Chapter 21—Nat

Part Two: Meet the Parents

While Jackson and Andi were off picking up Andi’s parents, Nat busied herself with making the small apartment upstairs a bit cozier.

She was glad she’d thought to bring a bunch of their stuff from their place. It was pretty evident that the apartment was occupied by a dude. The walls were bare, the furniture was dorm room-chic, and there was a smell whose source she hadn't yet been able to locate, despite her best efforts.

Her brother had called her no less than 50 times so far, each time leaving an obnoxiously long message asking her to tell him where she was. Was she with Andi? Was Andi mad about the stunt with her parents? What were they going to do? Would she please get Andi to call him?

After the first few, she stopped listening. Their parents knew she and Andi were safe. That was really all that mattered. Though, they weren't thrilled with the fact that she was spending Christmas with Andi and her parents, once she explained the situation with Tim, they were so busy being mad at him that they pretty much gave her their blessing to spend the holiday away. She did promise to return for Christmas dinner, figuring it would be easy to bow out by then.

“I don't understand why you two have to travel to wherever it is you're going, and you can't tell me,” her mother had complained.

“Mom,” Nat said. She tried to think of the nicest way to put it. “You're bad at secrets,” she said after considering several alternatives.

“Lies!” her mother gasped.

“Mom, I've known exactly what I was getting for Christmas every year since I was five. And remember when I told you Tim was going to propose to Andi? You blabbed within three hours.”

That was the worst possible example given the circumstances, but it was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

“I'm just bad with happy news,” her mom said. She could hear the happy tone in her voice deflating with each word.

“She's not going to want to be around us anymore, is she?” Nat’s mom asked. “She's going to break up with us, too, isn't she?”

“Oh, Mom,” Nat said. Her throat tightened at sound of the ache in her mom's voice. She had fallen in love with Andi almost as quickly as Nat and Tim had. Andi had become a part of the family so fast, it was hard to remember a time when she wasn't around. She probably would move out soon now that the wedding was off.

“We’ll still see her. I promise. We’ll still have movie nights and shopping trips. It will be different, but she's still our Andi.”

“I hope so,” her mom said with a sniffle. “I'm just not ready to say goodbye to her yet.”

“You won't have to,” Nat said. “Really. And if anyone has to go, I say it should be Tim.” Nat was aiming for a joke, but it came out sounding angrier than it did jovial.

“That boy,” her mom whispered. “I still just can't believe him.”

“Me either,” Nat said, but in all honesty, she’d expected something like this from him. He was an idiot. And he didn't deserve Andi. “We still have Andi,” Nat said. “Maybe not in all the ways we’d hoped to, but we still have her. And now, maybe we'll have her in a whole new and better way.”

“What do you mean by that exactly?” her mother asked.

“I don't know. Just a feeling I have. I think that there are a lot of things about her that were stifled by Tim. Maybe this is going to be an opportunity for her to fully step into herself. Even if she doesn't realize it, I can see it.”

“Well, if that's true, maybe this is all for the best. I just still can't believe I don't get to have her as my daughter-in-law.”

***

Nat ended the call with her mother and finished getting the apartment ready. Despite her best efforts, she wasn't able to get rid of the smell. What she needed was some scented candles.

Hadn't there been a cute little shop that had a huge array of them? She tried to remember back to a few days ago. It felt like a lifetime ago given everything that happened.

Finally convinced that she remembered where the little shop was, she grabbed her purse and jacket and flew out of the apartment door—and right into a human wall.

“Whoa,” she said, stepping back and steadying herself. "I am so sorry,” she said. “I didn't know anyone was out here.”

The wall was a very broadly built and very muscular man. His muscles were visible under his magnificently tight long-sleeved shirt. She enjoyed the view for a second, and then he turned around to face her.

When her gaze reached his face, he stared at her with a bright and slightly familiar pair of green eyes.

“Adam?” she asked.

“Hi,” Adam said with a wide smile. “It’s Nat, right? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I was looking for Jackson.”

“Oh, he’ll be back soon,” Nat said. She self-consciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and straightened the blouse she was wearing. Man, he was good looking.

“Do you know when?” he asked.

“Not exactly. Maybe another 45 minutes or so.”

“Okay, thanks,” he said as he turned to walk away.

He couldn't leave. She wasn't done staring at him yet. “I could um.... I could tell him you came by,” Nat called to his back. She had to stop herself from physically following him. She was like a schoolgirl with a crush, she realized that. But she also wasn't sure she could stop herself either.

“Okay, cool,” he said with a nod and a smile. “Thanks.” He turned to go again.

“Hey, I never got to thank you for the other night,” she called after him. He turned around yet again.

“I wasn’t trying to blow you off when you asked me about coffee. I was just—it was just a really weird night.”

“Yeah,” he said with half a grin. “I kind of gathered that.”

“I’m free now,” she said way too eagerly. Warmth rose to her face. That sounded way too eager. “I mean, if you have a minute, I know where some good coffee is,” she said.

“I actually have to get going,” he said. Her heart sank.

“But, if you’re going to be around again, I’d love to,” he said, handing her a card.

Adam Wilson, Fire Inspector, it read. She smiled to herself. So, the gorgeous, human wall was a firefighter? Could she pass out on cue? Was that too obvious?

“Well, Mr. Adam Wilson, I’m going to take you up on that,” Nat said.

“I hope you do,” he said with a sly smile.

“It was good to see you,” she said with a wave of his card.

“It was good to see you, too.” The smirk was still evident. She could still feel the heat in her cheeks. She never blushed. But then again, she never really had the opportunity to stand in a small hallway and talk to hot firefighters either. “Until next time,” he said with a wink as he turned to leave.

“Until then,” she managed. She toyed with the card in her hands as she watched him walk down the stairs.

“Dear, Santa,” she whispered to the empty space, “that’s what I want for Christmas this year.” She tucked the card into the pocket of her jeans and tried to shake some sense into herself before heading downstairs.