Time to meet Aaron's mom and see Emily's family again. If you want more insight into the Rhodes', check out chapter two of 'The Minor Leaguer' if you haven't already done so (or even just for a refresher)

I've decided to split this next part into two cause the chapter was getting too long, so I'll hopefully have the second part up tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Amada Shore- Part 1

Emily lay wide awake in the bedroom of her childhood home, staring at the ceiling. After work one Friday, she and Aaron had made the drive down for the engagement party her mom had planned for them that weekend. While she was looking forward to having all her family and friends together, Emily was nervous.

She knew what her family was like. She knew they would have questions about the wedding. Questions she wouldn't have been able to answer because she hadn't had a spare minute to even think about the wedding. She knew they would want to throw their two cents in on organising it, and she wasn't prepared to turn around and tell them no and to let her and Aaron organise it themselves.

But most crucially, this weekend was the first time Emily would meet Aaron's mother Amada. She didn't really know what to expect. Aaron had told her that she was a strict and stern lady who always cared more about making sure AJ succeed in the oil business than he did in politics. Yet, at the same time, she was fiercely protective of her boys. She expected the best from them and Emily had an assumption that in Amada Shore's mind, no one was good enough for her boys.

She wanted Aaron's family to like her, and while she had gotten on very well with his extended family, AJ was another story and she feared it would be the same story with Amada, considering how devoted she was to her son.

"Aaron?" Emily whispered, hoping that he was awake.

He merely grumbled in response.

"Wake up" she said as she smacked him on the arm.

Aaron moaned as he rolled onto his back and looked at the clock; "Emily. It's 3am. What could you possibly need to talk about at 3am?"

"Why does your mom love AJ more than you?"

"She doesn't love AJ more than me" he mumbled as he ran a hand down his face to wake himself up.

"Well then why was she more concerned with him succeeding in life than you?"

Aaron thought for a moment in silence. "I don't know. I always just assumed she thought he could go further than me. That he had more of a future."

"You never asked her?" Emily asked as she propped her head up on her elbow.

"I didn't want to start something that would just drive a wedge further between us." Aaron responded. "Why are you asking about this?"

"I was just thinking about meeting her tomorrow... or today" Emily said, remembering that it was 3am. "I just want her to look at you and be proud of the choices you've made. I don't understand how she couldn't be."

"Em, my mom may not be the most supportive woman in the world but we're not strangers and I know she cares… she just doesn't necessarily show it in the way that your mom would." Aaron explained.

"I know, I know… as long as you're ok, that's all that matters." Emily affirmed.

"I am more than ok" Aaron assured her. "Now, go to sleep, we have a big day of celebrating tomorrow." Aaron said as he pulled her close to him.

"This is going to be the longest day of our lives, isn't it?" Emily said as she scrunched up her nose.

Aaron kissed her cheek before whispering; "Absolutely."

The following morning, Emily and Aaron took their time with getting ready, wanting to delay the crazy for as long as possible. Eventually they made their way downstairs and were surprised to find Lenny, George, Vivienne, Warner and Jamie sitting in the kitchen with Emily's mom.

"Hey…" Emily greeted; "You're all here. We weren't expecting you till this afternoon"

"Your mom insisted we come down early to help set up for the party, so we came down last night. Your grandparents actually paid for an extra night in our hotel!" Vivienne informed her.

"Oh, the joys of old money" Aaron said as he picked up Jamie who was charging at him and walked towards the fridge.

"You ok, Em? You look nervous" Lenny asked as she drank her coffee.

"I'm just a little nervous about meeting Aaron's mom, that's all" Emily told her.

"Honey," Karen began, "You are Emily Rhodes and it is impossible not to love you." She said, handing her a glass of orange juice.

"You have to say that, you're my mom" Emily said with a grimace.

"I don't have to say anything" Karen said holding up her hands. "But you have a few hours till she gets here, right Aaron?"

"Yeah, she doesn't get in till around 12, I said I'd pick her and AJ up from the airport then." Aaron confirmed.

"So, here's something else to take your mind off it!" Karen said as she lifted a book from the counter, and Emily's eyes widened.

"Oh my god…" she mumbled as she took the book from Karen.

"What is it?" George asked as the 5 other adults crowded around Emily to see what Karen had given her.

"It's my old scrapbook, I made it when I was like 8…" Emily explained as she turned and held the book to her chest. "But you're not allowed to see it"

"Why not?!" Warner protested.

"Because it's not just any scrapbook… it's… a wedding scrapbook. Like any normal girl my age, I would have fantasised about my wedding and I put little bits and pieces together in this book." Emily explained.

"That is adorable" Vivienne said as she smiled and held a hand on her heart.

"Is that's going to be your inspiration for planning your wedding?" Lenny asked.

"I think we need to bear in mind that I was 8 in 1994, so it's a little out of the times now and therefore terribly embarrassing so I don't think this will be my inspiration" Emily said handing her book back to Karen.

Karen furrowed her eyebrows; "Well then where will you find your inspiration?"

"Did you seriously think this book would give me it mom?"

"No… but it would be a good place to start! You've been engaged for over a month now Emily and you haven't planned anything!" Karen protested.

"We've been a little bit busy running the country mom" Emily reminded her.

"Well then you should let us take the reins!" Karen suggested.

"…what?" Emily asked with a gulp.

"You know party planning is my speciality and I have some wonderful ideas and our grandma is also on board with helping, so you should let us!" Karen said happily, pleading with her daughter.

"Mom, I kinda want to plan my own wedding" Emily told her softly.

"Oh, Emily, you're my only daughter, the boys didn't let me anywhere near their weddings, you have to let me be a big part of this!" Karen said as she rummaged through her bag and lifted out a notebook. "Let me just show you what I've come up with so far…" she began as she put on her glasses and flipped through her notebook.

Emily looked over at Aaron who was too busy picking at some left over desserts from last night with Jamie to help her out with her mom. She then turned to Vivienne and Lenny and gave them pleading glances.

"It is way too early in the morning for this…" Lenny said as she sat at the island.

"I think I'm going to need to start drinking coffee again at this rate…" Emily mumbled.

"You work at the White House and this is what is turning you back to coffee?" George asked.

"Sit down George." Lenny scolded as she handed Emily a cup of coffee.

"AH, yes! Here it is" Karen said, as they all turned to look at her; "I'm thinking we could have it in the White House, that beautiful ballroom would just be perfect for the reception. I've made a list of guests from our side of the family and Aaron gave me a list of who he would need to invite from his side of the family…"

"Did he now?" Emily said, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows at Aaron who froze and set down the fork he was using to eat the desserts. He gulped, realising that there probably wasn't anything he could do to help himself in this situation. Karen asked, and Aaron and Karen got on like a house on fire and he didn't want to disappoint her, despite knowing how Emily felt about her family's impending input into her wedding.

"Yes, he did, I've also factored in how many friends I think you'll end up inviting, so it should be around 250-300 people…"

"250-300 people?!" Emily exclaimed; "Mom, I don't think I know that many people."

"You know more people than you think Emily… but that number can be up for negotiation. Now I've printed off some pictures of dresses you would just look so beautiful in. Princess ballgown style I'm thinking and then of course at least a 5-tier cake…" Karen rambled as Emily's eyes widened at the extravagance of what her mother wanted for her wedding.

"OK" Lenny said confidently, as Karen stopped speaking; "It is super early, and this weekend is about the engagement, and getting Emily through meeting her future mother in law, so let's save this wedding stuff for another date…"

"You're right, you're right, I should be preparing for Aaron's mom too." Karen said as she put her book away. "But I am so excited to plan this with you sweetie, it's going to be the wedding of the year!"

Karen left the kitchen a few moments later in search of her husband as Emily rested her hands on the island counter.

"Why did I think it would be a good idea to get married?" Emily said as her friends rambled around for an excuse.

Aaron walked over to her and ran his hands up her arms; "Don't worry about any of that right now."

"I don't want any of that Aaron, but I also don't want to tell my mom no, she's clearly been dreaming about this for years!" Emily moaned.

"We'll work it out. For now, let's just focus on getting through the day."

"Aaron!" they heard a voice shout from the hallway.

"That sounds like Sam, I didn't realise he was here." Emily said as the 6 of them left the kitchen and walked into the large hallway.

"Hey Sam" Emily greeted as she hugged her brother.

"Hey, there's someone here to see you Aaron…" Sam said as he moved away from the door to reveal a small lady with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

"Mom?" Aaron asked as the eyes of the 5 other adults widened.

"Mi amor" Amada said as Aaron hugged and kissed his mother.

"I uh… I didn't think you got here until 12" Aaron said. "I would have picked you up"

"AJ got us an earlier flight, I just couldn't wait to see mi hermoso hijo." Amada said as she placed palm on her son's cheek.

"Amada Shore in the flesh…" George said quietly to the others.

"You've never met Aaron's mom?" Emily asked, assuming that in all the years they had been friends, they would have encountered Amada.

"Nope." Warner said. "We've known Aaron for 18 years and his mother has been nothing more than a myth."

"She's just as scary as I imagined…" George said as they all took in the appearance of the lady in front of them.

She has tight curls, evidently where Aaron got his from, that rested on her shoulders. She was small and skinny and had not cracked a smile since she walked through the door.

Emily gulped. After all this time, she did not feel in the slightest bit ready to meet Aaron's mom.

"Mom, this is Warner and George" Aaron started as they were closest to him.

"Ah, the famous Warner and George. The two boys always getting my son into trouble…" Amada said as Warner and George took their turn to gulp.

"I think it was more Aaron keeping us from getting into trouble" George said, trying to muster the most charming smile he could.

"Well… thank you for taking my son under your wing all those years ago." Amada said sincerely, as even Aaron was shocked by her words. "The way he talks about you… it makes me glad he found friends like you."

Aaron rolled his eyes as Warner and George proudly stood up straighter and soaked up the approval of Amada.

"Mom, this Vivienne and Lenny, we also went to school together." Aaron introduced.

"It's lovely to meet you" Vivienne said with a bright smile.

"We've heard so much about you" Lenny added.

"All good things I hope" Amada responded, before turning to look at Emily, who was scared to speak or move. She was normally confident with new people. It hadn't always been the case with her, but she had grown up and grown into herself. Right now, she felt like she was that shy 16-year-old again, not knowing what to say or do.

"And this…" Aaron began; "is my fiancée, Emily."

Amada looked Emily up and down, her face giving away nothing of how she felt about her in that moment. Emily looked at Aaron for a sign in what to do, but he was as dumbfounded as she was.

"Mrs Shore—" Emily began, but Amada interrupted her.

"Call me Amada, Mrs Shore makes me sound old." Amada insisted. "Aaron, can you please show me to the kitchen, I need a drink."

"Uh… sure" Aaron said as he led his mother to the back of the house, shrugging at a stunned Emily on the way past.

Was that it? Was that all she was going to say to her future daughter in law?

The four other adults looked as confused as Emily, and didn't really know what to say in that moment. They were broken from their silence when the front door flung open and AJ appeared with two suitcases.

"So, where are our rooms?" he asked, without greeting anyone.

Emily groaned and closed her eyes before turning and bounding up the stairs. This weekend had started terribly, and she feared what was to come.

So many questions… why did Amada show more interest in AJ than Aaron growing up? Why is she being indifferent to Emily? What is Emily going to about Karen trying to take over her wedding!

All will be revealed in part 2…