Drawn To Each Horizon
Two
Alex POV:
I was really excited for my parents to meet Olivia. But I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty nervous. I want my favorite people to get along. I mean, if my parents don’t like her, we’re both going to be crushed. But if they don’t, that won’t stop me from loving her.
“Is everything okay Lexy?” Olivia stroked my arm.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” I nodded.
“Do you want me to drive?” She asked. “You seem a little off.”
“No, I got it.” I sighed and rubbed her hand. “Just thinking.”
“Alright but I don’t want to get into a car accident.” She let go of my arm and looked out the window. I focused on the road and tried not to think too much about tonight.
I pulled into the driveway and heard a faint snoring sound.
“C’mon baby,” I gently shook Olivia’s shoulder, “Wake up, we’re here.”
“Hmm?” She opened her eyes and looked around the car. “Oh hey, we’re here.”
“That’s what I just said.” I laughed softly. “Let’s go inside.”
We got out of the car and I locked it behind us. I laced my fingers with hers and walked her up to the front door. I opened it up and walked inside with her behind me.
“Mom, dad!” I took off my shoes.
“Oh Alex, you’re here!” Mom walked out of the kitchen and came to give me a big hug. “And you must be Olivia!” Olivia went to shake her hand but was pulled into a mom hug instead. “Alex was right, you are beautiful.”
“Oh thank you.” Olivia blushed.
“Hey, where’s dad?” I asked.
“Oh he’s in his study, why don’t you go introduce Olivia while I go make dinner.” She walked back into the kitchen, something smelled amazing. I took Olivia’s hand and walked her down the hallway. I stopped at a door and pushed it open to see my dad at his desk.
“Hey dad.” I let go of Olivia’s hand and went up to his desk.
“Son, I haven’t seen you in so long!” He got up and pulled me into a long hug. “How was your tour?” He let go of me and held his hands on my shoulders.
“It was great, best tour yet.” I smiled. “And there’s somebody that I’d like you to meet.”
“Hi,” Olivia walked into the room and by my side.
“Dad, this is Olivia.” I gestured towards her.
“Well it’s so nice to finally meet you.” He shook her hand.
“And you too Mr. Gaskarth!” She responded cheerfully. So far this was going better than expected. Every time Lisa came over, they looked pretty un-approving. That’s probably because we broke up so many times and getting back together was just pointless. I need to stop comparing things to Lisa, Olivia is so much better than her.
“Oh please, call me Peter.” He smiled and nodded.
“Alright, let’s go see if dinner is ready.” I grabbed Olivia’s hand and walked her into the dining room to see my mom setting the table.
“Is dinner almost ready?” I asked.
“Almost.” She continued to set the table.
“Do you need any help Mrs. Gaskarth?” Olivia asked politely.
“Oh sure sweet heart, would you mind finishing setting the table?” She asked.
“Of course.” Olivia smiled and started arranging the plates.
“Alex, why don’t you grab some silverware and help her out,” I followed my mom into the kitchen to grab some forks and knives.
“You know, I think she’ll be better than that Lisa.” My mom said quietly while I was grabbing the forks.
“She is,” I assured her and went back out into the dining room to help Olivia set the table. She already had all over the plates and napkins set up.
“Hey baby, do we need cups or glasses for dinner?” She asked me while I put the silverware onto the napkins.
“I don’t know, why don’t you go ask my mom?” I smiled at her as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Olivia POV:
“Hey Mrs. Gaskarth?” I asked when I wandered into the kitchen.
“Oh Olivia please, call me Isobel.” She patted my shoulder and smiled.
“Okay, well Isobel, what are we drinking tonight?” I asked.
“Well you and Alex can go into the cellar and look for a nice bottle of wine.” She suggested. “And the wine glasses are in the china cabinet.”
“Alright thanks.” I started to walk out of the kitchen.
“Oh Olivia,” She stopped me. “Thanks for making him happy.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, a little confused.
“Well Lisa never made him truly happy, but when he’s with you, I can already tell that there’s a lot of love.” She smiled.
“Well, I love him too.” I smiled back. “You raised an amazing guy.” I went back out to the dining room to see Alex looking over his handy work.
“Hey.” He adjusted a napkin and looked back up at me.
“Want to go get some wine?” I asked.
“Yeah sure,” he walked down into what I guess is the basement. He flipped on a light switch and walked over to a cabinet.
“So we have white wines, red wines, some champagne…” He rubbed his chin as he studied the options. “Oh they have my favorite!” He grabbed a bottle of white wine and showed it to me.
“Alright, if you say it’s good.” I smiled and pecked his lips. I followed him back up the stairs and back into the dining room.
“I’ll get a bottle opener,” he went into the kitchen. I turned to face the cabinet and grabbed four wine glasses. I set them down in front of every plate.
“Alright,” Isobel walked into the dining room with a casserole and Alex followed her out with some green veggies and a bottle opener.
“Alex, sweetie why don’t you go tell your father that dinner’s ready.” She told him. He disappeared and came back a few minutes later with his father behind him. We all took a seat at the table and I chose a seat next to Alex. We dished ourselves up and started eating.
“So Olivia,” Peter broke the quietness at the table, “What do you do for a living?”
“Well, I have an advice column in a local magazine.” I told him. “And I’m also a college student.”
“Oh, really?” Isobel looked surprised. “What’s your major?”
“Journalism,” I replied.
“Well that sounds very promising.” Peter nodded.
“A bit surprising as well,” Isobel patted the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
“Not really,” Alex shook his head. “Rian’s super smart; I guess it runs in the family.”
“I wasn’t saying that she wasn’t intelligent Alex.” She set down her fork and shot him a look.
“Well dinner is amazing Isobel.” I tried to change the subject so there wouldn’t be any more awkwardness going on.
“Oh well thank you Olivia.” She beamed.
“And Alex, excellent choice.” Peter held up his glass.
“Thanks dad.” He smiled.
I was really excited for my parents to meet Olivia. But I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty nervous. I want my favorite people to get along. I mean, if my parents don’t like her, we’re both going to be crushed. But if they don’t, that won’t stop me from loving her.
“Is everything okay Lexy?” Olivia stroked my arm.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” I nodded.
“Do you want me to drive?” She asked. “You seem a little off.”
“No, I got it.” I sighed and rubbed her hand. “Just thinking.”
“Alright but I don’t want to get into a car accident.” She let go of my arm and looked out the window. I focused on the road and tried not to think too much about tonight.
I pulled into the driveway and heard a faint snoring sound.
“C’mon baby,” I gently shook Olivia’s shoulder, “Wake up, we’re here.”
“Hmm?” She opened her eyes and looked around the car. “Oh hey, we’re here.”
“That’s what I just said.” I laughed softly. “Let’s go inside.”
We got out of the car and I locked it behind us. I laced my fingers with hers and walked her up to the front door. I opened it up and walked inside with her behind me.
“Mom, dad!” I took off my shoes.
“Oh Alex, you’re here!” Mom walked out of the kitchen and came to give me a big hug. “And you must be Olivia!” Olivia went to shake her hand but was pulled into a mom hug instead. “Alex was right, you are beautiful.”
“Oh thank you.” Olivia blushed.
“Hey, where’s dad?” I asked.
“Oh he’s in his study, why don’t you go introduce Olivia while I go make dinner.” She walked back into the kitchen, something smelled amazing. I took Olivia’s hand and walked her down the hallway. I stopped at a door and pushed it open to see my dad at his desk.
“Hey dad.” I let go of Olivia’s hand and went up to his desk.
“Son, I haven’t seen you in so long!” He got up and pulled me into a long hug. “How was your tour?” He let go of me and held his hands on my shoulders.
“It was great, best tour yet.” I smiled. “And there’s somebody that I’d like you to meet.”
“Hi,” Olivia walked into the room and by my side.
“Dad, this is Olivia.” I gestured towards her.
“Well it’s so nice to finally meet you.” He shook her hand.
“And you too Mr. Gaskarth!” She responded cheerfully. So far this was going better than expected. Every time Lisa came over, they looked pretty un-approving. That’s probably because we broke up so many times and getting back together was just pointless. I need to stop comparing things to Lisa, Olivia is so much better than her.
“Oh please, call me Peter.” He smiled and nodded.
“Alright, let’s go see if dinner is ready.” I grabbed Olivia’s hand and walked her into the dining room to see my mom setting the table.
“Is dinner almost ready?” I asked.
“Almost.” She continued to set the table.
“Do you need any help Mrs. Gaskarth?” Olivia asked politely.
“Oh sure sweet heart, would you mind finishing setting the table?” She asked.
“Of course.” Olivia smiled and started arranging the plates.
“Alex, why don’t you grab some silverware and help her out,” I followed my mom into the kitchen to grab some forks and knives.
“You know, I think she’ll be better than that Lisa.” My mom said quietly while I was grabbing the forks.
“She is,” I assured her and went back out into the dining room to help Olivia set the table. She already had all over the plates and napkins set up.
“Hey baby, do we need cups or glasses for dinner?” She asked me while I put the silverware onto the napkins.
“I don’t know, why don’t you go ask my mom?” I smiled at her as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Olivia POV:
“Hey Mrs. Gaskarth?” I asked when I wandered into the kitchen.
“Oh Olivia please, call me Isobel.” She patted my shoulder and smiled.
“Okay, well Isobel, what are we drinking tonight?” I asked.
“Well you and Alex can go into the cellar and look for a nice bottle of wine.” She suggested. “And the wine glasses are in the china cabinet.”
“Alright thanks.” I started to walk out of the kitchen.
“Oh Olivia,” She stopped me. “Thanks for making him happy.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, a little confused.
“Well Lisa never made him truly happy, but when he’s with you, I can already tell that there’s a lot of love.” She smiled.
“Well, I love him too.” I smiled back. “You raised an amazing guy.” I went back out to the dining room to see Alex looking over his handy work.
“Hey.” He adjusted a napkin and looked back up at me.
“Want to go get some wine?” I asked.
“Yeah sure,” he walked down into what I guess is the basement. He flipped on a light switch and walked over to a cabinet.
“So we have white wines, red wines, some champagne…” He rubbed his chin as he studied the options. “Oh they have my favorite!” He grabbed a bottle of white wine and showed it to me.
“Alright, if you say it’s good.” I smiled and pecked his lips. I followed him back up the stairs and back into the dining room.
“I’ll get a bottle opener,” he went into the kitchen. I turned to face the cabinet and grabbed four wine glasses. I set them down in front of every plate.
“Alright,” Isobel walked into the dining room with a casserole and Alex followed her out with some green veggies and a bottle opener.
“Alex, sweetie why don’t you go tell your father that dinner’s ready.” She told him. He disappeared and came back a few minutes later with his father behind him. We all took a seat at the table and I chose a seat next to Alex. We dished ourselves up and started eating.
“So Olivia,” Peter broke the quietness at the table, “What do you do for a living?”
“Well, I have an advice column in a local magazine.” I told him. “And I’m also a college student.”
“Oh, really?” Isobel looked surprised. “What’s your major?”
“Journalism,” I replied.
“Well that sounds very promising.” Peter nodded.
“A bit surprising as well,” Isobel patted the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
“Not really,” Alex shook his head. “Rian’s super smart; I guess it runs in the family.”
“I wasn’t saying that she wasn’t intelligent Alex.” She set down her fork and shot him a look.
“Well dinner is amazing Isobel.” I tried to change the subject so there wouldn’t be any more awkwardness going on.
“Oh well thank you Olivia.” She beamed.
“And Alex, excellent choice.” Peter held up his glass.
“Thanks dad.” He smiled.
@BringMeBarakat
That's so sweet! Fun fact: writing the ending actually made me cry.
1/3/14