The Mates Bond

Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight
Mom and Dad

"Is it me or does it feel weird being back here?" Val whispered as we both sat in our parents living room, our mom in the kitchen and dad upstairs.

I nodded, what's more I was playing with the empty area on my finger where my engagement ring had sat previously for the past two weeks now.

"I see you still haven't broke the news to mom and dad about your getting married."

I quieted her, "I'm not getting married."

She gave me a deadpan expressed and I rolled my eyes. "YET...I'm not getting married yet." I ammended and she smiled almosy annoyingly. "And what about you, you tell them you've moved out?"

"Mom knows i've been seeing someone, just haven't told her how serious it is."

"And how serious is it gonna be when she asks you?" I asked wanting to know exactly what she'd tell our parents.

She shrugged "Oh you know...just decorating our house serious."

I smiled at her and I couldn't help but remember when Braxton and I had done the exact same thing.

Just then our mom walked into the living room and smiled at us. "I've missed my girls so much." She said as she took a seat in her favorite chair before she called down for our father. He joined us shortly after and soon we found ourselves just sort of looking at each other as we awaited one of our parents to speak.

"Everything okay?" I asked in an attempt to kill the silence.

My mom smiled alongside our dad but it was our dad who spoke up on behalf of both of them. "This last year has been so wonderful for your mother and I."

"We could have never done any of it if we thought you girls still needed us around." Our mom put in.

"What do you mean?" Val asked a little hurt, "Of course we still need you around."

Mom and Dad both shook their heads 'no,' "My girls...you may want us around and that's normal as we are a family forever...but your Dad and I don't have to be here as you are both grown, fully functioning adults."

"What are you saying?" I asked now.

"Your Mom and I have given it a lot of thought, and we've decided to sell the house...now I know this may cause a bit of a stir as Valerie you are currently still living here and you are both use to this house being your home for the past few years...but I can assure you both that no matter where we do end up living it will always be home...even if it is a caravan."

"A caravan?!" Val asked for clarification. "You guys are seriously gonna just travel forever?"

Mom shrugged, "as long as we are able...perhaps one day we will move back to be near you girls again, but it will be in a much smaller house."

It was so weird to think of my parents not being there all of a sudden.

I mean I understand they've been gone a lot but it was always with the assumption that they'd be back after their trip, before their next adventure...then I felt guilty...like I should have spent more time with them.

But I knew I couldn't be selfish, and they seemed to be happy with this chosen lifestyle.

"Now Valerie..." Mom said getting our attention once more. "We don't want you to feel like we're putting you out and your father and I will even pay for an apartment for a few months...-"

"Oh it's cool, I've been living with my boyfriend." She announced cooly.

"You've been staying with your boyfriend?" Dad asked.

Val smiled and nodded, "Yeah, he just finished renovating his house so we've been shopping to fix it up more to our tastes..."

"And how long have you been seeing this young man?" Mom asked more than a little concerned. Again, Val hasn't always had an easy go when it comes to guys so I could see how they'd be more than a little concerned.

But my sister rolled her eyes, "like just over a few months...but you guys don't have anything to worry about...Trace is different, he loves me." She blushed. "Ask H...She knows him."

"Oh, yes...yes Trace is very, very in love with Val, and he's a really good guy, he's actually friends with Braxton, a great leader in his community, extremely close to family and seriously Mom he absolutely dotes on Val hand and foot."

"I'm in good hands guys." She added with a smile.

They seemed to be contented with our answers, "And what about you Harper?" Dad asked. "Everything with you and Braxton going well?"

I smiled now, "As well as can be expected...He's busy with work most days, but we're good."

I caught Val's eye and she was looking at me trying to silently tell them about my engagement but I ignored her as mom began talking again.

"You both know, we love you and just want the best for you." Dad said kindly.

"And you know Harper, your father and I only really got to meet Braxton briefly once before...I'm wondering, how about we have a big family dinner?" Mom suggested excited now. "Harper you can bring Braxton, and Valerie honey you can bring your boyfriend Trace."

Dad sighed and got up, "I've got some work to do."

'Work?'

Valerie and I looked at each other...dads retired, what work could he have to do.

I guess he wasn't too keen on officially meeting the guys his daughters were officially with.

"I can stay and help you mom...I just have to call Brax and let him know about the dinner so he doesn't make any plans for this evening." I filled her in.

"And I have a class, but Trace and I will be here for sure...need anything while I'm out?" She asked.

Of course mom didn't need anything and soon Valerie was off.

I was all alone with my mom.

"I can't believe you and your sister have boyfriends...Valerie has always been so easy with her affections towards guys...but you Harper, you've always been so much more reserved...but you're happy with your boyfriend?"

Now and I felt this nagging pull deep in my stomach to confess that Braxton and I aren't just boy friend and girlfriend...we are so much more than that.

Of course I couldn't tell her about Mates... it I could tell her about the engagement.

I smiled and nodded, "I am mom, I love Braxton so very much...can I tell you something?"

It was now or never, and who knew how she'd react to finding out...at least this way she'd get all the embarrassing reactions out of the way before Braxton arrives later on.

She took a seat on one of the stools in the kitchen near the island and I explained how Braxton and I were engaged.

"No ring?" She asked.

I smiled a little, "He proposed with a beautiful ring...I just didn't want to catch you and dad off guard by flashing it around."

"Well you'll have to break the news to your father...not that either of us are exactly surprised...you know your father half expected you to already be married while we were gone what with Elise married...-"

"Oh that reminds me." I said as I opened my purse now and pulled out an inviation, "Its a gender reveal invitation."

Her eyes were wide and I had to ammend the situation as I could see she assumed it was my babyshower.

"No, no, no, no...it's not for me mom...Mariah and Patrick are having a baby and Ellie and I are hosting, Mariah wanted you and dad to come if you wouldn't mind."

She seemed to breathe easier as she even smiled a little, "I'll see if we can make it, if not I'd love to get her a gift regardless...now, how about you go and tell your dad what's going on in your life."

I nodded.

Easier said than done though as my Dad and I had been extremely close, something tells me he wouldn't be as welcoming to the idea that I was engaged as Mom was.