"Are you sure we're still invited to go to your parents for Christmas this year babe?" Stacee's face paled a bit as he drove, thinking about all of the people that would surely be at the house, waiting for them.
The pair were driving out of California to Colorado where Constance's parents' lived. They were invited to come down there for the winter and finally get to experience what a "White Christmas" exactly was. Constance, without hesitation agreed to coming down, dragging Stacee with her. Of course, he wasn't as excited as she was, which was a given.
"Of course we still are! Why wouldn't we be? Besides, my family wants to meet you!" Constance looked over at him, smiling. "We can't just not show up, it'll make us look bad; and first impressions are everything!"
Stacee nodded, his hand tightening around the steering wheel as he drove.
"So how much does your dad weigh?"
Constance gave him a hearty laugh in response.
"Oh relax! You'll be fine; my dad'll hopefully like you. He probably just won't like your career choice; not like he likes mine anyway." She ended her sentence with an eye roll.
"But you're a reporter! You know the latest in pop culture! Why wouldn't your dad like that? I'm a rock star that's 95% of the time drunk and writes songs about sex, heartbreak, and all of that!"
"He wouldn't like that because my father wanted me to be a nurse or something boring like that, so him knowing I actually perused this as a career may distract him from your set up here, or maybe attract him to it even more. It depends on his mood really."
"That did not help me whatsoever, Constance."
She turned to him as he drove and grinned at him.
"You don't need help; you're Stacee Jaxx."
He huffed at her responsive and turned the car to the next exit off the highway.
"So what is your family like? Might as well know what I'm up against."
Constance chuckled at him and sighed.
"Well, you have my mother who practically loves everyone when she gives them a chance. She's really bubbly and caring and you'll grow to like her. My dad... Well he's a great dad and all but at times he can get really narrow minded and very stubborn in his ideas. He'll like you but you'll have to give him some time, he's not all that thrilled with the idea that I have a boyfriend, he still views me as a kid. My older brother Jared is a complete pain in the ass but you'll definitely like him. A lot. Then there's my younger sister Diana who's a complete bitch to anyone who won't take the time to sit down with her and serve tea to her dollies."
Stacee chuckled. "Your sister sounds like the most fun in you family"
"Oh I'm not done! And she has this obsession with ribbons and with your long hair she'll make wonders with just a few pieces of ribbon and if you give her the chance to
tie them into your hair. She wants to be a beautician when she gets older."
Stacee couldn't help but to laugh a little more. "Well when I'm drunk, make sure I'm nowhere near her. Who else is gonna be there?"
"Hmm, well there's my Aunt Tina and my Uncle James who are really sweet. They were real supportive of my career choice and actually got me my first word processor for my birthday! They'll like you; hell, they like pretty much everything I do."
Stacee snickered "You do me a little too much."
Constance gave him a dirty look. "Then there's my Nana, she's just glad that I'm finally in a relationship and she practically planned out my wedding!"
Stacee smirked a bit. "Oh I bet she'll be let down when she sees the wreck that's your boyfriend."
"Hmm, but the thing is is that she does enjoy some of your songs that came on when I would play my vinyl in the house a while ago. When she finds out I went on to go out with you, she'll probably cast that to the side."
"Well it sounds like most of your family will like me-"
"I'm not finished yet. I do have my brother's wife I forgot to mention earlier. She's very. . . Ahh... She doesn't like your music or what you stand for."
"So you have one of those prim and proper ladies in your family too?"
"Sadly. But the thing is is that my brother is all into the rock music and the look and whatnot and they somehow got married."
"Maybe she secretly likes all that stuff."
Constance laughed a little. "I doubt that; she is worse than Mrs. Whitmore was; if she was in the same position as she was, she definitely would have banned all of that 'Satanic music' you and other artists create already."
Stacee nodded his head, taking all of the new found information in. "Well, I'll do my best to charm her into liking me."
"That'll be wise of you. Oh here, make the left here!"
He turned the steering wheel sharply, jolting the car to the left before he pulled into the almost overcrowded driveway. He sighed, gripping the steering wheel.
"I'll admit, this is the first time I've ever met a girl's family, Constance. . . "
"Look at me!" Constance took his face in her hands and turned it to hers.
He blinked at her, breathing out. "I am. And your eyes are so pretty, is it a new brand of mascara?"
She sighed, rolling her eyes and smiling at him. "No it actually isn't, I just used the brush differently. But listen to me, just calm down okay? You'll be okay. I mean you're adorable when you get all shy and nervous like this-"
"Shut up."
"BUT! You need to take a deep breath and relax. You'll be okay; okay?"
Stacee turned off the car engine, pulling out the keys and cramming them into his pocket.
"Fine fine."
"Try to have fun tonight, alright?"
She ducked her face into his, giving him a quick kiss. He went to kiss her back, touching her face but she pulled back.
"No, that can wait until later."
Constance smiled at him and he rolled his eyes at her. "Fucking tease you are."
She opened up her car door, stepping out of it. "You know it."
He followed her out of the car and up to the front door of her parents' house. She raised her hand to knock at the door and the two waited for the door to be answered. Constance shivered, immediately rubbing at her arms for warmth.
"Crap, I didn't think that it would be so cold! I don't think I like all this snow."
Stacee chuckled softly at her, rubbing his hands from arms down and back up vigorously to warm her up. "Just gotta get used to it, babe. And we won't be out all day so it'll be alright!" He kissed her temple and smiled at her.
The both of them looked down at the doorknob that was turning until the door was pulled open, light from the house illuminating the two at the entrance. A petite woman greeted them at the door, her blond hair seemed to be glowing due to the lights on at the house. Her eyes immediately fixed onto Constance and her bright red lips broke out into a wide grin.
"Constance!" The woman opened her arms up and engulfed the younger woman in them. "Oh my baby I've missed you so much!"
Constance laughed and let her hug her, hugging the woman back. "It's great to see you, Mom! How have you been?"
"Oh wonderful darling!" Her mother's gaze left her daughter to the man next to her. "And is this. . . ?"
Stacee smiled at her mother, offering out his hand. "It's a pleasure I finally meet you, Mrs. Sa-"
He was cut off by the grip of Mrs. Sack's hug of death, squeezing around his waist.
"Call me Suzanne! Oh it's such a treat that you were able to come! Welcome welcome, ahm. . . "
"Steven; Steve Jackson. But you probably know me as Stacee Jaxx."
Mrs. Sack gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "The Stacee Jaxx, lead singer of Arsenal?" She looked at her daughter. "MY daughter is dating THE Stacee Jaxx?"
"Yes but Ma-"
"Oh this is extraordinary! Oh come in come in!"
She grabbed the two by the wrists, tugging them to the best of her ability. "Everyone! Constance and her boyfriend are finally here! And he's in a band too!"
Constance immediately groaned. "Ma, the neighbors can probably hear you!"
A window from the house next door snapped open. "Stacee Jaxx?!"
Mrs. Sack had already closed the front door on the tens of other 'What?'s and 'Stacee Jaxx?'s, leading the two into the living room where most of Constance's family waited for them Stacee took in the scene that was created before him; the warmth of the home, having so many people together, it felt so new to him after not being around his own family for decades now. Just being in this room with some many people that were close to Constance felt unnatural. He exhaled the built up breath in his lungs and Constance squeezed his hand in comfort, giving him a cue to squeeze back.
The first one to rise was a middle aged man, no more than 5'8 with a average built for that height. On his face he wore a mustache and his chin was a bit furrier than Stacee had imagined it to be. The man - Stacee was guessing her father now - had a scar under his left eye, making his face look colder and more stern than he wished it would be. He walked and made his way to them, first looking at Constance and smiling at her.
"How's my baby girl been?" he said as he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her cheek. "I've missed you, Constance."
Constance smiled at her father and hugged him back, laughing a bit as she kissed his forehead. "It's been a while, Dad."
He set her back down onto the ground and chuckled. "Too long. How have you been?"
"Great! It's great to finally be able to see you!" Constance glanced over at Stacee. "Oh uh, everyone, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Steven. But I think you know him as-"
"STACEE?!" The man in his mid twenties that sat in the armchair by the fireplace sprung up to his feet, his face in shock. "The rocker that you got to interview, Stacee Jaxx? I read your article in the Rolling Stones, Connie!"
Constance glared at her older brother, quickly looking at her father for any change in emotion. "Jared! I'm so GLAD to see you!" she scurried over to him and gave him a hug, purposely having his neck in a choking like lock around her arms.
"Conni- Hey! Choking, not breathing!"
Her father tuned to Stacee, nodding his head and holding out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you, son."
Stacee trembled slightly, taking the older man's hand and shaking it. "It's nice to get to meet you too, Mr. Sack." he nodded as he spoke.
"Oh my, is that Constance I see here? And is that your boyfriend too?" Another woman came out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of chips and setting it on the table.
"Oh Tina, I would have done that!" Suzanne called, going into the kitchen to bring more refreshments out.
Constance grinned wildly as she locked eyes with her aunt, going over to her and hugging her tightly. "Aunt Tina! I've missed you so much!"
She laughed, hugging her niece back. "So have I, how have you been?"
"Great!"
The two erupted into small talk, leaving Stacee to awkwardly go through with introducing himself to her family alone. He came to the conclusion after a while that his favorite person in her family was probably her Uncle James. He was so down to earth and humble as he talked to him and it made Stacee more comfortable about her family. As they talked, merely about nonsense, Stacee caught the sight of another woman in the kitchen, sipping at a glass of wine, staring straight at him. He soon came to the realization that that was Jared's crazy anti-Satanic wife; and she was staring right at him, like a tigress cornering her prey. She continued to sip her wine, keeping her eyes straight on him. He merely shook off her threatening glares and focused on James.
Suzanne popped out of the kitchen and smiled her always cheerful smile. "Dinner's ready everyone!"