Page 63 of When Love Is Unexpected

When he falls asleep, I do the same thing. I stare at him, taking inventory of his chiseled features: a strong jawline, a slight dimple on his chin, perfect full lips, thick eyebrows, and long eyelashes. He has a sexy scar right above his left eyebrow that he got while playing basketball when another player hit him with an elbow. When I close my eyes, I can see his eyes staring back at me, deep turquoise blue with gold centers. He's tall, strong, and handsome, and he doesn't snore.

After landing, we leave the baggage carousel and make our way out of the airport.

Ten minutes pass, and there's no sign of Sam's dad.

"You don't think he forgot about us, do you?"

"No," Sam says. "One thing about Dad is that he's always running five to ten minutes late."

"It's part of his charm?" I ask.

Sam laughs and leans over to kiss me.

"Practice," he says when I smile.

I lean over and kiss him back.

"Practice makes perfect," I say.

"There he is," says Sam a few minutes later.

We grab our bags and start walking in his direction.

"Sam!" exclaims his dad as soon as he sees us. I watch father and son embrace and kiss each other on the cheek. Sam's dad is about six feet tall. He has dark brown hair and eyes, and he is graying at the temples. He's in great shape. It looks like he came straight from work to pick us up because he's still wearing a white dress shirt and a loose tie around his neck. Robert is the director of a software development company. It's true what they say. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Dad, this is Laila."

"Laila," says Mr. Jameson, "I've heard so much about you. It's good to finally meet you."

"Thank you," I say as he hugs me. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Everyone's gathered at the house," says Robert, "so let's get going."

Sam's childhood home is a beautiful two-story coastal craftsman in Pacific Beach, a neighborhood in San Diego. The beach is two blocks away. As soon as we pull into the driveway, a woman comes running out of the home to greet us. It must be Sam's mom because I can immediately see the resemblance. She's blonde and slender. Her skin is tanned like Sam's. Her blue eyes are Sam's eyes, along with her nose and smile. Alice is a jewelry designer who caters to the rich and famous throughout the state.

When Sam gets out of the car, he hugs and kisses his mom.

"It's so good to see you, Sweetheart," she says. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Mom," says Sam, walking over to my side of the car. "I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Laila."

Sam helps me out of the car, and before I can say a word, Alice hugs me, too. "Welcome, Laila. It's so nice to meet you."

"It's good to meet you, too," I say.

When I walk into the house, I'm met with handshakes, hugs, and even a few kisses from so many people. Sam doesn't leave my side and introduces me to everyone.

"Do you two want something to drink?" asks Ruth, or is this Janice?

"No, I'm fine," I say. "Thank you." She must see the question on my face because she quickly fills in the blank. "Janice. I'm Sam's grandma. It's okay. We don't expect you to remember all our names right away."

"Thank you," I say. "I appreciate that."

I meet the immediate family, whose names I know but whose faces are still unknown. I also meet a dozen aunts, uncles, cousins, their spouses, and their kids. I feel dizzy, but Sam is here to put me at ease the whole time.

"You're tall!" I hear a small voice say. I look down to see a little boy, aged maybe five or six. "Hi," I say. "I'm Laila. What's your name?"

"Paul," he says.

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