The Kidnapper's Wife

12. Before

I'm so nervous.

I pace around my bedroom anxiously, the heels of my wedges digging into the carpet as I step with more emphasis than usual.

"Is it too soon?" I say to myself aloud, then immediately roll my eyes. I'm losing it. Here I am, talking to myself. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

I groan internally, and walk over to where my cell phone rests on the edge of my bed. The screen is blank. I'm not even sure who I was hoping would text me, I think I'd take just about anyone at this point, anything to distract me from today.

Why did I think this would be a good idea?

I haven't brought a guy home to meet my parents since....I think the last time was probably high school prom. It's not that I haven't dated, in fact I've had a couple serious boyfriends. I've just never wanted to unnecessarily subject them to my mother's dramatic antics and my sister's chaotic life.

I love my family, don't get me wrong, but they're a lot to handle. So my policy has always been no ring - no bring. No bring home that is. And none of the other guys I've dated has ever complained.

But Connor is different. We've been dating for about three months now, and he's been insisting since the end of month two that he meet my parents. I find it especially strange because whenever I try to ask about his family, he always clams right up.

"My mom and dad travel the world in their boat now." he finally told me a few weeks ago, "I have almost no contact with them because they don't get service out at sea so they don't have cell phones or internet. But we were never close anyway."

I don't really understand how you can not be close with your parents. I tried to ask if something had happened, or why they weren't close, but he just said they were very different people from him. Again, I don't understand how the people who raised you can be that different from the child they raised, but I let it go because Connor looked like he could freeze our water glasses with his eyes by that point.

But as much as Connor hates discussing his family, he loves hearing about mine. He loves hearing about my mom's latest fad diets and her never-ending stream of information gleaned from gossip magazines. He's fascinated by my older sister Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is seven years older than me, and she had her daughter Abby when she was twenty. Elizabeth has always been what I like to call a force of nature. She got married at eighteen to her high school sweetheart, and together they had Abby. But they were divorced by twenty two and now her ex is some sort of mountain hippie working for the state parks out in Arizona, and Elizabeth has raised Abby alone. And by alone, I mean with the help of my parents, who took in Elizabeth and Abby when Abby was two so that Elizabeth could go to college. Now, Elizabeth has a degree in information systems and is much more stable, but her wild spirit is still very much evident.

Abby is thirteen now, and a precocious little girl who's too smart for her own good, as I like to tell her. I'll always have a special bond with Abby from the years we spent living at my parent's house together before I went to college. Even though she doesn't remember, I will never forget reading her bedtime stories at night while Elizabeth was out bartending.

Suddenly my phone buzzes, breaking me out of my thoughts. It's Connor.

Connor: Pulling onto your block! Want to just come out since I'm running a bit late?

Jade: Yeah of course!

I pull on my navy blue military jacket and grab my keys before setting the house alarm and stepping out front. I still don't see Connor's car so I lean against the front porch column until I see his red BMW convertible pull over the hill.

As I slide into the passenger seat, I can feel the tension radiating off of me even as I try not to let it show.

"Isn't it supposed to be me who's nervous?" Connor teases me, putting his hand on my leg.

"Probably," I manage a small smile, "I just hope I've done a good enough job warning you about my family."

"Don't worry! No matter what, I promise I will love them."

"You say that now..." I grumble.

It's all too soon that we're pulling up in front of the soccer field. Abby has a morning game today so we're grabbing lunch afterwards. We unload the camp chairs from Connor's trunk and set out to find my parents and Elizabeth on the sidelines.

"Jade! Jade!" already my mother is embarrassing me, waving her hands frantically at the sight of Connor and I, "Over here!"

I feel my face heating up as we approach, "Okay mom," I say irritably, "We see you!"

She just smiles and approaches Connor, "You must be Connor! We have heard so much about you and we-" she leans in to hug him, "Are just so happy that Jade is finally bringing a man home! We were beginning to wonder if she was gay!"

"Eleanor!" my father chastises her, but my mother looks unabashed.

"Nice to meet you," my father, always the normal one in the family, shakes Connor's hand.

"And you must be Elizabeth," Connor addresses my sister, who leans in for a quick hug, her eyes not leaving Abby on the field.

"So nice to meet you Connor!"

"So which one is Abby?" he asks, turning to face the field.

"The one with the light blue headband and the orange cleats." Elizabeth says, a hint of pride entering into her voice.

"Wow" says Connor, "She's beautiful!"

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiles, although I think the comment is a little weird. Abby is looking sweaty and dirty and messy at the moment, beautiful isn't the word that comes to mind when I look at her out on the field, but maybe Connor doesn't know the right compliment to give parents on their kids.

Elizabeth and my mom chat Connor's ears off for the rest of the game, and I sit back with my dad, discussing the latest WestWorld episode in peace from the chatter.

When the game is over, Abby comes running over triumphantly.

"Did you see mom! Did you see me score?"

"Yes I did honey, you were fantastic!" Elizabeth gives Abby a big hug. For all her faults, Elizabeth loves Abby more than anything in the world, and would do anything for her.

To my surprise, Connor leans in for a hug too, and I can tell it catches Abby off guard but she hugs him anyway.

"I'm Connor," he says to her, "You were great out there!"

"Thanks," she says shyly.

After Abby joins us Connor is attached to her like glue. He seems fixated on making her like him, which I don't understand, because Abby likes everyone. It's my mom he really needs to focus on winning over. But luckily, my mom seems to find his attention to Abby endearing rather than off-putting, and gushes to me as we leave lunch, "Oh Jade, he is so perfect! I don't know where you found him, but make sure you don't mess this up!"

Rolling my eyes when she can't see, I just say, "I'll try not to Mama," and she beams at me happily.