Watercolor Road ✔

Chapter 22: Meet the Parents

That next good opportunity came about two weeks later. Julia was coming out of her therapy session with Eliza, they had been going much better lately, when to her surprise she saw Will waiting for her in the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Julia exclaimed. She approached him and took his hand into hers.

Will lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before speaking. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something all day," he said, walking toward the parking lot. "I just figured that it would bet better when we're both free. And not surrounded by other students."

"Well, let's go," Julia said. "Everyone will be out in a few minutes." They got in Will's car and it wasn't long before they were driving, aimlessly, but with the privacy that Will wanted.

"I told you that I wanted to wait for a good opportunity to introduce you to my parents," Will began.

Julia nodded but did not interrupt.

"Well, they're having a dinner party for work associates and friends of the family this weekend," he continued. "I guess, I was wondering if you would want to go with me?"

Julia nodded wisely. "Yes, well, I suppose it'll be harder for your parents to murder us both with lots of witnesses around if it turns out they don't approve of me."

Will briefly took his eyes off the road to stare at her. Julia had a smile across her face.

"Of course, I'd love to go with you," she said. "You know, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be more anxious about meeting your parents than you are, but you have enough anxiety for the both of us."

Will's face relaxed as he broke into a smile as well. "You're right," he agreed. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"Oh, well, great," Julia teased. "You just had to say that, didn't you? Now it'll be horrible."

Despite her initial confidence, Julia had to admit to herself that in the week leading up to the party, she began to feel rather nervous. When she expressed her worries to Megan, the advice she received in return, while well-intentioned, was not all that helpful.

"Of course you're nervous. Meeting your boyfriend's parents is always supposed to be nerve-wracking," Megan reasoned. "But I'm sure it'll be fine."

The dinner was on Saturday, so Julia took some time by herself on Friday afternoon going in and out of the shops she and Megan had gone to before the fair. Even if Will turned out to be right and the evening was a total disaster, Julia was determined to at least look good.

Rory eyed her as she came back to the apartment with her shopping bags. "The big dinner is tomorrow?"

Julia nodded. "Not really sure how it's going to go."

"Oh?"

"Will doesn't seem very confident," Julia confessed. "I don't know, that just seems like a bad sign to me.' Julia paused for a moment. "Have you ever met the Rivers?" she asked.

"Just briefly, a few times," Rory said. "They've come into the shop, occasionally, but I've never had an actual conversation with them. I remember when their daughter died, though." Rory shook his head. "That was horrible."

"Yeah, Will told me about that."

"All I would say is go in with an open mind," Rory advised. "Because then if it does go poorly, you know you did nothing wrong."