Kyle’s mother stands as we enter the room, her eyes light up as she gives us a wide smile. She looks mid-to-late forties with deep red hair that is twisted into a bun at the back of her head. She wears a deep green dress that compliments her hair perfectly. She’s about the same height as me and has curves that any woman would kill for. She is the embodiment of perfection. Without a doubt, any woman would kill to look like her when they reach her age. Although she is Kyle's biological aunt, the resemblance is still there.
Kyle’s father stands next to his wife. He is tall, around six foot three. He is well built and very attractive for a man his age. His hair short cropped hair, the ends turning silver, a light beard covers his face. He’s dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt and black pants.
“Mom, dad, this is Hayley.” He looks down and smiles at me. “Hayley, this is my mom, Ellen, and my dad, Nathaniel,” Kyle introduces. “Luke, you’ve already met.”
His mom walks over to me with a kind smile. She reaches out to me, embracing me. “It is so lovely to meet you, Hayley, welcome to our home.”
“Oh, you too. Thank you for having me, Mrs King.”
“You’re more than welcome, darling, and please, call me Ellen.”
Kyle’s dad joins his wife, taking my hand and leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. “We’re so glad to have you.”
“Thank you.”
“Nice to see you again, Hayley,” Luke says as he makes his way over to us, pulling me into a hug.
“Yeah, you too, Luke.” Luke holds me against him for a while longer, not seeming to want to let go any time soon.
Kyle coughs. “Okay, that’s enough, hands off my girl, brother.”
“Just being polite, Hayley, babe, back me up here,” he says with a mischievous grin, giving me a wink, causing me to giggle.
“Don’t push it, man,” Kyle warns playfully, shoving his shoulder playfully.
Luke squares up, his hands balling into fists as he bounces on his feet, dancing around Kyle, a huge mischievous grin on his face. “You want a piece of me, bro? Huh?”
Kyle knocks Luke’s raised fists away, slapping him on the head gently before pulling him into a hug, one arm wrapped around Luke’s neck, his lips stretched into a huge smile.
I love seeing him like this. So carefree and natural, it’s so unlike him.
“Come on you two, dinner is almost ready,” his mom announces. She turns to me and links her arm through mine, guiding me alongside her into the dining room.
We take our seats at the table, Kyle taking a seat next to me, his father at the head of the table and Luke opposite me. His mom comes into the room carrying plates and trays full of food, setting them down in the center of the table in front of us before taking her seat at the other end of the table opposite her husband.
“All of you, help yourselves,” his mother says.
We pass around plates full of food, steak, roasted vegetables, and potatoes before we begin eating.
“So, what do you do Hayley?” Ellen asks.
“I work at my uncle's diner in Queens. It’s not my dream job, but I enjoy it.”
“Did you attend college?”
“I had planned to, but, um, my mom... she died, and I didn’t end up going.”
I feel Kyle place his hand on top of my leg under the table, squeezing, comfortingly.
“I am so sorry to hear that," she says. "What would you have studied, had you gone?”
“To be honest, I’m not really sure, whenever I’ve thought about it, I’ve always seen myself as a teacher, like a kindergarten teacher, or a child counselor or something, something with children.”
“I run a charity to help underprivileged children. You’re more than welcome to help out, anytime."
“That sounds great, thank you.”
We finish eating dinner and I follow Ellen into the kitchen with the dishes after insisting I help. We load the dishwasher and begin cleaning down the kitchen.
“You don’t realise how much it means to have you here,” she says. “It makes Nathaniel and I so happy to see that Kyle has found you.”
“I’m happy I found him too. I never thought I'd find anything like this.”
She turns her body to me, leaning her hip against the countertop. “You know, in all his twenty-six years, Kyle has not once brought a girl home to meet us.”
“What?” I gasp. “How is that possible?”
“He obviously didn’t think any of them were worthy of meeting us.”
Tears burn the backs of my eyes.
I mean something to him. He’s never brought anyone home. I’m the first girl they have ever been introduced to as Kyle’s girlfriend.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” she asks.
A tear trickles down my cheek as I nod.
“Oh, sweetheart.” She wraps her arms around me and lets me cry softly into her shoulder.
“Everything okay in here?” Kyle asks with a worried look, as he rounds the corner into the kitchen, seeing me crying in his mother’s arms.
Ellen releases me and I wipe my eyes as discreetly as I can.
I face him and smile. “Yeah, of course.”
Kyle doesn’t seem convinced.
“Hayley, would you like dessert?” Ellen asks.
“Thank you, but no. After the meal you cooked, I don’t think I’ll be eating for a week,” I joke.
“Okay, honey. I’ll leave you two to it. Oh, did you bring your bags in with you?"
“Yeah, they’re by the front door,” Kyle replies.
“I’ll go and take them to your room for
