Light in the Dark

Seven

"Connie calm down, if you ware a hole in the floor, I don't think I'll get my security deposit back." Roxie jokes.

"I'm sorry, I just can't remember the last time I was so nervous about something."

"Well calm down, the last thing you need is another anxiety attack."

She's right, I had one this morning when I realized that today was the day that I was supposed to meet Michael's family. I couldn't help it, his future was basically riding on this plan and I didn't want to screw it up for him. I had even changed my outfit twice before I settled on a long sleeved maroon off the shoulder sweater, tucked into a black skater skirt, sheer tights to somewhat hide my scars and my black ballet flats. I curled my hair, threw on some eyeliner and mascara and was out the door. Roxie wanted me to wear a face full of make up but I refused, that stuff was such a pain to take off. Michael insisted that he pick me up but I kept refusing. I wanted to use the time it took to get there as a way to help calm me down.

I had been driving for almost 15 minutes when I took in my surroundings as the gps said I'd be at his house in 2 minutes.

Toto, we're not in Kanas anymore

The streets weren't riddled with potholes and the houses began to get substantially bigger.

Of course he lives in a mansion

I even had to be buzzed in, I gave the valet the keys to my car and before I could even ring the doorbell, the door opened and Michael stopped out. He looked handsome in his dark blue button down and black dress pants.

"Thank you for doing this for me." He said into my hair as pulled me into a hug.

"No problem, let's do this." We headed inside and I was immediately met by five people, it made my anxiety spike which made me slightly take a step back to hide behind Michael.

"I told you guys to wait in the kitchen." He sighed. "Are you okay?" He looked down at me, I nodded wordlessly.

"I'm sorry sweetie, he's just never brought a girl home before." His mom said. "I'm Diana." She hugged me and it was nice, she smelled like roses.

"This is my dad, Joseph." He stick his hand out and I gripped it firmly while looking him in the eye.

"Nice handshake little lady."

"Thank you sir."

"My older brother Evan, his wife Melanie, and my little sister Sam."

Holy shit

They were all gorgeous blonde haired and blue eyed people, meanwhile I certainly stuck out with my brown hair and brown eyes. They all looked nice, except Sam who looked angry for some reason. If she were anyone else and I wasn't trying to make a good impression, I would've given her a huge attitude.

"Dinner is ready." I clutched Michael's hand and he squeezed it in reassurance.

"So, Constance, where are you from?" Joesph asked as we all dung into our lasagna.

"San Juan, Puerto Rico. But my family came to America when I was 13."

It was the worst time of my life. I was bullied relentlessly because I couldn't speak English well. The summer before I went to high school, I had to go to ESL classes 4 times a week.

"What do you do for work?" Evan asked.

"Is she being interrogated?" Michael interrupted before I could get a word out.

"Darling, we just want to get to know her better." Diana quipped.

"It's fine babe. And I'm a paralegal ma'am, for Jackson&Sons." I looked at his little sister Sam who whispered something to Melanie when she thought I wasn't looking. "No, Sam, I'm not an illegal." Her face turned beet red. I learned to read lips in the Marines to figure out what enemies were saying. "I got my citizenship when I was fighting for your right for freedom. Excuse me."

"Connie wait!" Michael called when I stormed out of the room.

Fucking rich people

"She didn't mean it Con."

"Well however else did she mean it Michael? Is it because I'm not white?" I loathed people who looks down on others because of their color or ethnicity. Even though I haven't been to my hometown in years, I love where I came from.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him and then cupped my cheeks effectively distracting me. "You didn't tell me that you were in the Army." His hands were warm and rough on my cheeks. I hope he couldn't feel me flush.

"I'm a Marine, well I was. And I don't really like talking about it." I said as I took my dog tags from under my sweater. One of his hands slid down my face and grabbed my dog tags.

"I guess the anxiety makes sense then."

"Yeah, it's not as bad as it used to be though. A lot of people in one place make me nervous and fireworks freak me out." He stared into my eyes as if he were looking into my soul. His blue eyes reminded me of ocean waves, truly mesmerizing.

"Constance?" Our moment breaks and I look to the side to see his whole family. "I'm really sorry, my comment was ignorant." Sam said, she looked to be about 16 so she knew better.

"I'm not going to tell you that it's fine because it's not, you're old enough to know right from wrong. I've faced a lot of obstacles because of who I am so please don't judge me based on my race."

"You're right and it was wrong of me to do so." I just nodded at her.

"Thank you for your service." Joseph said, changing the subject. His voice filled with admiration, at least he didn't share the same views as his daughter.

"Come on guys, the food is getting cold." Diana chimed.

***

After that incident, the rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. They asked me questions about my time in the Marines and a little about myself, like my goals and dreams. I was thankful that they didn't ask me why I left the Marines or about the scar on my eye, I tried to stay clear of those subjects. After dessert I yawned, a sign that it was time for me to go.

"I'll walk you out." Michael said as we both stood up.

"Thanks for coming Constance, you're welcome back here any time." Diana said as she pulled me in for a hug. I said good bye to everyone else then left.

"So you served for six years and didn't think to tell your boyfriend that important piece of information?" His tone wasn't accusatory, just questioning.

"I only told you all the fun stories between my combat brothers and I, but being a Marine wasn't always gumdrops and rainbows Michael. I was a combat Marine, I've seen shit that'll fuck me up until I die, when I say I'm fucked up, I mean it. It was the best six years of my life, but also the worst." My hand went to my dog tags.

I wasn't expecting him to kiss me out of nowhere. It was a slow burning kiss that I felt all the way to the tips of my toes, filled with longing. His hands cupped my cheeks and pulled my body closer if that were possible. His tongue slipped between my lips and we wrestled for dominance. It was the best kiss I've had in my life but all too soon we had to pull away for air. He rested his forehead against mine as we tried to catch our breath and from the corner of my eye I saw the curtains move back into place.

"I'll see you soon Connie." He pecked my lips one more time before going into the house.

Fuck, Emily was right