Getting To Know You
Chapter 8
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed was welcomed with open arms when he was invited to meet Abbey's parents
Summary: Abbey gets to meet Jed's parents!
Abbey relentlessly stared at him, waiting anxiously for his response. He thought about lying to her. Buffering the reality of his family with a fib couldn't be seen as a relationship-breaker, he figured. But with one look into her twinkling eyes, he didn't have to the heart to disappoint her.
"So?" she prodded. "When can I meet them?"
"Umm, I don't know."
"Well, can we set something up?"
"Abbey, I'm not sure that's such a great idea." He braced himself to do what he didn't really want to do.
Abbey stepped back, out of the cradle of his arms. "Why?"
"It's just...my Dad, he's, well, he's not a people person, you know?"
"Jed?" She paused to lick her lips before mustering the courage to ask, "Are you ashamed to introduce me to your parents?"
Her voice was soft and demure, nearly broken by the anticipation of his answer. "No! Oh my God, Abbey, no. Please don't ever think that."
"Then what?"
He felt the butterflies invading his stomach. This was it. He had to tell her about his fears. "My family isn't like yours."
"What do you mean?"
"We don't do this. We don't talk. We usually yell. My dad and I don't get along and if we're in the same room for more than five minutes, it's because we're fighting."
Abbey wrinkled her forehead, confused and concerned, until she saw the vulnerability visible on Jed's face. He was clearly remorseful about sharing something so private. "That's okay, Jed."
"No, it isn't." He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "You don't know how much I wanted what you have in there. But I don't and I'm worried that when you see I don't, it's going to scare you off."
"Jed, I'm not going anywhere. There's nothing your family could do that would scare me off. I just want to get to know them. It would make me feel closer to you." Still, she sensed his discomfort. "But if you'd rather wait, it's okay."
"It's important to you, isn't it?"
Abbey nodded. "Only because you're important to me."
"Yeah, okay. I'll set something up for next week."
Just as Jed had been eager to meet her parents, Abbey counted down the days in anticipation of the evening when he would officially introduce her to his family, the people whose opinions could sway his feelings and detour the blossoming romance that warmed her heart. Finally, it was time.
She spent hours preparing that night, from devoting her conscious mind exclusively to the most formal mannerisms imaginable to reviewing a laundry list of possible dinner conversations to perfecting her hair and makeup.
It was important that John Bartlet like her, not only because it was important to Jed, but because it was important FOR Jed. Picking up on the strife between Jed and his family, the last thing Abbey wanted was to fuel the animosity with her presence or risk John tarnishing the relationship out of a need to control his son's life and steer him away from her.
She took a deep breath as she gave herself a final glance.
"Abbey, Jed's here!" her mother called from downstairs.
After a quick straightening of her skirt, she ran her fingers through her hair and headed out her bedroom door. Jed couldn't take his eyes off her as she descended down the staircase. She was always lovely, but tonight, he truly adored those loose, wavy auburn tresses that cascaded down her face and danced just above her shoulders. Her long, form-fitting black skirt flowed beautifully under the matching jacket and crimson-colored tank top.
Her physical attributes only swelled as he remembered the feelings that erupted every time she opened her mouth to speak with a certain charm that touched him deeply, or when she looked graciously across the room, giving a sparkling smile and a look that exuded class, or when she accepted help with a coat or a chair, fluttering her lashes in a cute and innocent expression of gratitude. Her true beauty seeped out from inside her soul, making her even lovelier in his eyes. She was breathtakingly perfect and at that moment, he didn't care whether his father thought so or not.
John Bartlet was a complicated man. In the deep cervices of his heart, he did feel love for his son. But that love never seemed to rise to the surface, at least not to the extent that he could show it. His irritation was a source of confusion for Jed. Grappling with the dynamics of the relationship had opened a myriad of questions for the young man. Was John so strict because his son was smarter than he was? Was he jealous of his own son? Or were these just excuses he told himself to soften the blow of reality - the blow of knowing that John just really didn't like him?
Jed succumbed to the latter belief, the one that had plagued him with insecurities since he was a little boy. He gradually learned to accept that no matter what he did in life, it would never be enough to please his critical father.
But on this night, John surprised Jed.
"You must be Abigail." With those simple words, the evening began. "You're even prettier than Jed described." John greeted the couple with a welcoming grin.
"You're very kind, thank you," Abbey replied.
John reached out for the bakery box she carried in her arms. "What's this?"
"I brought dessert."
"Beautiful and considerate. You really lucked out with this one, Jed."
Jed stood speechlessly, watching as the evening of charm and civility began. As the hours passed, Abbey was left to wonder exactly what it was about his father that Jed despised so much. Her shallow glimpse into his life had left her with an impression that contradicted what she imagined, one that confused her. His family seemed to be just as cohesive as hers.
TBC