Light in the Dark

Eight

11:34pm 1 new message from Unknown
Hey it's Sam
I stole your number from Mike's phone
I hope you're not still upset with me

No it's fine

I hope we can be friends, I'd like to have another sister in law😊

I'd love that

Not too long after I had sent the message to Sam, did the doorbell ring. And I wasn't surprised to see Michael standing at my doorstep in a pair of sweats and a hoodie. What did they say about guys in grey sweatpants?

"Don't you have any other friends?" I asked as I opened the door for Michael.

"Nope sweetheart, just you." I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch going through some paperwork.

This was one of the days that I was able to work from home. Michael came over and sat next to me and my mess of paperwork to watch tv and I couldn't help but notice how natural this felt. Just being in his presence felt right.

Fuck

"Are you okay sweetheart?"

"Yeah, did you say something?"

He rolled his eyes. "And they talk about men being the ones who don't listen. I asked if you were almost done."

"Yeah I am actually. Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you about my family."

It's a good thing he can't hear the pounding of my heart. We both sat down and turned so that we were facing each other.

"So how did you feel about them?"

"They're actually great people. Sam and I are cool if that's what you were wondering about."

He let out the breath that I saw he was holding. "Thank god! I didn't want that to be the end of us."

"Never, well, until you feel that they trust you again. But no, honestly, I'm use to it. Being a minority is hard sometimes but I've heard worse, I want to put it behind us."

"You're so amazing you know that?"

"Yes but it doesn't hurt to hear it again." He laughed. "So can I ask why you've never brought a girl home before?" He covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"Ugh, I was hoping you'd forget she'd said that. Well, I don't know honestly, I just haven't found someone who I thought was worthy enough to meet my family."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. My parents only met one of my boyfriends."

"So when do I get to meet your parents?"

"You don't actually... I uh, I haven't spoken to my parents in two years. They're very old school Hispanics. When I came home from deployment, I was messed up and to them, mental illness just isn't a thing so they won't speak to me until I'm 'cured'. They're not even in the states anymore, they went back down to Puerto Rico so it's just me."

He hugged me long and hard, probably to try to comfort me, but I've learned to just deal with the hardships I've faced by now, it was easier that way.

"And now you've got me sweetheart." He mumbled and kissed my hair.

Yeah, but for how long?

He had stayed for a couple more hours to watch movies with me before he said he had to go home . He kissed me on the cheek and then left. I noticed how physically affectionate he had gotten recently but I attributed it to him practicing for when we're around other people. I didn't even let myself be open to the possibility that he actually liked me, he was completely out of my league.

A few days had passed and I got text from Michael saying that he was coming to pick me up and for me to pack a bag. I'll admit, I was nervous, the thought of actually spending the night with him brought butterflies to my stomach.

"So you're spending the weekend at his house?" Roxie asked from my bed as she watched me pack clothes into a small suitcase. "No, grab those jeans, they make your butt look amazing." I grabbed them and put them in my suitcase. Hey, if they made my butt look good then who was I to argue? "So you meet the parents and now you're sleeping over? Do you think you guys are getting serious too quickly?"

I mean, I guess if she wants to put it that way. To her we've been 'dating' for only a month. But we figured that the quicker we can move this relationship along, the quicker we can end it. No matter how much it hurt my feelings when he said it like that. I've finally come to the realization that I actually like Michael, not that I'd ever tell him because he didn't feel the same way. So the quicker we can end this, the quicker I can go back to my life of solitude.

"I don't even know honestly, it's been awhile since dated anyone so I'm not even sure how we're supposed to do things."

Is there even a right way to date?

"I really am proud of you Con, it's only been a month and he's really gotten you to come out of your shell. I mean hell, you even told him about your parents."

She's right. Even before all my problems happened, I was always a private person. I never wanted too many people in my business. I don't even have social media which shocked Michael to no end.

"What do you mean you don't have a Facebook?"

"Exactly what I said Michael." I was really tired of repeating myself. We were watching some Disney movie when he asked if he could add me as a friend.

"Well then how am I supposed to let my friends and family know that we're dating? It's not official unless it's Facebook official."

I rolled my eyes. "How about you call them like a normal person would?"

"That's so early 2000s."

I never cared about what was going on in other people's lives. He explained to me the concept of all the different social media platforms that he had and I just didn't understand how people could enjoy posting every detail of their lives for likes and comments.

5:45pm 1 new text from Michael ❤️
Hey I'm outside

I threw the rest of my clothes and other things I thought I'd need into my suitcase. Michael was standing at the door about to knock my forehead when I opened the door.

He dropped his hand "Hey sweetheart." He pecked me on the lips, probably because Roxie was behind me and grabbed my suitcase. "Hey Roxie."

"Hey Mike." She waved before shutting the door behind me.

"You ready to go?"

"Yes but I can carry my own suitcase Michael." I went to reach for it but he pulled it back.

"Let me do something nice for my girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes "Whatever."