Page 25 of Love for the Holiday

I sighed then grabbed my phone from the coffee table. It was my mom. She was video calling me. I turned my body so that Jacob would be off screen then answered the call.

My mom was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and novelty reindeer antlers. My dad was wearing an identical outfit. They were sitting in their room on the cruise ship. I could tell by the ocean view out the window behind them.

“Hi, honey!” My mom said cheerfully.

“Hi, mom,” I smiled. “Hi, dad.”

“Hey, kid,” my dad smiled. “Your mother wanted to call and check up on you. She was afraid you were shoveling ice cream down your throat and watching Christmas shows.”

My mom elbowed him in the chest and glared at him.

“Harold! Seriously! Can you make this call any more depressing?” she scolded him. I glanced at Jacob and he chuckled. My parents looked at one another then at the phone. They had knowing looks on their faces.

“Rest assured, mom. I’m not being a loser and shoveling dangerous amounts of ice cream down my throat,” I rolled my eyes.

“Where exactly are you, Love? It looks like a cabin or something?” My mom asked looking around at the screen. She made me laugh because no matter how much she tried to look around the cabin it wasn’t going to happen unless I turned the phone.

“A friend took me for a getaway to the mountains,” I smiled. Jacob and my parents all gave me a questioning look.

“A friend? What kind of friend takes another friend on a getaway to the mountains?” my dad laughed. “Is this a man?”

“Um… How’s the cruise?” I blurted.

It wasn’t that I was afraid to tell my parents about Jacob. I just didn’t want to cross a line he wasn’t ready to cross. I mean, he had no problems holding my hand or kissing me in public, but maybe he wasn’t ready to be introduced to my parents. He may think I was trying to jump the gun.

“Honey, are you embarrassed by us?” my mom whispered.

“What? No!” My voice came out a shout. “Mom, seriously? I’d never be embarrassed of you guys. It’s just…” I glanced at Jacob. “I don’t know if the timing is okay. That’s all.”

“The timing? Like you don’t know if you guys are official?” my father asked sternly. “Is he embarrassed to let people know you two are together? Is that why he took you to the mountains and not some fancy place in--” My mom clapped her hand over his mouth.

“Harold, the guy is probably in the room,” she whispered harshly at him. My father wiggled free of her hand.

“I don’t care. There is no reason for anyone to hide my little girl from the world,” my father grumbled. “Can’t stand chicken sh--” My mom damn near tackled my father to the bed. She whacked him repeatedly with a pillow.

“Shut up, Harold! Don’t make things difficult for Love. We are already here on this cruise and left her alone,” my mom sobbed and whacked my dad one last time with a pillow. My dad pulled my mom against him and took the phone from her.

“I’m sorry, Love. I don’t mean to make things difficult for you. It just bothers me when a man can’t face his feelings and hides,” my dad stated. Jacob took the phone from me and smiled into the phone.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. McDaniel,” Jacob smiled. “I promise I'm not embarrassed for people to know that I’m seeing Love. I just didn’t want to interrupt her conversation with you.”

My mom and dad both looked shell-shocked.

“Oh, my,” my mom breathed. “He’s good looking.”

“Hello. Who might you be?” my dad asked with an eyebrow rose.

“I guess it would have helped if I had introduced myself,” Jacob chuckled. “I’m Jacob Holiday.”

“What is it you do for a living… Jacob?”

“Dad!”

“Harold!” My mom screamed. “That’s rude!”

Jacob only laughed and shook his head.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m a doctor,” Jacob replied impressing my mom and dad.

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