Ruined

meet the parents

I have to call them. I have to call our parents. I have to tell them about her. I have to tell them about the accident. I have to tell her mother, she's going to cry and I can't handle her crying right now. I'm not even holding it together I won't be able to keep it together for her.

Women crying has always been a weak spot for me. A woman crying about my wife will most likely break me. I need more time, I just need more time. But I don't have time. No I don't have any time because there is no say on whether or not my wife and my child will make it. And I need her to make it. And when she makes it I know she'll want her mother here when she does.

Then as I pull up her name I even to hear the words.

"Old pirates, yes, they rob I...."

"Sold I to the merchant ships."

I look around the room but I can't tell if that music is playing in the ER or if I'm the only one hearing it. But I can't call them with the song playing. I can't think straight, I need to call. But I can't.

"Old pirates, yes, they rob I."

"Sold I to the merchant ships,"

Stop. Please stop. Stop.

***

"Oh god. I'm sweating."

She dabbed at my forehead, buttoned up my last button and taking her fingers through my hair. This is the part where I was supposed to be nervous about meeting her parents and her meeting mine but she was nervous enough for the both of us. It was cute seeing her freak out when she has nothing to worry about. I'm good with parents. Parents always love me, and my parents are way to easy going for anyone to be freaked meeting them.

I grabbed a hold of her face and kissed her. She looked at me with an exasperated pout.

"They'll be here any minute."

"And before they get here I'll need you to relax. Babe, they are going to love you."

"I know it's my parents that I'm worried about."

I was taken back and I took a slight offense to it but the door bell rang and she was running off long before I could say anything. I watched her walk fast to the door her dress flowing just above the knee. She shook off her nerves, literally, in front of the door and signaled me over. I walked over hands in my pockets taking my time. When they rang the doorbell again. She couldn't wait on me much longer I guess because she opened the door before I got there.

"Mom!" She said her smile going from ear to ear.

"Oh hi honey, what took you so long to come to the door?" She looked over her shoulder just as I made my way to the door.

"Hi, she was doing something." Tori looked back at me with a scowl that clearly said 'stop talking'. I smile and sent her wink when her dad hugged her I greeted her mom.

"Hello Elaine do you mind if I call you that?"

"No not all." She smiled.

"Wow you are beautiful, Tori gets all the beauty from you no doubt."

She smiled, "Flattery, Tor I think you did good with this one." She blushed with a roll of her eyes until her dad came to me with a firm hand shake.

"Son."

"It's Niall sir."

"You've got a firm hand shake but the name of a pussy son."

"What?" I nearly choked on my own spit.

Tori came to my side with her hands at my side. And her delicate little fingers reminded me of who it was I was talking to. It wasn't some guy at the bar it was her father. I took a deep breath, "With a name like Jones I'd say it's mutual sir." I said it with a smile in hopes that he wouldn't catch the remark but he did. Tori nudged me and went to her father's side. She had never told me the man was an ass.

Instead of ringing the doorbell, they knocked. My parents knocked on the door. I knew it was them because my parents have a signature knock. The my dad knocks four times and my mother knocks twice, lightly. I went to the door and opened it and kissed my mother on the cheek before giving my dad a hug.

"Oh honey you've gained weight. What have you been eating?"

My dad defends me, "Maura leave the boy alone."

I smile, "Mom I'm super healthy." I rolled my eyes and lead them both into the kitchen.

"Hi." Tori beamed. You could smell her nervous freaking from where I stood. My mother made a point not to acknowledge her hello and to look around the kitchen.

"Lovely home you have Tori, are you two living together?"

"No mom. Just say hello and try to behave." My dad laughed and my mother finally said hello. Tori's shoulders looked visibly tense. She looked to her parents and then sighed but her shoulders never dropped.

After they left, she walked them all to their car while I went to her record player and put on one our favorite records.

She walked back into house and as the song played through the house she smiled her shoulders finally began to drop. She stood at the entry hall as the lyrics finally came.

"Old pirates, yes, they rob I,
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.
But my 'and was made strong
By the 'and of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have,
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs."

I looked at her and I asked, "Do you want to move in together? I know that this is fast but we met each other's parents. I mean we took a step....why not leap right?" I stuttered through the entire thing but I said it.

She stood across the room silent jaw dropped. And I stood across the room awkward and nervous. She wasn't saying anything and it was driving me insane. And encouraging words from Bob Marley did help a little.

The record skipped and pulled her out of her head she rushed over and started it up again. I stared at her as she did so.

"I want to do it." She finally said, "But we live here. I have a house and you have an apartment and and and---"

I picked her up and spun her around.

***

"Minutes after they took I, from the bottomless pit. But my 'and was made strong."

I sit back in my chair forcing myself tithing if anything else. "Please." I mutter. "Please stop, please. Please. Please stop."

We were happy then. We were happy. Now I'm hearing that song in my head when I should be calling our parents. I have to call our parents. Why won't I just call our fucking parents?!