Yours, Forever

t w e n t y s e v e n

"Dad, this is Xavier," she introduced, giving her father a sweet smile. "And this is my dad, Peter."

"It's nice to meet you, sir," As he did earlier, he reached forward to shake the older man's hand.

"Likewise," Peter said, analyzing the man in front of him. One thing's for sure, he liked that Xavier had a firm handshake.

Aurora rolled her eyes. She just didn't get it.

"Mrs. Young, these are for you," he greeted the petite woman, handing her the bouquet of roses. She quickly wiped her wet hands on her apron, before taking the bouquet. Her eyes crinkled with delight as she gave Xavier a big smile.

"Oh dear, you didn't have to bring anything—after all, you are our guest. And how many times do I have to remind you to call me Heather," She leaned forward to hug Xavier. "These are absolutely beautiful."

Heather looked down at the counter where the bottle of wine and box of traditional tea sat. She gasped in shock as she examined the familiarity of the intricately designed box of tea.

She looked at her husband before turning back to Xavier. "These are the ones I use to drink back in Taiwan. How'd you— they're almost impossible to find here."

Xavier had been worried that he had either gotten tea that Heather wouldn't like or even worse, he had offended her. Thankfully, it was none of the above.

"One of my good friend imports tea," He felt Aurora lace her fingers with his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I wasn't sure what kind of tea you would enjoy, but I am glad you like it."

"I love this. Thank you, dear," Heather patted his arm adoringly, giving her husband a knowing look. "Dinner will be ready in around 20 minutes— why don't you two make yourselves comfortable in the living room?"

Aurora began to tug Xavier towards the living room but was stopped when Peter spoke up. "Actually, Xavier, can I have a word with you?"

Aurora's eyes widened. "But dad-"

"Of course, sir," Xavier looked down at her with a reassuring smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll be back, love."

Peter was pleased to see the way Xavier looked at his daughter. So far, Xavier was proving to be perfect for his daughter, but before he would approve, he needed to speak to Xavier about a couple of things.

Peter made his way out of the kitchen with Xavier turning to follow after him.

As soon as Peter walked by Aurora, she gave her father a stern look—the same look she gave Connor earlier. "Please be nice, dad."

"I will, pumpkin."

He made his way into his study with both Xavier and Connor trailing in after him. All while Aurora stared at their backs worriedly.

"Xavier made a very good impression," her mother reassured, giving Aurora pat on the arm. "He'll be fine. Now, come help me set up dinner."

Giving one last brief look at the now-closed door, Aurora made her way to her mother's side. She began to plate the side dishes, all while glancing at the door every 2 minutes.

"You're going to burn a hole through the door at this rate," Heather joked, bringing Aurora's attention back to her. "Xavier can handle your dad and brother just fine."

"I know, mom," muttered Aurora, feeling embarrassed from being caught. "I can't help but to be worried."

"Your dad was impressed with his manners," Heather gave her daughter a small smile. "I'm still surprised by the tea. How did he know?"