The dinging of the seatbelt sign and the sound of the pilot announcing their final descent woke everyone from a sound sleep. Sitting up and stretching, Tom looked out the window of the plane and saw it was dark now as it was getting late upon their arrival in Orlando. Isabella took out her cell phone and sent her mother a text to let her know they had landed and should expect them soon. It would be an extra half-hour drive from the airport to their neighborhood.
They were the first ones to get off the plane and a set of security guards met them at the gate to escort them to a VIP area where they waited while their bags were brought to them. It was late so the terminal wasn't very busy, but Tom didn't want to leave anything to chance. The car was brought around and they all climbed in. Isabella gave him directions and they were on their way.
"Whoa! What a blast from the past!" Lana said, wide-eyed as she stuck her head out of the backseat window. "I forgot how hot and humid it gets here!"
She quickly rolled up her window and requested the air conditioning. Isabella smiled, looking out the window of the car. It hadn't been all that long for her as she had just moved to London the month before, but it certainly felt nice being around familiar settings and smells. It was comforting. As annoying as her family was, she really needed them right now. Tom reached over and took her hand, holding it between the console. She loved that he always seemed to know exactly when she needed his touch. She glanced over at him as he focused on the road, admiring him in silence.
When they pulled up to the house at close to midnight, the street was quiet and dark. They all walked up to the front door and Tom could tell that Isabella was dragging her feet.
He turned to look at her. "Darling, I know you're tired, but we're almost there. Or is it something else?"
"I don't know," she said, avoiding his gaze and twitching nervously in place. "This is just a big moment, I guess. You meeting my family, here for my grandma's funeral. I just didn't picture it happening like this is all," she reasoned, struggling to find the right words as she wrung her hands.
He nodded his head in understanding.
"I see. I know this isn't the best of circumstances to meet the family and I'm sure you weren't expecting it to be so soon, but everything happens for a reason, right? I'm sure they'll love me. I'm a likable person, aren't I?" He said, flashing her a toothy grin that made her smile instantly. She nodded in agreement and they continued on to the front door.
Tom rang the bell and they waited only a moment before the door opened. Isabella's little brother Joe opened the door, took one look at Tom, his eyes widening in shock, and promptly slammed the door in their faces. Tom and Isabella shared a look as she shrugged at him. The door opened once again, this time by a short woman with short, black hair and tan skin. She wore an apologetic grin.
"Hello there. I am so sorry for my son. He is a bit of an idiot sometimes," she said, saying the word "idiot" loud enough for him to hear in the background.
She opened the door wide to allow them in.
"My name is Rosemarie," she said as she reached for Tom to give him a hug. He responded in kind by stooping down to return it.
"It is lovely to meet you, ma'am. I'm Tom. Isabella has told me so much about all of you," he said, motioning towards Isabella.
"Nothing good, I'm sure," she said to her daughter, giving her a side-eye and a smile. "And call me, Rosemarie. Come here, bambina."
Isabella walked over to her mother and embraced her, tears beginning to fall freely out of nowhere.
"I'm so sorry, mama," she whispered in between her cries.
"Me too, baby. Me too."
Isabella pulled away and wiped at her tears before stepping aside so Lana could come in.
"Mrs. R," Lana said before stepping into Rosemarie's arms for a hug.
It had been a long time since Lana had gotten to hug this woman who she considered like another mother. "Lana. It is so good to see you."
Once everyone had been properly welcomed, a voice could be heard from the living room.
"Close that door! You're letting all the humidity in!"
Rosemarie rolled her eyes.
"Sorry, that would be my dear husband, Lorenzo. I apologize for him in advance. "Come, let me introduce you to him," Rosemarie said as she took Tom's hand and guided him through the house.
He looked back to Isabella and saw her shaking her head, hands on her hips. Lana linked her arm through one of Isabella's and laughed as she helped her to the couch where her father sat.
"Hi, papa," Isabella said with a small voice as she sat down next to her father and embraced him.
"Bella. It is so good to see you. Finally, you come home. You too, Lana. I love seeing both of my girls together."
Lana came over and gave him a hug as well before settling next to Isabella.
"Tom, you've met my son, Joe. The one with the poor excuse for manners," she said, pointing to Joe who sat sheepishly on the couch. He gave Tom a weak wave.
"Yes, nice to meet you mate," he said, giving him a large smile and extending a hand for a shake.
Joe stared at it for a moment before getting up and giving it a timid shake.
"Great handshake, Joe. You're stronger than you look!" Tom said with a wink, trying to make the poor kid feel better about his reaction at the front door.
Isabella and Lana looked to each other and smiled knowingly. Tom knew exactly what he was doing. Her whole family would be eating out of his hand in no time.
Rosemarie slapped her husband on the arm as he watched TV. "Lorenzo. Get your ass up and greet our guest!"
Isabella's father stood, walking over to Tom with his chest puffed out and head held high. He wasn't what you'd call a tall man, but his presence surely gave him that effect.
Tom extended his hand to the man, hoping to make a good first impression.
"Hello there. I'm Tom. It's nice to meet you, sir."
"This is Isabella's boyfriend," Rosemarie said, nodding her head in her daughter's direction with emphasis on the word "boyfriend".
Lorenzo sized Tom up, his eyes and his mouth opening wide in a moment of realization.
"Ah, yes! Rosemarie told me Bella was bringing a boyfriend, but she did not say that you were famous! Please, call me Lorenzo!" He said with a loud, boisterous voice. He shook Tom's hand with vigor.
Tom stood, a bit embarrassed as he fidgeted with his hands.
"Yes, well, I'm just a man like any other."
Lorenzo looked to Isabella, beaming with joy. "And modest to boot. Bella, I like him already ten times more than the last cretino."
"Papa, really?" She said, her cheeks reddening.
"What? I only say what I feel. I did not care for that bag of scum. He had evil in his soul," Lorenzo said, using his hands to illustrate everything he said. Tom smiled as he recognized some of the hand signals that he had seen Isabella use often.
Isabella looked at her family. They were all smiles and star-struck by Tom's looming figure in the living room. He looked like a giant beside them.
"I do wish to give my sincere condolences on the loss of your matriarch. I understand that Isabella was very close to her, but from the one conversation I did have with her, I can see why she was so beloved."
"Thank you, Tom. That is very kind of you," Rosemarie said. "I did not know that you got to speak to her before she passed, but I am glad that you did. My mother was a force to be reckoned with."
Isabella gave her mother a look of agitation. "Mama, I told her not to say anything to you because I wasn't ready to share that with you yet."
"Yes, bambina, I understand. You and your grandmother had a special connection. She never broke your confidences. Tom, please, sit down."
Lorenzo went back to his spot on the end of the long L shaped couch as Tom sat down at the other end next to Isabella.
"Would you like anything to eat? I know you've had a long flight," Rosemarie said.
They all shook their heads as they each began yawning.
"Rosemarie, it's midnight. The kids are tired! Let them go to sleep!" He said, motioning to them with his hand.
"Yes, we should probably go get our bags and head to bed," Isabella said as she tried to get up.
"Darling, you stay here. You don't need to be carrying heavy bags on that foot," Tom said, pushing her back down onto the couch.
"What about her foot?" Rosemarie said, coming over to Isabella with a worried look.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that. It's a funny story actually. It's how I met Thomas," Isabella said with a smile as they looked at each other, lost in the moment that changed their lives forever.
Rosemarie sat down on the couch next to Lorenzo. "You can't start like that and not tell us the story."
"Ok, well," Isabella started, picking at her hands as everyone looked to her. "So you know I've been in London for about a month now and I finally decided that I wanted to start running to help me lose some weight and -"
Lorenzo interrupted with annoyed muttering. "Bella, how many times do I have to tell you that you are fine just as you are?"
"Papa, I know that, but I wanted to do this for me. Please stop interrupting. Anyway, I decided about a week ago that I was going to start running. I had literally just started down the path when I tripped, over what I don't even know, probably my own feet. There I was, sprawled on the floor, gripping my ankle that was throbbing terribly when all of a sudden a man comes sprinting over to me. He asked me if I was ok and offered to look at my ankle. Low and behold when I looked up at him, I realized it was the one and only Tom Hiddleston. He told me I needed to go to the hospital and offered to take me, but you know how I am about hospitals." Both of her parents nodded with enthusiasm, knowing exactly what she was referring to. "I told him I'd be fine, but he didn't want to leave me there so he offered to take me back to his place and call a doctor friend of his to come look at my foot."
Her parents both gasped at that, no doubt surprised that he would do something like that for a total stranger.
"I know, that's what I said. I don't understand why he did it, but he trusted me and ever since then we've spent pretty much every day together."
"Yes, they are attached at the hip. I don't even feel like I have a roommate anymore. She's over at his place more than ours," Lana said, chiming in.
Tom cleared his throat, unsure of how modern her parents were. He didn't want to come off as a lecherous man trying to take advantage of their poor innocent daughter.
Rosemarie seemed to notice his discomfort.
"Tom, it's ok. We understand that our little bambina is a woman and she is not so innocent. We won't make you sleep in separate rooms. Although, Lorenzo might prefer it," she said, slapping her husband on the arm as she laughed. He laughed back, taking her hand and kissing it.
"My parents are not traditional in all ways. They are quite disgusting sometimes with their displays of affection. It will take some getting used to," Isabella said, rolling her eyes like a teenager talking about how uncool her parents are.
He took Isabella's hand as he looked to her parents. "Right. I just wanted to make sure you knew that my intentions are pure."
Her parents looked at each other and smiled before looking back to him.
"Tom, we did not know you personally before today, but we have heard things about you. Isabella used to practically have a shrine to you in her apartment," Lorenzo said but stopped when he saw Isabella looking at him and giving him the sign that she would kill him if he continued.
Tom looked over at Isabella and she brought her hand down fast, pretending to act natural. Lana was thoroughly enjoying the show.
"Well, that's quite a story, Bella. I am glad that if you were to fall that someone as kind as Tom was there to help you. Thank you for helping my daughter in her time of
need."
Lorenzo was grateful and genuine in his speech to Tom. He got good vibes off of the lanky British man who sat in his living room. He silently prayed to God that this would be the one who would rid his poor daughter of Jackson. It was his only wish.
"Yes, and we will talk more tomorrow about what is to come. It is late," Rosemarie said. Walking over to her son, she smacked him upside of his head. "Go out and help them with bags," she said as he grumbled and made his way out with Tom and Lana.
Once they came back in, Rosemarie gave them their room assignments.
"Bambina, you and Tom will stay in the guest bedroom. Lana can have your old room."
They all said their goodnights and headed to their respective rooms.
Isabella sat down on the bed with a huff, her head cradled in her hands. Tom came up beside her and rubbed her neck with one of his large hands. She hummed in appreciation.
"How are you doing?" He asked quietly.
"Ok I guess," she said, straightening up and rubbing a hand down her face. She looked up at Tom before taking his hand and pulling him down to sit beside her. He put an arm around her and pulled her to him.
"I think the meeting with your parents went rather well, don't you?" He asked and she didn't need to look up at him to know he was smiling.
"Yes, you are rather charming. I wasn't worried about that. I was more worried about how they would behave in front of you. My parents can be a little... brusque."
"Ah, I understand. They certainly don't hold anything back. I like that about them. What you see is what you get."
A wistful smile settled on her face. "That's great and all until it's your parents and they're telling your one and only boyfriend you've ever had how they really feel about him to his face on a regular basis. The fact that they've been so nice to you confuses me slightly. They must genuinely like you. I was starting to think they just disliked any man who wanted to date their daughter."
"Well, you know, parents do have a sixth sense about these things. They always seem to know better what's best for you. Strange power to possess."
Isabella lifted her head and looked at Tom with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"You're always so full of jokes, Mr. Hiddleston."
"I try to be a full-bodied actor who practices all aspects of his craft."
"Shut up and kiss me, will you?" She said as she tugged on his shirt.
His lips descended onto hers as they both smiled into the kiss. The pressure of his lips against hers felt heavenly after the heaviness of this day. The way he stroked the side of her face made her forget for just a moment about where they were and why they were here. If only moments like these could last a lifetime.
Tom pulled away and looked around as if he was searching for something.
"What is it?"
"Strange. Usually, about this time, a nosy little ball of fur comes scratching at my leg or jumping up between us to spoil the moment."
It took Isabella a moment to realize he was talking facetiously about Bobby. Her eyes grew wide in horror as she gasped, feeling terrible that she had forgotten all about him.
"Oh my goodness! Bobby! Who is taking care of him while we're gone?"
Tom laughed good-naturedly.
"Darling, it's ok. Luke knows I'm gone. He knows when I go anywhere to watch out for Bobby. I don't even have to say anything anymore. Don't worry, he's being taken
care of," Tom said, stroking her arm.
She pouted as she sat there thinking of Bobby being all alone. "Oh, ok. That's good. I feel terrible for not even asking about him."
"Isabella, I'm sure he would understand that there were far more important things on your mind. He will still be happy to see you when we go home."
"Yes, you're right," she said, putting a hand to her forehead. "I think I need to go to sleep. I'm starting to feel delirious."
"That sounds like a wonderful plan. It has been a long day. Why don't you go into the bathroom and freshen up?"
"Seems silly now to go into another room to change considering how much you've seen," she said with a wince.
Tom frowned, slightly hurt by the insinuation. "Darling. I did the best I could to see as little as I could. Your dignity was maintained for the most part. I would never take advantage of you in such a state."
"Thomas, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean... Shit, I don't know what I meant. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me. I'm sorry. I'm just not used to being treated this way. Forgive me?" She said, hope shining in her eyes.
"Of course. Let's just move on and get to sleep."
Isabella nodded and got up to get her clothes and go to the bathroom to change. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at the dark circles that had settled under her eyes. She managed to get a lot of sleep on the plane, but it wasn't restful sleep. Horrible visions kept going through her head of death and decay. Her grandma's face would pop up and then slowly disintegrate. If not for Tom holding her tight, she'd have woken up screaming.
She felt so grateful to have him here as well as Lana. The two of them were fierce protectors and she didn't know what she would've done without them. She went to London expecting to just get away and then she had second thoughts, wanting to come home to jump back into her old life. She never expected to want to stay and start a new life. Tears threatened to consume her again, but she turned her eyes up to the ceiling, attempting to stop them from falling. It was late and she was already tired. There would be more time for tears tomorrow. Her grandma always used to tell her, "I'll cry tomorrow". It was indeed a good plan.
Changing into her pajamas, thankful that Lana had packed her something decent, she crawled under the covers to a waiting Tom before he shut the light off. Only seconds passed before the sounds of their even breathing filled the room and they were asleep.