Downstairs, I immediately realised that Matt's Mom and sister were there too. Entering the kitchen, Matt's mom was unpacking groceries.
Initially I couldn't see Matt in his Mom, but after a second look, I began to see it. She had lighter brown hair and Matt's nose and chin. Or did Matt have her nose and chin?
"Hey," Matt greeted as he entered, without realising that I was right behind him.
"Who's this?" His mom looked over to me.
"Shit," Matt cursed under his breath, wrapping an arm around me. "This is who I've been seeing when I disappear for full days. This is Margot,"
"Hi," I stepped forward, smiling politely. "I'm the girl stealing your son away. I'll try and share,"
Chuckling, Matt squeezed my shoulder, seeing his mom smiling proudly.
"Well its nice to meet you," Matt's mom looked through her shopping bags. "Are you guys hungry?"
"Mom, I'm always hungry," Matt said playfully, looking over to me. "Margot?"
"Yeah, I'll eat,"
"Corn chips and salsa?" She asked
"Sounds great," Matt agreed, turning to me. "Come on, I want you to meet Gracie,"
"She's in the living room," Matt's mom passed Matt a jar of salsa and bowl of chips before I followed him into the next room.
In the living room, a girl sat on the couch on her phone. Her hair was dark like Matt and she had the same fair skin that still had a healthy vibrance to it.
"Gracie," Matt entered, Gracie turning.
"Who's this?" She turned around, looking at me.
"Uh, this is Margot," Matt wrapped an arm around me affectionately. "She's my girlfriend,"
Girlfriend? I was fine with that label. More than fine. I liked that, I liked him thinking of me as something. I liked to now think something of him too.
"Oh, hi," Gracie looked over to me, smiling. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie with me, I found another Spanish melodrama,"
Was this my cue that I should get going? Gracie wanted to spend time with her brother. Looking over to Matt, he seemed to not have an equivalent internal monologue.
"Margot, you should watch it too," Matt said, enthusiastic. "Gracie and I watched this foreign film for her English class and then we got sucked down the rabbit hole,"
"They are surprisingly accessible, yet fascinating," Gracie added. "You should stay and watch,"
"Are you guys sure?" I was mostly afraid of intruding. I didn't want to become Matt's girlfriend who stole him away and was super clingy. I wanted to seem nice to his parents.
"Please?" Matt turned to me, giving me his ever so charming grin.
"Believe me, we are about to open a door for you," Gracie assured. "Once you watch one, you need to watch another and another,"
And so I did watch the movie with then and tucked under Matt's arm, I felt surprisingly comfortable around his family, even with displays of affection. However, there was something about how they acted around me that made it feel like I was really important, like Matt didn't really introduce girls to his parents.
At some point, I left the room to use the bathroom and when I returned, I didn't cuddle right up to Matt like I had before I went to the bathroom. Instead I just sat next to him.
While I felt comfortable around his family, I wondered how it felt for Gracie. It must be at least awkward to sit on the same couch as your brother and his girlfriend. I know I would feel that I was at least a third wheel and by the end of the movie, Matt had noticed and the moment we were in a different room, it was brought up.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked as we went upstairs to his room so I could get all my stuff as I had to get home. "You came back from the bathroom and sat on the other side of the couch,"
"Oh, sorry," I turned around to Matt, pulling on my sweater. "I just thought about how your sister was, she wanted to watch a movie with you. I didn't want her to to feel like she was third wheeling or something,"
"You know that doesn't matter," Matt said, stepping closer to me. "Gracie wouldn't mind,"
"Matt, you know I love being around you and that I am more than willing to be affectionate, I don't know, it felt awkward," I shrugged, pushing my phone into my pocket
"I don't want you to feel awkward though," Putting his hands on shoulders, Matt pulled me into a hug.
"I don't feel awkward, but you tell me, would you, I don't know, grab my ass infront of my parents," I comforted him, kissing him gently.
"So how would you react if I grabbed your ass," Matt whispered, his breath tickling my neck.
"Get your head out of the gutter," I rolled my eyes, following Matt downstairs to the door.
"So I'll see you tomorrow at Merlyn's?" Matt said, standing outside of his house.
"Merlyns?" I freaked out. Shit, how could I forget?
"It's Merlyn's birthday tomorrow," Matt explained. "We're going to his house and hanging out,"
"Oh, that," I remembered, hiding in my face in Matt's shirt in embarrassment.
"You want me to give you a lift?"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course," Matt enveloped me in my arms, giving me another kiss.
"So pick me up at?"
"Ten," Matt confirmed. "Ten AM, your house,"
"I'll see you there,"
