Page 55 of Last Call Lindy Hop
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~1 Week Before Christmas~
Christmas lights twinkled on my tree in the corner, though there was a lack of presents beneath it. I’d packed them up a few days prior and shipped them to my parents’ house.
All except for one, a small box for Eli.
I took a deep breath as I ran my fingers over the shimmery paper. Inside was a major step in our relationship, but I was ready, and felt the time was right.
There was a knock at the door, and I leapt to my feet and rushed to answer it, setting the box on the coffee table.
Eli grinned from the other side and held up a plastic bag. “Dinner?”
I chuckled and smiled. “You said it was a surprise, but it smells divine. What did you bring?”
“The best winter and holiday foods in Mesa Roja: tamales, posole and empanadas.”
My stomach growled. “Oh that sounds delicious.”
He laughed. “It is.” He leaned in to kiss me, and I melted into it.
Oh I loved this man.
He handed me the food and turned to grab his suitcase.
Our flight was the next morning, and I couldn’t wait to introduce Eli to my family. Mom had met him by chance on a couple phone calls, but nobody else had. She already loved him, which I took as a good sign. She’d been polite to Connor, but had only accepted him because he was with me.
Mom joked about now having a second son with Eli.
He set his suitcase just inside the door, then we walked to the kitchen. A few minutes later spicy goodness exploded across my tongue as we ate.
However, I couldn’t keep my mind from drifting to the small box that held Eli’s biggest present. While it wasn’t the most expensive one with his name on it, it was the most symbolic.
I devoured dinner, having developed a taste for the spicy cuisine that was common in Mesa Roja. Then we relocated to my couch, where Eli promptly pulled me into his arms.
“Nervous?” I asked after a few minutes of comfortable relaxation.
“About what?”
“Meeting my family.”
Eli chuckled. “Your mom seems nice. You said everybody else is nice too. Why should I be nervous?”
“I always thought meeting the parents was supposed to be a nerve-wracking thing.”
Eli kissed my neck. “Were you nervous about meeting mine?”
My face heated. “Kind of. I mean… you thought you were straight before me.”
“But it all turned out fine, didn’t it?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“And I trust it’ll be fine with your family too.”
He kissed my hair and I settled in his arms while Christmas music played over my stereo. However, the longer the box went unopened the more I worried about it.
Finally I sat up and grabbed the box from the coffee table. I took a deep breath and turned to Eli.
