After another round of shifts for both of us, Harry and I decided we wanted to make up for the time we had missed. I ended up practically living at his apartment. Tonight we were getting ready to go to his parents' house for the "official" introductions, as Harry called them. "I want to be able to introduce you as my woman!" He said, laughing.
"How about girlfriend? That sounds much less...creepy," I grinned.
To my surprise, when he pulled me close, he asked, "How about love of my life?"
The words made my heart burn with love for him. But I contradicted him. "You don't know that yet."
He held me at arm's length, holding on to my shoulders. "What makes you say that?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "It seems like it's too soon to make a determination like that. I mean, what if things don't work out?"
He cocked his head a little and said, "What's there to work out? We're in love, right? End of story."
I laughed, letting a small blush heat my cheeks. "This is true," I agreed. "But it just seems so soon. And you were in love once before, for three years, and look how that turned out." He pursed his lips and kept looking at me. "I'm not trying to insult you, but how do you know that I'm it? The last one, the only one?"
He drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "Do you doubt my love for you?"
I stepped closer again and lifted my hands to his cheeks. "Not for a second. I know you love me. It just seems like love of my life and terms like that are reserved for marriage and babies and...forever."
"Hey," he said gently, grasping one of my hands and kissing the palm. "I understand if you're not to that point yet, where you want to think about marriage and family, but I am. I'm not getting any younger, and I want you to know how serious I am about you. But if you need time, I'm not going to pressure you, okay?"
I pulled in a large amount of air and then expelled it slowly. I clasped my hands behind his neck and pulled him down to kiss me. "Don't worry about me," I assured him. "I'm thinking the same thing. I just didn't want to put too much pressure on you. But it's good to know we're on the same page."
"Absolutely," he smiled down at me warmly.
"And just so you know, I only let you make love to me because I love you and I trust you."
Snaking his arms around my waist, he picked me up so that we were at eye level. "I love you," he said. Then he kissed my earlobe and whispered, "And I would very much like to make love to you again."
His words sent thrills like a zipline through my body. But now wasn't the time. "Your parents are expecting us at what time?"
He set me down and looked at his watch. "Oh, shoot, they told me 6:00 and it's already 5:30. How fast can you get ready?"
"Faster than you, I bet!" And I rushed down to my apartment to change my clothes.
On the way over, Harry dropped some major news in a very deadpan way. No build up, no hype. He simply said, "I'm working days from now on."
"What?" I shouted excitedly. "How...when...what?"
He shrugged, saying, "I needed a change of scenery."
"Oh, right," I laughed, knowing that wasn't his true motive.
"I'm serious!" He continued. "The night shift is missing a certain hottie in scrubs whom I like to look at between patients."
I just about died laughing, doubling over in my seat. "Are you trying to get us fired? Is that what you told Kone?" I said, gasping for breath. Orisa Kone was responsible for overseeing the schedules of all the doctors and residents in the hospital. I knew who she was, although I'd never met her in person. She definitely looked more approachable than Ms. Baxter, but I heard she was still pretty tight.
"Exact words," he lied. "Now if Baxter has a problem with that and tries to get you in trouble - and I'll have you know she would never mess around with me - I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."
"What kinds of tricks, may I ask?"
"Oh, let's just say that, on more than one occasion, she has made shameless plays for a certain chairman of the board."
I sucked in a surprised breath and let it out, saying, "No way, that's kind of gross! And are you telling me that you would resort to blackmail?"
"Never," he replied. "But it is a very useful piece of information to have, don't you think?"
"Very," I replied. "But, doctor, I never knew you were so evil." We laughed the rest of the way to his parents' house.
Standing on the top step of his parents' modest-looking brownstone in the Gold Coast area, I had no idea what was in store. My heart flitted with nervousness, but overall, I was honored that he wanted his family to get to know me.
"Welcome," his father boomed as we stepped into the foyer. He clasped his arms around me in a bone-crushing hug, not unlike a wrestling move. Then he turned and hugged Harry in the same way. Only a moment later, his mother came to greet us, and luckily she was much more gentle. I thought I might need a spine adjustment after his father's greeting.
"Thank you so much for having me," I said as Harry reviewed the introductions. We followed his parents to a large, luxurious living room, which appeared to be a complete contradiction to the home's humble exterior. I looked back at Harry and widened my eyes in shock and he just raised his eyebrows with a little smile.
Mrs. Styles sat with us while Mr. Styles whipped up a few cocktails. "How are you liking Chicago Medical?" Mrs. Styles asked.
"I love it," I said, nodding emphatically. "I love Chicago, so I'm happy just to be here, but working at CMI is the icing on the cake. It definitely lives up to its reputation for excellence."
"That it does," she agreed. "And where are you from originally?"
"A small town west of Milwaukee by about half an hour."
"Oh, Harry did his residency up there," she commented.
"I know," I said, smiling. "Oh, and Harry has already been to my home as well."
"That's right," she nodded as Mr. Styles set a round of gin and tonics in front of us. "I'm very sorry to hear about your cousin. How tragic to lose someone at such a young age."
"Thank you." I smiled appreciatively at her as Harry grabbed my hand and gave it a small squeeze. It didn't go unnoticed by Mrs. Styles and she shot him an affectionate look.
I turned to Harry's father and asked, "Is it Dr. Styles or Mr. Styles? Besides being Chairman of the Board, I don't think Harry told me what you do."
"You can call me Des," he said, grinning widely. "I'm a doctor, but I'm retired. I started a walk-in clinic for the homeless and poverty-stricken, down near the University of Chicago. I was in family practice before that, but I felt I was called to do something more."
A chill ran through me. Here was this obviously affluent doctor who had chosen to spend most of his career helping out the less fortunate. "That's wonderful, Mr....I mean Des. It's very generous."
"Thank you, dear," he said, sending a small wink my way. "The clinic is still doing marvelously well. It's called Hope Haven, if you ever have a chance to check it out. Although I don't practice anymore, I'm still very much involved with the fund-raising and financial support for the clinic, as well as my board duties for CMI."
"Impressive," I said, smiling kindly.
We went on for a while, talking about our jobs, mostly, and a little bit about Harry's childhood. When his mom offered to get out the photo albums, he almost shouted, "No, Mom!"
I laughed a little at his over-the-top reaction. "Maybe another time. He already showed me some of his past life."
Mrs. Styles stood up to head to the kitchen. "Such a brilliant young man," she said, caressing the side of Harry's face as she walked away.
"Thanks, Mom," he mumbled in embarrassment.
It was adorable to catch sight of a younger Harry who was still being doted upon by his mother. I gave him a teasing look and he retorted with the evil eye.
Before we sat down to eat, Harry gave me a tour of his parents' house, which was impressive in its opulence and grandeur. I never would have guessed that all of this lay behind that simple front door. But I had heard a thing or two about Chicago brownstones, and now I knew why.
First, we went through the kitchen, which made me think of a Tuscan estate with a massive granite island in the middle and a substantial fire oven off to the side. We wandered through the first floor, and then he led me upstairs to the bedrooms. First was his and it was nothing like I ever imagined a boy's bedroom to be, with hues of gold, tan and burgundy, and a small fireplace tucked neatly into the wall. Then he showed me his parents' room, which felt a little invasive, but in particular, he wanted to show off their bathroom. Besides the enormous corner spa tub, there was another small fireplace that joined the bedroom and the bath.
"Wow," I marveled. "This is beautiful."
He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me. Leaning his chin on my shoulder, he said, "I want this some day."
"Your parents' house?" I asked.
"No," he chuckled. "I love this bathroom with the sexy tub and fireplace," he said, making me giggle. "But I want a home like this, where I can raise a family in warmth and comfort.
I turned my head slightly and asked, "You don't want to live in the penthouse forever?"
"Nah," he replied, kissing my ear. "When I first bought it, I was thinking it would be my permanent home, but now I want something more family friendly."
"I see," I whispered, turning to kiss his cheek.
He led me back downstairs and to the back door. He opened it and we were met with a blast of cold autumn air.
"Do you want your jacket?" He asked.
"I'm fine," I assured him, stepping out ahead of him. The back yard was small but magnificent, with an open air fireplace and a pergola that was practically dripping with vines, even though most of them had begun to brown. Lush plants lined the patio while a cozy set of table and chairs beckoned from the middle.
"Huh," Harry remarked. "I'm surprised that Mom hasn't brought her plants inside yet. And Dad hasn't put away the patio furniture." I was familiar with the process of winterizing our home and yard, except that what we had was much more extensive than the small garden that the Styles had. We had two acres, and farmland all around us. I couldn't imagine growing up with this tiny postage stamp yard being my main outdoor experience.
"It's lovely, Harry. I'm so happy you brought me here. It makes me feel like I know more of you, getting to know your parents and where you grew up."
"That's how I felt when I was with you," he said. "I don't know if it sounds silly, but I feel like we're more a part of each other now, settling in with each other's families."
I looked up at him, and my warm breath came out in little white puffs. "You're serious about this, about us...?" It wasn't exactly a question, but it was still new and part of me just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"I've never been more serious about anything in my life," he whispered, tipping my chin further up with two fingers. A kiss landed on my mouth, warming my cold lips and his. We lingered a little too long, only to be broken up by his father calling out the door, telling us dinner was ready. Although Harry and I were adults, I still felt a little embarrassed about kissing Mr. Styles' son in the back yard.
Dinner was, as expected, fantastic. Mr. and Mrs. Styles were both fabulous cooks, which is where Harry got his natural talent, I supposed. While I offered to help clean up, Harry and his dad took the cliché route and retired to his father's office where they planned on a cigar or two.
"Thanks again, Mrs. Styles. This was lovely."
"Please call me Anne. Mrs. Styles sounds so formal," she said, light laughter trickling out. As soon as the men were out of earshot, she spoke candidly. "Harry seems enamored by you."
My face became hot, pleased by the indirect compliment. "The feeling is mutual." I wasn't sure whether to go further and tell her we were in love, or if his parents still thought of this as a budding relationship.
She dropped a towel on the counter and drew me in for a tender hug. "I hope you stick with him," she said. She stepped away from the hug and continued. "Don't feel pressured, but you just seem to bring out the best in him."
I was blown away by this revelation. With the up and down of our relationship in the past two months, it didn't seem there would be enough time for Harry's parents to come to that conclusion. "Thank you again," I said, deeply grateful. "I don't feel pressured at all." Then, hesitating for just a moment, I finally said, "I'm in love with him. And I know he feels the same."
"I know he does, too," she said, stepping back in for another squeeze around my shoulders. She went back to loading the dishwasher while I put away leftovers. She changed the subject just a little by saying, "I know it's not very kind to speak poorly of others, but I honestly never understood what he saw in Logan."
Doing an internal fist pump, I asked, "Why not?"
"I can't put my finger on it, exactly. Harry just never seemed happy with her," she said, shrugging. "Maybe no one else noticed, but I'm his mother and I could tell he just wasn't himself."
"And they were together for over three years," I remarked.
She shook her head, saying, "I don't know why. Even if it hurt Harry when she left him, I was glad it happened. I knew he deserved better." She suddenly seemed to remember herself, saying, "Please don't mention any of it to Harry. I tried to offer my input and I think it was clear that I wasn't crazy about her. I just don't want him to know I'm gossiping about him."
"I won't say anything," I promised. "And I don't exactly consider it gossip. I think of it as gathering intel."
We shared a healthy round of laughter and she said, "I'm glad he has you."
"Me, too," I smiled.
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I'm a little embarrassed because I told you all that I was sick in bed, but that was NOT to gain sympathy, lol. I was actually grateful because I had more time to write, lol. That was my main point, but I guess I forgot to make it. #dork
The next chapter will have some hospital scenes with my extra characters!