Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 28

A week after his birthday, Isaac invited Lexi over to his home while his roommates were elsewhere. The couple weren't about to have another date; instead, Isaac had invited his girlfriend over so that she could meet his parents. But traveling to Buffalo was out of the question because he didn't have his own car. So, he had decided to set up a video chat on his laptop.

"I know it's not the same as meeting them in person, but it's better than nothing," he remarked as he finished setting everything up.

"That's okay," Lexi replied with an understanding grin. "I'm nervous to meet them, but also excited."

Isaac smiled at his girlfriend's eager attitude. "Me too. I'm gonna start the chat now. Are you ready?"

At this, Lexi fixed her wavy blonde hair and adjusted her black T-shirt. She then smiled wider and nodded. "I'm good."

Isaac chuckled as the chat started up. He had to wait a moment or so before his parents responded. Their faces soon appeared on his laptop screen.

"Can you hear me?"

His father nodded. "Yep! And we can hear you, too. How 'bout you?"

"I can hear you," Isaac replied. He paused to chuckle again. "Hey, Mom!"

"Hi, honey. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. How are you guys?"

"We're good," Isaac's father piped up.

His mother smiled softly. "We're doing fine, dear. Are you gonna introduce us to your new girlfriend?"

Isaac turned over to Lexi. "Do you wanna introduce yourself?"

"Sure," she replied. She cleared her throat and steadied her growing nerves. "My name's Alexandra Cole, but you can call me Lexi."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Lana, and this is my husband, James," his mother said.

"You're a very pretty young lady," his father added.

"Dad!" Isaac scolded, clearly embarrassed.

Lexi laughed it off. "It's okay. Thank you for the compliment."

"So, Lexi," Isaac's mother interjected, "I understand you're from San Diego, California?"

"Yes. I've lived there all my life before I started at NYU. My parents are also lifelong residents."

"And what do they do for a living?"

"My dad's a trauma surgeon, and my mom's a criminal prosecutor."

Isaac's parents exchanged stunned looks. A nervous giggle left Lexi's lips, much to her annoyance.

"Wow— a doctor and a lawyer? They must be well off then," Isaac's father commented.

Lexi ignored what she perceived to be a dig at her parents. "They're good at what they do, at least from what I've heard. They're also good people. I'm an only child, and they always made sure to put me first before their careers."

"That's good," Isaac's mother replied.

"It must've been hard to be so far from home then," his father chimed in.

"Yeah, but it forced me to become extremely independent, which is a good thing," Lexi explained. "I needed to make such a big move, and I think my parents saw that, too. They've been very supportive."

Isaac's mother grinned. "That's great to hear."

"I'm curious— how did you and Isaac meet?" his father asked.