𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 «Zaylena»

36 ; Revised

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Zayn's Point of View

After telling Selena a bit about my past, I felt a weight off of my shoulders. From what I felt before, to what I felt now was a relieving feeling. I didn't intend to make Selena cry at all, but anyone who would've token the time to sit down to listen to me, would have. The way she did. There much more I wanted to tell her but everything to its time I thought. She and I were going to grab a quick dinner, but first we made our way up to our room to change out of our swim wear, and into something more comfortable.
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Selena walked into the hotel room and I followed after her, we had left our phones on charging mode, and I took the time to take a quick shower as I felt sticky because of the sweat and the heat of the sun down at the beach a few minutes ago. I heard Selena's phone ring and she picked it up, as I turned on the showerhead and took a quick rinse.
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Once I finished, I stepped out and Selena was standing on the balcony, talking on the phone while I looked for some clothes and dried off. I overhead Selena say mom repeatedly into the phone before she hung up and walked into the room. "My mom and stepdad want to have dinner with us both tonight." She announced.
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My eyes widen. "Tonight?" I said.
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"Yeah, I noticed I had some missed calls from her and she explained that she is planning a cookout Saturday afternoon for friends and other family and she thinks it's best that it doesn't get in the way of meeting you." She explained.
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"Oh alright then." I nodded my head in agreement. "That's fine, I'll hurry and get dressed." I said.
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"Are you ok though? I can tell her maybe another day, Friday after the convention." She reasoned.
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"This is as ready as I will ever be, and I doubt you'd want to keep your mom waiting." I chuckled.
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"Yeah, you're right." She said. "I'll quickly shower and we can get going." She said before rushing into the bathroom.

***

Selena hurried out from a quick shower she took, and began to get dressed. While I on the other hand was a nervous mess. The time became closer and closer, and I was just hoping I at least get a bit more time before meeting her mum and stepfather to prepare myself, but I guess thus was it. I was nerve wrecking to know that this could either end really good or really bad. I knew I shouldn't compare my past relationship with Lucy and how great it went meeting her parents, but it was the only reference I had. I did everything right, and it all failed miserably in the end.
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Selena and Lucy's mum were different, but Selena's mum had to play both mother and father at this time, as her actual father was unavailable. Her stepfather was a parental figure but I didn't think I needed to impress him that much, but I still need to show him that I was good enough for Selena. my insecurities however would jeopardize all of that, if I didn't play it safe. Since the abandonment of my father and my failed relationship with Lucy, all has played a part in which didn't allow me to think properly. I was truly fucked up.
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"Are you ready?" Selena said as she grabbed her purse and keys to the rental car.
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"Hmm?" I said bringing my attention to her and standing up from the bed. "I mean yeah...let's go." I smiled.
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"Hey." She said grabbing the sides of my head with her hands as she directed my attention to her. "Relax, it's going to be ok." She said.
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I've heard words like that before.
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"I know...I just" I stopped not really knowing how to tell her. "I've heard words like that before, and things didn't really follow through." I admitted.
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"Whoever she was" Selena began. "I am not her." She admitted. "My mum doesn't have to like you, but she has to at least respect you, because you have done nothing to show me otherwise." Selena said.
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"Ok." I whispered and she smiled pecking me on the lips.
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Selena got in the rental car, and she drove off to her family home, while on the way she thought it would be a good gesture of me to buy her mom some flowers. We quickly stopped at a shop and grabbed a small bouquet before we began our way to her home. While I was nervous, Selena had manage to ease my nerves a bit while I took in the LA town, as we drove by. People walking here and there, as lights began to turn on around the city while it began to get dark.
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In what seemed like ten minutes, we pulled up into a neighborhood, lovely I must say and drove down a street until we pulled up into the drive way of a house. Selena turned off the car, and she stepped out and I followed after her. I held the flowers in my hands as Selena took the other, and we walked up the front door of her home. Before Selena could even knock, the door had opened and there stood her mum and stepfather with a baby in their hands.
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"Glad you could both make it, after a long day yesterday." Her mum smiled at Selena and I. "Zayn it's nice to see you." Her mother said and her stepdad nodding his head in agreement as he held a baby girl in his arms. "Come in, come in, dinners ready." She says guiding us in the kitchen.
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I had a whole introduction speech ready, but that all flew out the window when Selena's mom took matters into her own hands. "Oh my god, Gracie you've gotten so big!" Selena cooed at the baby in her stepdads hands. "I've missed you so much." Grabbing the child in her arms, while the baby who I came to know as Gracie did what babies do I guess. "Gracie meet Zayn, Zayn meet Gracie my baby sister." She said.
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"Hi Gracie." I said with a smile and reached for her small hand.
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"You must be hungry." Selena's mom announced as she walked from the kitchen with a set of plates. "I've made a variety, sit please." The woman said.
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Selena gave her sister back to her stepfather who sat across the table from where Selena and I would be sitting, while her mother sat at the head of the table. "Yeah, Zayn and I we're going to grab some dinner after we got back from the beach, when I saw your messages." Selena said as she sat down closest to her mum and I sat beside her.
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"I've brought you flowers, ma'am." I said followed by a smile.
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"Oh these are lovely, thank you Zayn." Selena's mum cooed and took them from my grasp and taking them into the kitchen before walking back to sit down once again. "So how are you liking California so far Zayn?" She questioned as Selena poured herself some food onto her plate and I followed right after.
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"The beaches are lovely." I admitted.
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"Would you get something like this back home?" She questioned.
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"You'd have to travel a bit farther somewhere warmer first, before dipping yourself into some water." I chuckled.
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She smiled nodding her head at my words. "When Selena got the opportunity to study abroad I was a bit hesitant to let her go." Her mum admitted. "Up until now she was my little girl." She said.
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"Mom, please." Selena said embarrassed but I looked at her and smiled.
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"Then she comes back one day and tells me she's dating someone." Her mum began explaining her thoughts.
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So far this dinner was going well, I felt comfortable up until her mum's statement. Even though I didn't think she mean it in a wrong way, just that Selena was dating someone. I didn't feel like I was being put up against the wall given uncomfortable questions, Selena's mum had been welcoming after all. "Yeah, and all I can say is that I love your daughter very much." I dared to say, I felt like it was now or never, when it came to dealing with parents. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." I said as I looked at Selena and took my hand in hers under the table.
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Her mum smiled and looked her at her husband Selena's stepfather before giving her attention to me. "There's probably a lot of stereotype about how first impressions are everything especially when it comes to meeting your daughters boyfriend for the first time, and you best make the best of it." She explained. "But I don't think that is necessary true." She admitted. "It's absurd to me how one first impression can automatically make you decide whether that person is good enough or not for your daughter."
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I nodded my head in agreement. "I one hundred percent agree with that ma'am." I said. "I know these tattoos, the way I dress, how I look, probably don't give the best impression of me, but none of these things truly define me." I explain myself.
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"I must agree, Selena probably looked in your direction for a reason." She says drinking into her wine. Selena smiles at her mothers words. "While I may not know that reason, I trust her intuition about you." She said. "That you truly treat her with the respect that she deserves."
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I look over at Selena then at her mother. "Always." I say.
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She smiled at my gesture and cleared her throat. "I'm straightforward woman Zayn, and I would be lying to you if I said that I didn't immediately feel some sort of compassion towards you, when Selena told me she was coming back home and she was bringing someone with her who's had a bit of a rough start in life, and I do not want you to take this as any sort of pity for you because that is not my intention at all." She explained. "I mean this with all the sincerity in my heart."
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"I understand ma'am." I nodded my head in agreement.
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"Mom please." Selena tried to intervene.
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"No, I completely understand, it was unavoidable." I say looking over at Selena letting her know it was ok. "I've had a bit of ups and downs in my life, and it's understandable if it's something you'd like to know." I admit.
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"I don't know what happened, but I admire how strong and willful your mother is." Selena's mother says. "To me she's already an amazing woman, and I hope I get to meet her someday." She smiles.
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"Thank you." I nod my head in her direction. "You're support is very much appreciated."
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"You deserve nothing but love and light in your life." Selena's mom said to me and that moved me, a woman who barely knew me, or my story, understood my feelings at least. "This Saturday, we're hosting a cookout before you two leave back to England, and I'd like it if you'd join us." She said.
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"Selena and I wouldn't miss it for the world." I nodded my head and smiled.

***

Selena and I only stayed after dinner, before we had to excuse ourselves for the night. She and I had to be up early to go to the convection center. It wad the whole reason why we were here anyways. Selena had checked us in earlier today in the spare time she had, and we needed a good nights rest before she and I made our way down there to represent the literature department. Selena drove us back to the hotel, the car ride there was silent and peaceful while the local radio station played in the background.
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"I'm sorry if my mom overstepped a bit, tonight." She said as we sat at a red light.
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"It's fine." I admitted to her.
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According to Selena she may have overstepped, but she did it in the best intentions like any parent would. Similar to my past experience with a parent, but different because her intentions towards me were actually good and she had the best intentions. I didn't feel uncomfortable during any of it at all.
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"Like any parent should." I admitted. "I'm not actually the picture perfect kind of guy parents expect their daughters to date." I explained.
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"That." Selena said. "But also her saying something about your family." She explained.
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"The last time someone said anything about my family, they just gave me a bunch of backhanded comments." I told Selena. "How my father was a piece of shit, but my mum was strong for pulling through and other shit like that." I explained as we pulled into the hotel parking lot. "What your mum said is nothing compared to anything I ever heard."
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"Good, because she can be intrusive." Selena smiled as she parked the rental and we got out heading towards our hotel room.
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"She's only looking out for you." I smiled taking my hand in hers entering in the elevator and pressing the button to our floor number. She said nothing and instead smiled. "This might sound crazy, but I'm actually looking forward to this cookout?" I said in questionably. We had reached out hotel room door and when I said that Selena had stopped on her feet before opening the door to the room. "What?" I question her sudden moves.
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"There is something I need to tell you." She said and with that came great concern on my part.
***