Ginelle's pov
"Grey, we're going to be late." I tossed my phone into my purse, my eyes fleeting towards Grey who had been standing in front of the mirror for a minute now.
He looked at his attire in a frown, his hands straightening the non-existent crunches on his pants.
Today was when we went to visit my parents and to say that Grey had been panicking since morning was an understatement.
After fussing over what to put on, I had chosen a plain blue shirt together with the black pants he was now frowning over.
Earlier on he had opted for a more formal wear, some suits I found him trying on but I thought that was just too much.
"You look handsome," his eyes fleeted to mine at my assurance and I noticed the tension in his lessen for a second.
I walked towards him in a smile and wrapped my arms around his waist then pecked his lips once causing him to smile, his previous worry temporary forgotten.
"And you get more beautiful each time I see you, Ginelle." He slowly turned me around so that we were both looking at the mirror.
I shyly looked away from my blushing face, Grey mumbling out adorable as he took out his phone to snap pictures of us.
I then helped him adjust the buttons of his shirt that we're halfway done after I had fixed my own hair.
"That should be all, shall we head out?" I almost pulled him away from the mirror because he was now back to his anxious self.
"Is my hair styled correctly?" He patted his hair back, his head moving in all angles as he examined himself all over again.
He looked like a young boy worrying about his appearance and I just wanted to laugh at how cute he was being.
When he didn't get an answer from me, he stood straighter all of a sudden as if he had suddenly remembered something.
Relax, we're not going to an interview - I had repeated these words to him all week but he now seemed to have remembered.
"I just wanted to make a good impression," he looked down at the floor in a pout and I almost giggled at his face.
"Mama already loves you and you know that, papa has been asking me when you'll visit so that he'd play golf with you."
His eyes brightened when I told him so and I gave him a small smile before tugging him out of the room so that we'd leave. He didn't protest this time.
I locked the house behind us then walked towards his car where he helped me in and soon we were off.
My parent's house was just two hours away. They hadn't left for work in the past week so they were living closer to the city.
Grey had relaxed ten minutes into the ride as I continued to hold his hand to calm him down and assure him there was nothing to worry about.
I watched the scenery on our way, my mind drifting back to early at the start of this year when I was passing through this road.
I remembered insisting on coming to work just three weeks into the new year even when mama had been against that idea.
I remembered taking a bus to the city then all of a sudden the weather changed. The tremor that had me shaking on the floor of the bus when it slipped.
I shuddered a bit at the memories of that day and Grey seemed to notice, his thumb now caressing the top of my hand.
"Are you okay sweetheart?" I nodded slowly and held onto his hand as I toyed with the bracelet he was wearing, that had my name.
"I just remembered the day we met," I whispered the words, my voice a bit shaky that I didn't even realize Grey had pulled out of the main road.
He proceeded to park his car at a small snack bar that I was now seeing and took both of my hands as he assessed my whole face.
"I'm always with you, don't be scared of anything." He looked into my eyes trying to relieve my nerves and it felt like we were meeting for the first time all over again.
His words effortlessly put me at ease, his body offering a warmth I wanted to cling to forever but what stood out the most were his eyes.
They carried that calming and assuring effect, the grey in them making me feel grounded despite the chaos around me.
"Your eyes, they're beautiful." I blurted out the very thought I had even at the time of our first meet. The color did suit him so perfectly.
"Umm, I-I have... I love yours," he mumbled out the words unevenly and shyly looked away but I didn't fail to see the growing blush on his ears.
He turned his head to look somewhere else though his hands subconsciously traced each of my fingers and I smiled to myself.
How adorable it was to see him get all flustered because I had given him a compliment. I mentally added that to the list of things he liked.
"I'll be right back baby," he pecked my hands fondly before alighting and I watched his back disappear into the glass door ahead.
He came out not more than five minutes later, a milkshake in his left hand though I frowned at the large bag in his right hand.
He placed the bag at the back then got in to his seat and in a smile, he passed me the milkshake and a straw.
I took it in gratitude though my attention was at the bag he had just come back with. Noticing that I was not going to let it go, he replied.
"That's something for your parents," he stared at the windscreen as he avoided my eyes, his hands now on the wheel.
"What about the gifts you bought yesterday?" I looked at him in disbelief, my eyes following his hands that were tapping the center of the wheel.
"I-I thought they weren't enough," he slowly looked up and I was at a loss when I met his eyes. They were filled with so much sincerity that I felt a tug in my heart.
He really wanted to make a good impression with all the efforts he was putting in even when I felt that it was unnecessary.
"You're already enough," I moved to cup his cheek, another level of fondness growing in my heart at how wonderful he was.
We stared into each other's eyes for almost a minute before we embraced tightly and then resumed our journey.
I sipped the lovely drink in happiness occasionally giving Grey a sip too. He didn't seem to mind drinking from the same straw.
Soon we were home and I excitedly got off to meet my parents. They were seating close to the entrance and at the sound of the car, they rushed out.
"Ellie, Grey!" Mama came to meet us first, her arms wrapping around my body as she kissed my head and cupped my face to see if was fine.
She then looked at Grey beside me and unexpectedly hugged him next. She moved back to look at him again as if to check whether he was recovered.
"How do you feel Grey? Does your body hurt?" She would have cupped his face but Grey was just so tall.
"I'm fine ma'am," he looked at me before replying, his tone so formal and that made mama smack his hand playfully.
"What did we agree about that?" Papa greeted me in the midst of their exchange and joined me in watching them.
"I'm not in any pain, Olive." Mama smiled so broadly as she patted his arm and that made papa clearly his throat as he walked towards them.
"Good afternoon sir," Grey pulled out his hand for him to shake and after some intense staring, papa shook hands with him.
"You're better now?" Papa pulled on the conversation and that made me exchange a small smile with mama.
They were getting along just fine.
"Yes sir," papa nodded along and then patted his shoulder. The two were almost of the same height, Grey just being an head taller.
We smiled at them, mama gushing over how the two looked like brothers which was a bit exaggerated but they did look similar in some aspects.
Mama then started to lead us in but I held her back when Grey darted back to the car to get the presents he had brought.
"Ellie, are you staying the night?" Papa asked when Grey emerged with two large carrier bags in both hands.
"No, no - those are gifts." Both of my parents exclaimed at the same time as they turned to look at me then back at Grey.
"How is all that a gift?" Papa mumbled in surprise, mama shushing him up when Grey was in hearing range.
"These are for you," Grey motioned at the bags as he presented one to mama and the other one to papa.
"Grey, you were supposed to be our guest." Mama peeked through the first bag and a smile instantly formed on her face.
She looked at the contents of the other bag next and I noticed her exchange a look with papa.
Mama took the bags from Grey thanking him continuously for the gifts as she assured him that he didn't have to bring anything next time.
From the corner of my eye, I saw his face brighten for a second. Next time. As if he could feel my gaze, he turned towards me and smiled.
Papa quickly helped mama carry the bags into the house and I watched the smiles on their faces, a foreign feeling running through my body.
I hugged Grey as soon as he came to stand beside me and thanked him for what he had for us today, the efforts he had put in.
"You're really the best and I love you," I whispered into his chest, his body leaned over and hands tightly wrapped around my waist.
"I'm head over heels for you sweetheart," he kissed my hair and held me closer as I listened to the beating of his heart that mirrored my own, super fast.
I pulled away involuntarily when mama peeked through the door after realizing we were not following behind them.
She wriggled her eyebrows at me when Grey wiped something from lips, fixed my hair and kissed my forehead.
I shyly let her watch us before Grey was done and then we all walked in, mama giggling behind us.
Grey and I sat on side of the sofa while mama sat at the opposite side looking at us curiously.
"How has everything been?" She finally asked after eyeing us and Grey replied, telling her that we had been fine.
"Did you feel so lonely at the hospital?" Grey shook his head telling her that his friends and family came to visit him everyday.
"That reminds me, I met Suzanna during that time. How is she?" I looked between the two of them not understanding a thing.
"She is fine. Nana went back home two days ago, she send her regards." He squeezed my hand as mama continued to ask about their hometown.
So Nana's name was Suzanna, how lovely. I listened to bits of their conversation before getting distracted by the drinks that papa brought us.
He occasionally tried to pipe into their talk a few times but I kept begging him to make me another drink each time I was done with my previous one.
"I missed having this," I gulped down another glass of soda, papa watching me as if I'd grown a second head.
"That kid is really good," he picked up a glass and filled it with water instead and pushed it my way.
"Does he make you happy, Ellie?" Papa stopped rinsing our used glasses and turned to look at me.
"Very much, I normally feel safe with him." There was a far away look in his eyes before he engulfed me in an hug.
"Then I'm happy too," papa looked at me again in that same look saying I had grown so fast but I knew I still a child in many ways.
We walked back to find mama and Grey laughing at something and I nudged him to tell me what it was only for me to sink into my seat in embarrassment when mama disclosed.
She had been telling Grey about a time in middle school when I went for a school trip and suddenly got attacked by a bird.
The bird had ruffled my hair in all directions as it pecked my head and I cried during the entire trip, my friends laughing at me.
Our grade teacher had later come to explain to my parents that it was because of some bread crumbs in my hair.
The most embarrassing thing was that mama was showing him the pictures of the trip and I was literally crying in all of them.
"She refused to go for another trip since then." Grey chuckled as he went through the rest of the pictures.
"Ellie was so messy when she was younger, right?" Grey looked up from the album and smiled at me.
"Yes, she was pretty too." Mama gushed at his words, papa peeking through the said pictures and snorted.
There was no way pretty looked that way. I had tears trailing on both cheeks, my hair disheveled and my left shoe was in the right foot.
I pinched Grey to stop making fun of me but he only smiled and squeezed my hand as he looked at more pictures.
I sat in the midst of their laughter, mama not holding back any details about my embarrassing childhood but I was glad Grey was relaxed amongst us.
The doorbell five minutes later saved me and papa went to answer it claiming the tools he had ordered must have arrived.
"Grey, would you mind helping?" Mama explained to me that they were just going to repair something at the back of the house.
"Papa, don't give Grey too much work!" I shouted jokingly after them before the front door closed.
I closed the photo album and pretended to look mad at mama for revealing those pictures but she didn't seem to dwell on that.
"I didn't get to ask last time but now that I've seen it, I have to know." Her words were somewhat clear though they didn't make sense.
"You didn't tell your mother that you got proposed to," she smacked her hand over my arm and I held back an ow sound as her words registered.
"Propose? But I-I didn't-" she didn't let me continue as she accusatory pointed at the ring on my finger.
"Grey was wearing one too, you have to tell me these things." Mama gave me a pointed look as she insisted on the need to share everything with her.
"This is our promise ring mama," I cut short her imagination but the idea of what she was implying made me blush.
Did she really think Grey had proposed to me? It was too early to think that way, or was it not? I looked down at the ring in deep thought.
"Ooh, I was really excited though." Mama sighed and hugged me into her side so I quickly changed the subject.
"Leila's engagement party is next weekend, do you remember?" I had reminded her this before but I knew business usually got in the way.
"Next weekend! I will definitely attend that one. How are they, Leila and Louis?" I had just spoken to Leila over the phone yesterday and she sounded so excited.
"They're eagerly waiting for their big day," I told her about the venue of the event which was not even a surprise to her. At the seashore in one of Louis' boats.
Later on mama went to warm up food for lunch and after listening to the sound of metal from the back, I decided to see what the two men were doing.
Grey was helping papa balance the backdoor as he hammered something on the hinges and I watched them coordinate so well.
"Ellie, get me a nail from my jacket." Papa called out and I ruffled through the sweater next to the door feeling both pockets but there were no nails.
Instead, I found two pieces of my favorite chocolate and my eyes instantly went to Grey. His back was towards me as he spoke to papa.
"My jacket is over there, that's Grey's." I heard papa call again as he pointed towards the other side although I continued to look at Grey a little longer.
Maybe it wasn't too early as I'd thought.
✪ ✪ ✪
Grey wanting to make a good impression even when her parents already like him is sth else.
Slightly longer chapter but I hope it's nice.
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