Chapter 55
A/N Decisions
OK I miss numbered the chapters the one you smut hounds are looking for will be 59. Lol. So not long now.
Henry and Elizabeth were sitting on his couch studying. Thanksgiving was 2 weeks away and he was struggling with what to do. He knew if he didn't go home there would be holy hell to pay, but he didn't want to leave her alone either. He kept staring at her hoping the solution would come to him.
"Your staring is bordering on creepy," she told him.
He laughed and pulled her into his arms laying back on the couch. "I am trying to figure something out, but this beautiful blond keeps distracting me," he told her, placing a kiss on her temple.
"Well you want to tell me about it and we can figure it out together?" she asked.
"Hmm, I am not sure how to ask? But here goes, how do you feel about going to Pittsburgh with me for Thanksgiving?" he asked.
She was totally thrown by his question and he could tell when her body tensed. She had not had a real Thanksgiving since her parent's death. She would often spend it alone, since Will was usually off with a friend and her Aunt was always working or out of the country. She didn't know how she felt about it.
"We still have a while before we need to make a decision, just think about it. I have to go home at some point, but I also don't want to leave you here alone. I am also not sure if you are ready for a full on McCord family holiday. We could go on Wednesday and leave on Friday or Saturday depending on how it goes," he explained.
She didn't respond, just kept running the idea through her head. Am I ready for the whole meet the parents thing? Will they like me? It would be nice to be part of a family holiday again.
"Let me think about it and I will let you know, ok" she told him.
He nodded his head and tightened his arms around her. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable with the idea. If their relationship continued on the path it was going she would have to meet them eventually. He just didn't want to scare her off. His Dad was one thing and his Sister Maureen was a handful to say the least. His Mom would love her and so would Shane and Erin.
The weekend before Thanksgiving and she still had not made a decision. He was trying to think of an excuse to give his parents if she decided not to go. He was not going without her and that was final. It was a decision and the resulting fall out he was willing to bear to not have her spend the holiday alone.
Monday afternoon, they were meeting after her last class at his apartment. He heard her knock and went to the door. When he opened it he saw her standing there with her suitcase in tow. "Does the offer to go to Pittsburgh with you still stand, if so I think I would like to go. I really want to meet the people that raised such a caring, loving man," she told him.
He pulled her into the apartment and into his arms. His heart leapt out of his chest. He released her and pulled her suitcase in the room and shut the door.
"Yes, the offer still stands, but we don't have to leave until Wednesday. Why do you have your suitcase already?" he asked.
"Well since everyone is leaving campus, I thought I could just stay here with you until we leave, is that okay?"
He pulled her back into his arms against his chest, "That is more than ok. I always want you here with me," he said as he placed a kiss on her lips.
The last couple of days had been pure joy for them both. Waking up and going to bed together, preparing meals and cleaning up afterwards was just like they were living together. She also beat him at several games of Scrabble. Once they each learned of the other's love for it they played often. Henry would pack his board in his backpack in case of an impromptu game while they had some downtime. On Wednesday, they loaded their things and headed off to Pittsburgh.
This was their first road trip and they wanted to make it fun. It would be a long 6 hour drive with stops and breaks. They would sing along to the radio, even though she was horribly off key. He would laugh at her and it just made her sing louder.
"Ok so I want to make sure I have this right. Your Dad's name is Patrick, but goes by Pat. Your Mom's name is Susan, Your sisters are Maureen and Erin and your brother Shane," she told him.
He reached over and pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it, "Exactly right. You are a quick study."
He continued to hold her hand until she eased over and laid her head on his shoulder. She had not slept well the night before and he would let her sleep as long as possible.
Henry pulled up into his parent's driveway and roused Elizabeth. "Wake up baby, we are here."
She stretched and looked at the house in front of her. It was a 2 story ranch with a nice yard. It looked exactly as he had described. It was probably a great place to grow up. Riding bikes on the sidewalk, playing ball in the street and hanging out with friends in the yard.
He walked around to open her door, just as the front door opened and his Mom stepped out on the porch.
"Oh, my boy is home," she gushed as she pulled him into a tight hug. He laughed and hugged her back.
"Mom, this is Elizabeth, my other girl," he told her blushing.
"My goodness she is even more beautiful than you said Henry," she told them. She stepped towards Elizabeth and pulled her into a motherly hug. Elizabeth tensed for a second and then wrapped her arms around her and returned the hug. A mother's hug had been missing in her life and she totally welcomed it.
"Hello, Mrs. McCord. It is so nice to meet you. Henry has told me so many wonderful things about you. Thank you for having me in your home," she said.
"You are welcome anytime. Please call me Susan. Come on in kids, let's get you settled. We are the only ones here right now. Pat is still at work. Erin and Shane will be in later tonight and Maureen and Tom will be over tomorrow for dinner. It will just be the 4 of us for dinner tonight. Henry, you are getting moved in with Shane and I put Elizabeth in your room. You get the bags so I can get more acquainted with Elizabeth," she said, winking at her.
"Let's go in and get some lunch for all of us going," Susan told her.
"Oh, you may not want my help in that area. I am terrible in the kitchen. I can burn water," Elizabeth laughed.
"We are just going to do soup and sandwiches, nothing too hard. I am sure you can't burn that," Susan said.
After lunch, Henry wanted to drive Elizabeth around the neighborhood and show her some of the sights. He also needed to stop off and see Fr. Francis, his parish priest.
Elizabeth was not a big believer in organized religion, but she assured him she could occupy herself for a half hour.
Later that evening, Henry and Susan were finishing up dinner. Elizabeth was setting the table when a gentleman walked in. Elizabeth looked up and there was not denying it was Henry's father. "Hello, Mr. McCord. I am Elizabeth, Henry's girlfriend."
He shook her hand back, "Call me Pat, we are not that formal here. It is nice to meet you." He looked her up and down, sizing her up. She looked like she just walked out of a model shoot. Where did Henry get this high society girl? She is not going to be right for him. Wonder how long she will string him along until something better comes along.
Pat continued into the kitchen, shaking Henry's hand as he passed him and placed a quick kiss on Susan's cheek.
"Dinner is almost ready, we are just putting the finishing touches. Why don't you go in and keep Elizabeth company," Susan told Pat.
Henry saw the grimace on his Dad's face, but Susan ran a pretty tight ship and Pat walked into the dining room.
He sat down at the table as Susan and Henry brought dinner in. Pat said a short prayer and they started eating.
Dinner was a pretty quiet affair, since Susan, Henry and Elizabeth had spent several hours together already.
Henry kept noticing his Dad looking over at Elizabeth. Elizabeth did too and began to feel a little uncomfortable. Taking the bull by the horns she decided to try and alleviate some of it by striking up a conversation with him.
"Henry tells me you work for the steel industry, what is that like?" Elizabeth said to Pat.
He went into a dissertation about how the government is not doing enough to protect manufacturing jobs and selling out the working man to other countries. "The steel industry is slowly getting sold out to cheaper labor and materials from overseas. It just is not right."
Susan and Henry had heard it all before and they could tell he was getting wound up. It was one of the biggest issues that Henry and his Dad faced. Henry had no desire to follow in his Dad's footsteps at the steel mill. Pat took it as a slap in the face, thinking Henry thought the job was below him.
"You think you are too good to work at the mill and now you bring home this high society girl. What are you thinking Henry, she is going to drop you like a hot potato when something better comes along," Pat said to him.
Henry's temper and protective instincts for Elizabeth immediately flared up. "Dad, this is the same argument we have been having for years. You just will not accept that I don't want your life, I want my own. As for Elizabeth, you owe her an apology. She has done nothing to deserve you to talk to her or speak about her like that," Henry shouted at him.
Elizabeth laid her hand on Henry's thigh to try and calm him down. She had been through this before. People assumed things about her that just were not true due to her having a trust fund.
Susan could see where the conversation was going and put a stop to it. "Pat, Henry, both of you stop it. We have company and you will both be civil at my table and in my house for that manner. Pat apologize to Elizabeth and Henry apologize to your father," she told them both sternly.
They both begrudgingly apologized and went back to eating. Nothing else was said. Pat finished eating and walked out into the living room.
The air was tense and thick as Susan, Henry and Elizabeth finished eating and cleaned up.
Henry took Elizabeth by the hand, "Let's take a walk. It isn't too cold."
They pulled on their jackets and walked out. Henry looked back at his Dad on the way out and he could tell he was still not happy with the earlier exchange but said nothing.
Elizabeth could feel the tension in Henry as she laced their hands together. She wrapped her other hand around his arm and pulled in tight to his side. They didn't speak until they reached the park a few blocks away. He pulled her over and sat down on a bench. He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. He needed her to ground him after the fight with his Dad.
She turned to him and placed her hand on his cheek turning his head toward her. "Babe, please don't let what your Dad said upset you. I have dealt with people assuming things about me for a long time. He is not the first and will not be the last. I don't want to come between you and him."
"You are just in a long line of issues he and I have. He has never accepted that I wanted to go to college and do something besides be content with working at the steel mill. I have been trying to tell him that since I was young and he just will not get it through his thick head. He thinks that I am ashamed of him because I didn't want to follow in his footsteps like so many of his friends' sons did. We have been having this same argument for years and it is getting very old. He doesn't even know you and has no right to judge you just because you have money. It is the same thing with him, if you have money you think of yourself as entitled," he told her as he rubbed his hand over his face.
She snuggled in tighter to him trying to take some of his tension away. She didn't understand his Dad's thinking. Her parents had always supported her and Will in whatever they wanted to do and not try to belittle them for wanting to take a different path. She would work on her situation with Pat and maybe that would help with Henry's situation also.
They walked back to the house just as a car drove up. Shane and Erin got out and he looked up and saw them. Erin took off and neary tackled Henry. He was closer to her than any of his other siblings. Maybe it was the oldest/youngest dynamic. Introductions were made and they made their way into the house.
Susan walked out of the kitchen to greet her other children. She missed having them all under her roof. The house was too quiet without them there. They all talked for a while and then they went upstairs to settle in.
Henry walked Elizabeth up to show her his room. He was embarrassed by it. It looked like a teenage boy still lived in it.
She walked around admiring all the certificates and ribbons from his academic awards. She knew he was smart, but this just showed how smart he was. No wonder he received the scholarships he did. She was so proud to call him her boyfriend.
"I know it still looks like a teenager lives here. It hasn't changed since I moved out to go to college. I am only here a few days a year, so it seemed silly to spend time and energy changing it," he told her.
She walked over and placed her arms around his waist. "I think it is adorable. It gives me more insight into the incredible man that you are."
He leaned down and kissed her. She leaned up to meet his lips. Kissing him was one of the great joys in her life and gave her the grounding she needed. She was all over the place with her emotions. The hurtful words from Pat earlier and then meeting Henry's siblings.
"Babe, where has your mind gone? You have a far away look in your eyes," he asked her.
"Hmmm, just wondering what young Henry was really like," she said as she deflected her answer.
He could tell she was not telling him the whole truth, but decided to leave it alone for now. "Well as you can tell he was and is quite a nerd. I spent a lot of time studying and reading. The overflowing bookcases here and at my apartment should reinforce that. He laughed and leaned down to kiss her again.
She kissed him back, but pulled back when she felt the butterflies in her stomach. They had not taken their relationship to the next physical step and they certainly were not going to do that in his parents house.
She stepped away from him and walked over to where her suitcase was sitting on the floor. She hefted it on the bed and opened it to take out some pajamas. "I am going to go take a shower and you should head into Shane's room before your Mom comes looking for you."
He didn't like her pulling away from him, but he understood why she did. She had told him of her other boyfriends in the past, but not how far they had gone. He didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for.
She kissed his cheek as she walked by and out the door. He watched her walk away from him, swaying her hips. She knew he would watch her walk away and flirting with him brought a smile to her face.
The next morning she woke up after getting a good night's sleep. She generally didn't sleep well in a new place, but sleeping in Henry's bed made her feel safe and comfortable. His pillows smelled like him and even though he wasn't in bed with her she felt him all around her.
She dressed and headed downstairs. She entered the kitchen to the most wonderful smells. She stopped just inside the door and observed Susan and Henry moving around preparing the Thanksgiving meal. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she remembered her Mom and Grandmother doing the same thing. She had missed the smell of the turkey basting in the oven and the feel of the holiday.
Henry looked over and saw her and a smile came to his face. He loved having her with him for the holiday and the fact that she was with him and his family for it. She had told him she had not celebrated any holiday since her parents' deaths. He saw the tears in her eyes and walked over and pulled her into his arms.
She circled his waist and pulled him tighter to her and placed her head on his chest. He pulled back and reached down to tilt her head up. He wiped her tears and kissed her gently. She smiled her best smile that only she does for him. His heart rate shot up and he smiled back at her.
"You are allowed to observe only, no touching the food Ms. Burn Water," he told her, trying to add some humor to the situation.
She smacked him on the chest and went over to wish Susan a good morning. "Seriously, is there anything I can do to help?" she said glaring at Henry.
Henry and Susan both laughed and told her she could cut up some of the vegetables after she was properly caffeinated. Henry retrieved a cup and fixed her a cup of coffee just like she liked it. She loved the little things he always did her for.
Henry got all the supplies she would need and set her up at the end of the island.
The three of them worked together getting everything prepped and ready to cook or serve.
Erin finally woke and came down and helped while Shane joined his Dad watching football.
Elizabeth went up to retrieve the two bottles of wine she had brought. She had gone out to the farmhouse over the last weekend and gotten them when she decided to join Henry. She wanted to give the McCord's something to thank them for letting her join them. Her Dad was a wine expert and always had some good wines on hand. His supply of wines had not been touched since his death and she decided this would be a good reason to enjoy some of it.
She walked into the kitchen with the bottles just as Henry's sister Maureen walked in. Henry had warned her that Maureen was very judgemental and always teamed up with Pat on disdain for people.
"Hi, I am Elizabeth, Henry's girlfriend," she said, putting her hand out to Maureen.
Maureen looked her up and down and spouted off, "Oh you are the richy rich girl Henry had decided to drag home."
"Maureen," Henry warned.
"What? Did I get that wrong or have you kicked that one to the curb and have already gotten another one?" Maureen asked.
"Maureen, Enough," Susan said. "You will be courteous to guests in my house, now apologize."
Maureen gave Elizabeth a half assed Sorry and went to find her Dad.
Everyone was at the dinner table and the conversation started out civil, but Maureen just could not keep from making more digs at Elizabeth.
"So how does a 19 year old score such expensive wine?" Maureen asked with a smirk.
Elizabeth recognized the snarkiness of her statement and decided that she either needed to let it go or answer it with a strong retort. She decided to shut her down. "By taking it out of my dead Dad's supply."
This shut Maureen down. She realized she had gone too far and regretted it. She was not aware of the death of Elizabeth's parents or was told and just didn't remember or care.
"My Dad loved good wine and he was teaching me about it when my parents died. I went and got some from his supply to thank your family for letting me join you all," Elizabeth said emphatically.
The air in the room was tense and no one said a word. Everyone except Elizabeth and Henry had their heads ducked down looking at their plates. Henry reached over and took her hand and squeezed it to let her know he was there for her.
Elizabeth wanted to alleviate the tension so she changed the subject and asked Erin about her classes.
The rest of dinner and the clean up was a quiet affair. Maureen decided to not make any more comments and she and Tom, her husband, decided to leave early.
Elizabeth was standing at the sink washing the last of the dishes. Susan walked over and put her arm around her shoulder and gave her a Motherly hug. Elizabeth laid her head on her shoulder and returned the hug. She had missed a mother's loving touch and Susan was just what she needed.
The rest of the visit went off without any more drama from Pat or Maureen. Pat was not rude or unkind to Elizabeth; he just tended to ignore her.
Elizabeth was not one to just accept his behavior towards her so she would engage him in conversation every chance she got. She decided to kill him with kindness and a genuine desire to like him.
Henry saw her interactions with his Dad and he hoped her efforts would be rewarded with Pat at least treating her civilly.
Saturday morning, Henry and Elizabeth were packing up to leave. Susan had loaded them down with leftovers and hugs.
Pat walked up to Henry, "I may have misjudged that one. I think she will be a pain in my ass, but a keeper."
Elizabeth had gone into the house to make a last look around to make sure she didn't forget anything. She passed Pat on the steps coming out the front door. He stepped over and placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. She looked up at him and he gave her a half smile.
Elizabeth was kinda in a daze by his actions and once she was in the car and they were on her way she told Henry what had happened. "I am not sure but I think your Dad is starting to warm up to me."
Henry thought about his conversation with his Dad and told her, "I think you are right. He told me he thinks he misjudged you."
They both spent some time thinking about Pat's actions and what it meant.
Elizabeth hoped that Pat accepting her meant he might finally accept Henry's life choices and it will thaw the iciness between them.
Henry hoped that Pat was finally seeing things without judgment of other people and being so harsh about it. Maybe he would finally let go of his anger towards him for not following in his footsteps at the steel mill.
They continued their drive home and finally let go of the weekend and all the family drama. They sang along to the radio and enjoyed each other's company. They were both glad to be going back to campus away from his family and all the tension from them.