Serendipitous

Part 21

"Alright, let's go hail a taxi." Max's voice rouses me from the dreamland I keep falling back into, as he sets my suitcase from the baggage carousel at my feet. He pulls his bag from the moving track a moment later, and I hoist my duffle bag onto my spare arm.

"Oh, no it's okay, when my mom called she said they'd send a car." I overemphasise the annoyingly pretentious word, whilst inwardly cringing that I even had to bring this up. Max knew that my parents had money because of their business but... I just feel embarrassed by the way they spend all of their money.

To them, it was always about money. Everything worked up to having more, spending more. And I'm definitely grateful  that my family always had enough to comfortably get by, but sometimes, and I hate this selfish part of me, I wished they'd let it go a little. I didn't understand why they never donated any of their money, or stopped hunting for it when we had enough. I wanted a family, I wanted the type of support that money can't buy. But in the end, they chose the money over me. Which leads onto the story of why I left Philly and crashed in Boston.

"Ooh, okay then." Thankfully, Max adds a comical tone to the statement, wiggling his eyebrows in an unserious way which stirs a laugh from the depths of my stomach. We step through the front gates of the airport, and I squint to make out the car which could belong to my parents. I spot our old driver, Walter, standing beside a sleek black car, and pull Max in his direction. Walter gives a small wave of his wrist as we approach, and I can't help but smile. I basically grew up with Walter as my grandparent, and he one of only a few people that I miss from Philly.

"Walter, hi!" I say, letting go of Max's hand to bring him into a warm hug. I tower over the short man, and the familiar sound of his laugh lets a weight off of my chest. I step back from him, a smile widening on my face, before remembering who is beside me. "Oh, Walter, this is my boyfriend, Max. Max, this is my parents driver and one of my oldest friends, Walter."

"It's nice to meet you, Walter." Max says, stepping forward and shaking Walter's hand.

"It's good to see the both of you. Now, let's get you home before we all freeze out here." Walter helps Max and I to place our bags in the trunk of the car, before we sidle into the backseat. I fold my hands in my lap as the car starts, remaining silent as I stare out of the window and watch the city move past us. My parents don't live far from the airport, and with every inch we move, I find my heart beating a little faster

"You don't have to be nervous, okay?"

"I know I just... I just feel like every time I see them, I can't wait to get away."

"And that's okay. Just because they're your family doesn't mean you need to love every minute you spend with them."

I flash Max a tight-lipped smile and take hold of his hand, gripping it tightly. I rest our joined hand against the middle of my thigh, watching Max as his eyes track down to the touch. I feel my lips part ever-so-slightly, the darkness of Max's eyes cutting into every sense in my body. Just as I feel the air grow sparse between us, a voice from the front seat pulls me away.

"And we're here." Walter says, sending me a wink from the front mirror. I giggle softly, before turning once more to look as Max. An amused smile sits on his lips, his head shaking ever so slightly as he leans forward to press a soft, warm kiss to my forehead.

"Alright, let's go and meet your parents."

...

I sit with my head in my hands opposite my mother at the dinner table, plates of food growing cold as the quiet minutes tick by. Max and I have only been with my parents for just over an hour, and it hasn't been pretty. So far, I've been not so delicately told that my father has lung cancer, and my mom has already tried to stir up gossip about Max at least four times.