A/N: I'm back with more McCords! Enjoy! Side note, this story is getting so long that I think this may be the last major subplot before I find an end. Don't worry, that only means I'll be able to start a new story, at a different point in their relationship!
Elizabeth and Henry woke up not to gentle rays of sun streaming through the windows, or a blaring alarm clock, but an entirely different sound coming from downstairs. The front door to the row house fell closed loudly, shutting with a thump, and they heard a faint "have a good day," echoing from the hall as the lock clicked.
Pat McCord had gone off to work. Elizabeth and Henry were now definitely awake, yawning and stretching, disentangling themselves from one another as they rolled out of the twin bed. Still enveloped in a comfortable silence, Henry opened the blinds and let the early morning sunlight fill the room. Elizabeth strode over to him then, and tucked herself into his arms, yawning again. She smiled up at him, and he returned the gaze, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Morning," he mumbled, running a hand over his face and rubbing the last remnants of sleep from his eyes. She giggled at his messy hair and smoothed it back into place, pecking his cheek.
"Coffee?" she asked, her eyes still hooded with sleep. He nodded and they linked hands, threading their fingers together as they padded down the stairs in search of caffeine and food.
They entered the kitchen to find June sitting at the table with a steaming mug of coffee and the morning newspaper, flipping through the pages as she took sips from her cup. She looked up to see her son and his girlfriend shuffling tiredly across the linoleum floor, their brains foggy with sleep.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully. "You two are rays of sunshine in the morning,"
June added, chuckling at their obvious fatigue.
Elizabeth blushed and dipped her head. "Good morning," she replied, trying to seem more awake and not like a zombie that had just risen from a months-long hibernation. June just laughed and pointed over at a steaming pot of coffee, winking.
Henry moved over to grab two mugs, kissing his mom's cheek along the way. "Thanks," he said, filling the cups and handing one to Elizabeth. "You make the best coffee."
They both took sips of the brown liquid and Elizabeth couldn't help but nod, the coffee really was very good. "I have waffles too, if you're hungry."
Breakfast was quiet, as both Elizabeth and Henry were still adjusting to the new day, and June let them off the hook, not making too much conversation. After, when they were clearing the plates and moving to fill the dishwasher, she broke the silence. "Henry — Erin and Shane are coming down for lunch, and Maureen is going to join us all for dinner. Elizabeth, brace yourself, the McCord household is about to get a little more raucous."
"I'm looking forward to meeting them," Elizabeth said with a genuine smile. From what Henry had told her about his other siblings, they seemed kind and much less abrasive than Maureen. And as for Maureen herself, Elizabeth would just have to get through it somehow.
"Henry," June said again, "I need you to head down to church this morning. I left some papers with Father Walsh and they have to be picked up. Besides, he's been asking how your Masters has been going for so long, I thought it'd be best for you to talk to him yourself."
"Okay mom," Henry acquiesced, dreading the meeting slightly — Father Walsh was old and loved to talk, meaning the whole thing would be a long, hard to understand affair.
"Oh, and Elizabeth and I will get everything ready, it's about time we had some girl-talk." She smiled over at Elizabeth, whose facial expression perfectly hid the queasy feeling pooling in her stomach again. Alone time with Henry's mom was not exactly her idea of a fun morning; there were too many things that could go wrong, too many ways she could convince June she wasn't the perfect girlfriend, but rather a commitment-shy, awkward person who had no idea how to handle the whole parents thing.
It was gonna be great, she huffed, her thoughts dripping with sarcasm.
…
Henry left for the church then, and Elizabeth and June cleaned up the plates from breakfast. June made them both more coffee, and she invited Elizabeth to come sit on the couch — they had some time before they had to start on lunch.
Sat opposite June McCord, Elizabeth felt her nerves flutter again. She looked over with a shy gaze, and June picked up on it immediately.
"Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm not going to bite your head off."
Elizabeth relaxed visibly at that, June really had a special something about her; she calmed her down and made her feel comfortable. Like a mother, Elizabeth couldn't help but think. Her own mom had been like that, and she relished in the fact that she was able to feel that again.
"So Elizabeth, I hear you're studying political science. Any ambitions in that regard?"
"I'm not really the political type," she responded. "I think there's too much bureaucracy involved, and honestly, I can't see how anyone gets anything done. I'd much rather help from another place, be on the outside and try to effect change."
"Sounds like a perfect plan, dear."
The two of them talked until the coffee got cold, about Elizabeth's life, and Henry's childhood — about anything and everything, really.
"I do want to apologize for forgetting yesterday," June said at one point, referring to Elizabeth's parents. "I can't imagine what it must've been like for you, losing both parents."
Elizabeth smiled politely, she really had begun to come to terms with the loss, but it was painful nonetheless. It was something you really had to go through yourself to understand.
Leaning over from her perch on the armchair, June took Elizabeth's hand. "Dear, it's perfectly all right to not have it all figured out. I lost my mother when I was fourteen, and my father had to fend for himself from then on. I helped as much as I could, with my younger siblings, but looking back, it does force you to grow up so, so fast. You have a brother right?"
"Yes, his name is Will. He's older than me, but I've always had an eye on him, trying to keep him out of too much trouble." Elizabeth choked out a laugh, trying her hardest not to let her feelings get the better of her. She was amazed June understood — losing a parent, or two, was such a unique circumstance. Having someone else go through the same thing was relieving to Elizabeth, a reminder that she wasn't completely alone with the loss, that she was understood.
"Oh honey," June said, seeing the unshed tears pooling in Elizabeth's eyes. "I understand completely. It took me a long time to come to terms with it." She moved to sit next to Elizabeth on the sofa, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Elizabeth felt so at home in the embrace, truly safe in a way she'd only felt in her own mother's arms — before everything happened. She couldn't help the tears that began to flow, and June just pulled her closer, rubbing a hand up and down her back, rocking her gently.
When Elizabeth had no more tears left, she sniffled and looked up. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Oh, sweetheart, it's not a problem at all. I'm always here if you need me. Now, let's get ourselves cleaned up a bit, we don't want to miss lunch!"
Elizabeth smiled and chuckled, Henry's mom was truly remarkable. The two of them chatted about happier things as they got ready for lunch, laughing and bonding over childhood memories and funny stories.
…
Henry got back from the church then, and let himself in the house quietly. He entered the kitchen, finding his mother and girlfriend busy working on lunch, in coordinating aprons, having a visibly good time. The sight made his heart swell, and he fell in love with Elizabeth all over again. She liked his mother, and his mother liked her.
"You two sound like you're having fun," he said by the way of a greeting. Both women turned around to look at him then, and smiled widely.
"We are," Elizabeth said, and Henry walked over to kiss her cheek. God, how he loved her. His mother just stood there and beamed.
The doorbell rang then, signalling the arrival of Erin and Shane. Erin had just started her undergrad at Penn State, and Shane had been there for a few years already, so they commuted home together. Henry was the one to go greet them at the door, while Elizabeth and June secured everything in the kitchen before heading out into the hallway themselves.
"You're home!" she cried, wrapping both her children in tight hugs. The more McCords in the house, the happier June was. She smiled at both of them and proceeded to start the onslaught of questions. Henry had ducked out of the line of fire and walked over to Elizabeth instead, holding her hand as they watched June fawn over her children.
They broke apart a few minutes later, and Erin and Shane looked just that little bit relieved that the grilling was over. Henry was trying his hardest not to laugh.
"Erin, Shane, meet Elizabeth," he said, nudging her forward again. She smiled politely at them and reached out her hand, which they shook.
"It's so nice to meet you," Erin said, "I finally have someone my age in this house!" Being the youngest of all the siblings, Erin was looking forward to the fact that Elizabeth was in the same year of college she was, albeit older by a few months.
After they had gone through introductions, and June had herded them all to the table, lamenting the food would get cold, everyone struck up conversation.
Shane was finishing his business degree, and said he'd met a girl — eliciting a chuckle and look of disbelief from Henry. His brother's girlfriends never lasted. Erin was getting used to college life, and she and Elizabeth found common ground in the first-year woes of finals, crazy professors, odd roommates and all the rest of it.
Elizabeth politely let Erin and Shane lead the conversation, not sharing too much about herself and testing the waters a little. Only when the questions from her boyfriends siblings began to be directed toward her did she open up and patiently answer.
Erin was immediately jealous Elizabeth had grown up with horses, as she always dreamed of riding when she was little, but never had the chance. Elizabeth promised she had an open invitation to the farm to get on a horse, and Erin beamed.
The rest of lunch, and the ensuing cleanup went by quickly. After, Erin and Shane headed upstairs to unpack their bags, and Elizabeth and Henry found a minute to themselves. Henry suggested they go for a walk and they meandered down the street, arms linked.
When they rounded the corner and entered a little park, Henry stopped them and turned so he was facing Elizabeth. He crashed his lips to hers then, and she squeaked at the surprise contact. She welcomed it though, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands settled on her hips. Their kissing was becoming increasingly heated, and the back of Elizabeth's mind that still processed rational thought was glad they were relatively secluded behind the trees.
Breathing hard, they pulled apart for air, and she looked at Henry with a perplexed expression. "I love you," he simply said, as if that explained everything. At her confused look, he elaborated. "You're amazing, you know that? I'm so happy you're getting along with everyone — I told you they'd love you." He grinned and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
"Love you too," she replied, smiling. "And this is going better than expected, your mom is really sweet. You never told me she lost her own mother."
"Yeah, she did. She always said it forced her to grow up very fast, and thinking about it now, it must have been the same for you. I never really made that connection."
"It's okay, it's not really something you can understand if you haven't gone through it. It was nice to have someone to talk to about it." She shrugged and gave Henry a small smile.
"C'mere." He pulled her into a hug, and Elizabeth melted into his embrace, warm and safe in his arms. Her own little bubble, she always thought.
"We should get back," she said, reluctantly breaking the hug. They walked back to the house hand in hand, Elizabeth leaning her head on Henry's shoulder.
They stepped inside just in time to hear Maureen say: "I'm home, and Tom's almost here!" before she turned around to see Elizabeth and broke out into a grimace, which was replaced quickly by a sickeningly sweet smile.
A/N: Dun, dun, dun… Stay tuned for more Maureen! Reviews make my day brighter.