Henry when he lost his mom and she just wanted to be sure he was okay. I didn't want to let her down. Before we could discuss anymore, Henry came back and sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Henry, I really really like this girl. If you do anything to mess it up again, I will kick your ass."

I laughed as I watched her get up and walk away leaving Henry and I alone.

"So first my friends like you better than me and now my family. What the hell?"

"I can't help it if I'm completely lovable." He chuckled and kissed my forehead.

"You are. And you are all mine. How the fuck did I get so lucky?"

We decided to take a dip in the pool. All of a sudden, it was dark and the party was starting to die down a bit. All that was left were Henry's cousins and a few aunts and uncles. We climbed out of the pool and Henry led me over to the grotto area I had noticed before. We walked into a little entryway and in front of me was a bubbling jacuzzi. There were lights inside the tub that were changing colors. It gave the small space a surreal feel. We were the only people in here since the night was a typical warm and humid July evening.
We stepped into the almost too hot water and sat next to each other on the underwater bench. Henry turned towards me and grabbed my hips to pull me onto his lap so that I was straddling him. He was so strong I couldn't have stopped him if I wanted to.

"Henry, your family....."

"No one can see us. I've always wanted to have sex in a hot tub."

He crushed his mouth against mine before I could argue with him. He had his arm around my waist holding me in place. His other hand reached in between us and started tracing circles on my sensitive spot. I almost gave in to the pleasure he was giving me but the sound of laughter near the entryway brought me back to reality. I quick jumped off of Henry's lap before James and a few of the cousins walked in. Henry gave me a wink and pulled me out of the hot tub without a word to his brother. I guess we were finishing what we started inside.