After our long drive from Detroit airport to my hometown, I was exhausted from trying to stay away to direct Alex on where to drive along the expressways. Once we pulled into my parents’ driveway, I got out of the car and stretched myself out as far as I could.
“I am so getting us a taxi next time. I’ll pay the huge fare if it lets me relax in with you,” Alex yawned from being so bored driving the entire way up here.
“It’ll be worth it. Trust me,” I directed his attention to my parents’ rather large house in front of us.
“Are you loaded,” Alex asked at the size of the house.
“No, I’m just one of five kids so we needed the space. Plus my parents have nice jobs to afford this bad boy,” I looked and saw four other cars that had parked in the driveway with us, “Looks like my brothers are here too. This will be interesting.”
“Everything will be fine,” Alex said soothingly as he got our bags from the trunk.
“I hope so,” I linked up my arm with his and guided him to the door.
I knocked on the dark cherry red door, hoping my mom would answer and not one of my brothers. My prayers were answered when my mom opened the door, smiling happily at us.
“Alex! Bonnie! Welcome, come on in. We’ve been waiting for you guys to get here,” my mom greeted us as we walked in.
“There’s my daughter and her lucky boyfriend,” my dad greeted us, taking me into a hug and then Alex after he set the bag down for a moment to remove his jacket.
“It’s great to see you again, Mr. Howell,” Alex replied kindly to my dad.
“Please Alex, call me James,” I was thrown off by the fact my dad just encouraged first name basis with Alex. He must really like Alex.
“We’ll help you get your bags into your room. You two will share Bonnie’s old room for your stay. Please follow me,” my mom took the lead, Alex and I followed behind her, and my dad took up the rear with our bags.
Once we got to the door to my room, I saw that they didn’t change it. My name was still on the door in Ravens purple with the team’s crest under my name. My mom opened the door and my black and purple bedspread was still there, freshly made like I had never left. My dad set our bags down by my bed and left the room first.
“I’ll go back to the boys, they’ll want to know you’re here,” my dad said before leaving.
“I’ll make sure to have towels ready for both of you to shower and what not tomorrow morning,” my mom said before leaving. I looked to Alex to see if he had enough energy to go downstairs to meet my brothers.
“Do you have enough energy to meet my brothers,” I asked him.
“Yeah I have enough to go meet them,” Alex replied.
“We won’t tell them about the baby or engagement until dinner tomorrow,” I told him.
“That’s fine with me,” Alex agreed.
“I suggest getting on something warm, I smelled the bonfire burning when we pulled up,” I told him.
“Sweet, I like bonfires,” Alex grinned and grabbed two of his hoodies from his bag and handed one to me so I could be warm.
I walked us out to the fire pit and I saw my three older brothers, each of them was sitting in a chair with their wives on their laps. My oldest nephew, Jake who was 10, was next to his dad, Travis, in his own chair. My niece, Natalie, was in her own little toddler chair by her dad, Bryan. Little baby Matthew was in his mother’s arms with his dad, Dustin. Nathan was sitting a chair with his high school girlfriend, Maggie, in his lap. I was really nervous to introduce Alex to my brothers. They were all around 6’2” and were much bigger than Alex in the sense of muscle mass. The only lanky brother I have is Travis since he played soccer all through high school and college and coaches it now.
“Hey guys, this is Alex,” I said as we got to the fire and my brothers saw me.
“Bonnie,” Nathan cheered as he got Maggie off him and he slammed into me, hugging me tightly. I could see Alex was nervous, afraid he might have crushed our little baby.
“I’ve missed you, Natey. How have you been,” I asked him when he released me.
“School’s been rough. You could have warned me college was going to be hard,” he replied.
“You pick ROTC. You should have guessed it would be harder,” I told him.
“So, Bonnie, what’s Alex to you,” Travis asked. Damn it, I guess we’ll have to tell them about the engagement to get it over with. I’ll tell them about being pregnant tomorrow night.
“Alex is my fiancé,” I answered proudly. I watched Travis’s, Dustin’s, and Bryan’s jaws drop. They thought I’d never get engaged before I’d turn 30. I just proved them wrong.
“When did this happen,” Dustin asked.
“The other day when I helped Bonnie pack up her apartment in Orlando,” Alex answered as he took a seat in one of the remaining chairs, pulling me into his lap after he settled in.
“Wow, I’m happy for you, Bon-Bon,” Bryan commented. I hated that nickname he gave me.
“Don’t call me that,” I blushed with embarrassment.
“Awe, Bonnie’s blushing. She never told him about all the fun times we’ve had together growing up,” Dustin teased.
“Boys, leave the girl be. She’s newly engaged to the best guy we’ve ever seen her with and he makes her super happy. Be nice,” Mom stepped in.
“Does he know about your anxiety,” Travis asked.
“Yes, I do. I have it too,” Alex answered as he hugged me to him tighter, “And we’ve helped each other through our issues and fought off our attacks.”
“Okay, I approve of you. If you can help my sister with her weaknesses, I can see that you’ll make her very happy,” Travis smiled and got his wife off his lap to shake Alex’s hand.
“I agree with Trav on that too,” Nathan agreed and shook Alex’s hand.
“I wouldn’t have given my blessing if I didn’t think he was perfect for Bonnie,” my dad commented as he placed a hand on my shoulder and his other on Alex’s.
“So where will you live since you’re leaving Orlando,” Bryan asked.
“Nyssa and I are moving to Baltimore. I’m going to live with Alex while she lives with her boyfriend, Jack,” I told them.
“Jack is my band mate and best friend since I was in eighth grade. The girls are actually going to be traveling with us to the UK and Europe next week to take up their new jobs as a part of our crew. They’ll be running our street team for us,” Alex added.
“Wait, you’re in a band,” Dustin asked.
“What one,” Travis added to the question.
“I’m in the band All Time Low,” Alex started.
“He sings and plays rhythm guitar,” I finished his answer.
“Wait, he’s in the band you’ve idolized since you were a senior in high school,” Dustin asked.
“Yeah, he is,” I told him.
♪Alex♪
“So Alex, how did you meet our sister,” Bryan asked me.
“Well, Bonnie and Nyssa were going to be attending our concert at the House of Blues. I was about to round the corner of the block I was taking a stroll on to clear my head and relax my nerves, when I ran into Bonnie. I nearly knocked her to the ground, but I caught her before she could hit the pavement. I helped her up and I fell for her the moment I looked into her hazel eyes. I invited her and Nyssa to come chill with me and my band mates on our bus,” I told them, always glancing at Bonnie to see her smile at the memories, “After that, I invited the girls to stay on the tour with us and the rest was history. We started dating and I looked after her and coaxed out of a couple attacks. I always stuck by her side, no matter how hard it had become due to her attacks.”
“What he means was I ran out of my prescription for my anxiety meds that help me manage my anxiety. When the bombing happened in Boston, I got triggered in my first attack in two months. Alex brought me back out of it, but I started to have issues holding onto a sense of normalcy. I had two more attacks, getting worse with each one. I finally got the help I needed and I got better,” Bonnie explained.
“Then just before we came into Detroit for our show that was at the Fillmore, I lost control of my anxiety and I had an attack. Bonnie, fought off her anxiety to be strong for me and coaxed me back as best as she could,” I added.
“I recently almost had an attack when we were in LA since Nyssa and I got dragged into a battle with the press thank to Holly Madison, Jack’s ex-girlfriend,” Bonnie was getting to where I helped her slay her monsters, “I felt another attack coming on as Nyssa had a meltdown over what was happening. But Alex kept me from falling into another attack. He helped me overcome the monsters that had built up on me over the years. Now I’ve been able to manage my anxiety with too much effort now.”
“Alex, welcome to the family. You are not allowed to abandon her, ever,” Travis was shocked by the entire story of what Bonnie and I have been through.
“I agree. If you try to leave her, I will lock you up in jail myself,” Bryan threatened.
“And I’ll lock your ass up in solitary and make up excuses to beat your ass with a baton,” Dustin added.
“Guys, don’t scare him. I wouldn’t let him leave me, I love him too much to let him go,” Bonnie made her brothers relax just by looking at me with a loving smile.
“I couldn’t bring myself to leave her anyway; I love her too much to abandon her. Not after everything we’ve faced together. That and my parents would kill me if I left her,” I told them.
I was actually surprised by how well Bonnie got along with her brother with me here. I thought they’d harass her or ignore her. Instead, they actually love her and care about her. I guess she felt like they were drifting away from her since they were starting their own lives and wanted her to do the same.
I know I can’t wait to marry her. I can’t even wait to hold our baby in my arms in about eight more months. I love Bonnie so much, and I’m glad I ran into her in Orlando. She’s made me happier and I can finally let go of my demons and never let them haunt me again.