Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 24

Isaac didn't have Christmas dinner with his immediate family until the day after Christmas. They had spent the previous evening at his grandparents' home with his father's side of the family. In the early afternoon, he had been with extended family from his mother's side. He hadn't told anyone about Lexi because he only wanted to share it with her parents.

So when they asked him if anything was new with him during dinner that evening, Isaac was quick to reveal that he had a new girlfriend.

"No way!" Laura blurted. Her eyes went wide in an instant.

"Is this the same girl you told us about back at Thanksgiving?" his mother asked.

Isaac nodded to confirm her suspicions. "Yeah. Lexi and I decided to become a couple before we left for winter break."

His parents shared concerned looks, but his sister was beaming.

"That's awesome!" she exclaimed.

"Are you sure about this?" his father asked.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"It seems like you're rushing into things with this new girl. You and Cassie broke up back in February, and it's been...less than a year, I think? Yet you have a new girlfriend now."

"I didn't think of that. But I don't think I'm rushing into things at all, Dad. We started dating on a whim 'cause I realized that I enjoyed spending time with her more than I thought. It was nerve-wracking to even ask her out, but we clicked. I really like her, and I know she feels the same about me."

"How do you know?"

Isaac grinned. "She's told me."

His mother couldn't hide her concern. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Isaac answered. "We even started dating with the idea of letting things go wherever. Neither of us was looking to start a relationship, but it happened. And honestly, I'm happy with it 'cause it feels...right? I don't know how else to put it."

Again, his parents shared unconvinced faces. But they smiled at their son despite this.

"Well, I'm happy for you," Laura piped up. "I was wondering what was making you happier than usual. If being with this girl is the reason than I'm okay with it. It doesn't sound like you're making the wrong choice."

"Thanks, Laura," Isaac replied.

His parents relaxed at their kids' brief exchange but weren't as convinced as Laura was about her last point. While they could agree that Isaac seemed happier than he'd been since his untimely break-up with Cassie, they both believed it was too soon for him to be in another relationship.

His father still held onto that thought the next morning when he and Isaac had coffee together. He had more questions for his son that he'd neglected to ask during dinner, so he decided to take up the opportunity now before Isaac had to return to school.

"I need to ask this 'cause I'm your father: does Lexi make you happy?"

Isaac nodded. "She has a beautiful smile that's infectious, she can make me laugh, she's smart, and she's been really understanding and patient throughout everything. She wants to take things slow, too."

"Really? Is that because of your break-up?"

"That's part of it. But it's also 'cause she hasn't been in a relationship in years. This is kind of a big deal for both of us."

His father grinned with a small nod. "Well...your mother and I want to meet her at some point. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you."

"That's fine, but she might not be able to make it out here anytime soon," Isaac cautioned. "It'd have to be over the phone or on video chat sometime in the future."

"I'm sure we can make something work," his father said.

"Oh, yeah," Isaac replied. "I'll let her know, and we'll figure out how to get her to meet you."

***

Lexi returned to her New York City apartment several days before Nikita, Isaac, and their friends. That was because her original flight had been scheduled during a predicted blizzard that had the potential to delay or outright cancel her journey home. So her parents had insisted on changing her flight to happen earlier than planned. It wasn't ideal— after all, Lexi had wanted to spend as much time with her family as possible— but she was glad that they'd made the change to help her out.

Once she'd made it home in one piece and had called her parents to inform them of her safe arrival, Lexi spent the first day unpacking and decompressing after enduring the two long flights. It wasn't until the next day that she found herself truly enjoying the peace and quiet of having the apartment to herself for a little bit. After putting away her groceries, she sat in the living room with her laptop and a freshly brewed cup of coffee. She began scrolling through a couple of social media platforms but soon found herself staring at the WIP she'd started working on last year.

I've barely touched this since my last failed attempt during summer, she realized as guilt filled her stomach. I need to try and get back into writing 'cause I miss it so damn much.

At first, her fingers slowly tapped away on her keyboard. Slowly but surely though, she gained more confidence as she found herself enjoying what appeared on her laptop screen. She only took a break to briefly sip her coffee until it was almost empty and cold. She soon became absorbed in the story she was trying to tell.

Lexi didn't realize that she'd been writing for several hours until her phone suddenly went off, interrupting her train of thought. She stared at the time for a moment in disbelief before giggling softly. As unexpected as it'd been, she wasn't about to complain. She snapped out of her thoughts to read her newest text.

Isaac: Hey, Lexi! Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time...just wanted to say hi.

Lexi: Hey, how's it going?

Isaac: Good, thanks. How's break?

Lexi: It went by WAY too fast. I had to fly back to NYC early 'cause there might be a blizzard when I was supposed to fly back. My parents didn't want to risk me dealing with delays and shit, so I left early. Other than that, it was nice. You?

Isaac: It's great! I'm happy to spend time with my parents and sister. I also saw some extended family.

Lexi: That's awesome!

Isaac: It was.

A brief pause occurred, making Lexi think that Isaac was already done talking to her. But he resumed things a few minutes later— except things suddenly went in a different direction.

Isaac: Okay...I didn't text you just to say hi. I texted you to see when we could go out again.

Lexi: LOL alright. When will you be back?

Isaac: Not sure yet, but I'll text you when I know. Wanna just go to The Bean's Knees again?

Lexi: Sure! I'm looking forward to seeing you.

Isaac: Me too, babe. I gotta go now, but I'll text you when I know when I'll be back.

Lexi: Talk to you later!

With their conversation now over, Lexi smiled over Isaac referring to her as "babe". It was a small thing, but she couldn't stop smiling nonetheless.

I hope he comes back sooner than later, she thought as she stretched herself out on her couch. She shoved her laptop out of the way to revel in the idea of him returning to New York City in a matter of days.