3 HOMECOMING

As soon as Jess walked in the house her parents were all over her. A new round of hugs and kisses was in order, her parents were so happy to have her back at home, it was heart warming. Jess had missed them very dearly and she was over the moon to be back home. Jess' sister, Pinkie, was also there, with her pregnant belly of 4 and a half months. While Jess' parents were too busy greeting their daughter home to notice anything suspicious, Pinkie's expert eyes immediately picked up on Jess' and Joe's appearance, on their crumpled clothes and swollen lips. She knew very well what that meant, having herself looked like that at times after some secret rendezvous with her now husband Teetu. She couldn't help but being a little angry and annoyed at it. She hadn't even seen her little sister yet and she had spent quite a while, judging by her appearance, making out with that goreh… She didn't dislike Joe. Indeed she had gotten quite used to his presence in the house. Somehow he had become a regular playing cricket with Baba and he had even been invited for several dinners, always together with the Paxtons though. She now realised that there was far more to him than just being Jess' coach and she wasn't sure how she felt about it… She was going to have a chat with Jess as soon as possible though. If their parents caught up with what was going on they were never going to allow the young girl back to the States and she wanted to protect her little sister, make her see how high the stakes were, and all just for a goreh boy…he isn't worthy, she decided.

"Jessminder go freshen up before dinner. Joe I hope you will join us given you are here?" Mrs Bhamra didn't give any second thoughts on why Joe was in her house, instead of the Paxton's, or his own really… She had always enjoyed having guests for dinner and Joe had, on several occasions, showed a very good appreciation of her cooking, which always flattered her. "I wouldn't want to impose on your family tonight, Mrs Bhamra." "Oh that's nonsense, Jess' coach is always welcome here, look at all that you have done for our beautiful daughter, please stay." Joe couldn't help but (happily) oblige. He was actually over the moon to have the opportunity of spending some more hours with Jess. "I better take Jess' luggage up to her room, Mrs Bhamra?" "Yes please Joe darling, thank you". And with that excuse he sprinted up to try and catch Jess in the relative privacy of her room. He had quite some thoughts on how to spend a few minutes up there with her…

Knock knock, "Yes?" Jess replied. "It's just me Jess, may I come in?" She quickly opened her door with a big smile. She was still fully dressed, she had been taking in the familiar surrounding and thinking about what it meant to be home for 4 weeks. It was going to feel so weird to be home with her parents after the freedom she had experienced in the States, but she was also very happy to be back there. And Joe was here too… "Your mum asked me to bring your luggage up, I was more than happy to comply.." Joe said with a smirk on his face. He proceeded to putting the two suitcases down, closing the doors and wrapping an arm around Jess' waist. "I thought I could help you change into something more comfortable…" he said in a very sexy voice that immediately stirred something in Jess. He leaned forward and started kissing her, very intimately at first and very very passionate soon after. Jess was just as into the kiss as he was and somehow he spun her around and was holding her against the wall, pressing his body against hers, moving his hands up and down, pulling her right leg up and holding her sexy butt. That's how Pinkie saw them when she walked in. She didn't know Joe was up here and was coming to speak to Jess about the Irish man, to talk some sense into her younger sister.

She hadn't knocked. She had never knocked at her sister's door. She wished she had knocked this time. The two were so involved that they didn't even see her come in.

"What the hell do you two think you are doing?" She spoke, loudly enough to sound menacing but not enough to be heard by the people downstairs. She had quickly closed the door behind her and placed her hands on her hips, in the best imitation of her mother.
Joe and Jess had a heart attack. They literally jumped apart and were so embarrassed that their faces could have caught fire by how red they were. Pinkie was too upset to laugh about it. "You must be crazy, what if Baba or Mama had walked in now!" They both looked down embarrassed to death. "Jess, they would never let you go back to America, have you thought about that? What are you doing, why are you risking it all for this goreh boy that will never be welcomed here!" She spoke directly to Jess, pointing her hand at Joe. Those words really hurt them both. Jess hadn't thought about it and saw the truth in her sister's words. Her parents would totally flip and she would be under house arrest until she had been promised to some perfect Indian boy that she wouldn't even meet till their wedding. Joe was also upset about Pinkie's words. He also hadn't thought about that. He knew how he felt about Jess and that her feelings for him were just as strong but was he doing the right thing by her? Her being with him could cost Jess her dream of a life time. He would never forgive himself if she would lose such an incredible opportunity over him and he wasn't sure how their relationship would survive if something like that happened.

Pinkies last words were still resonating in his mind, this goreh boy that will never be welcomed here! He thought he had come a long way with Jess' parents but he now realised that being their daughter's white coach was very different to being their daughter white boyfriend, and that that was probably never going to sit right with them. How could they hope to have a future together if her parents and family were never going to accept him. How could he break Jess away from her family and be okay with it. Would she ever even have a fall out with them over him?

These and many more thoughts were assaulting him but then Jess slid her hand in his and that put a stop to all of it. "Pinkie, I am sorry about what we were doing now, we will be more careful, but I love Joe and I won't ever leave him, I hope that you can get to know him and love him the same way I do, I am sure that Baba and Mama will get over it eventually but even if they won't, I am prepared for anything that might come our way!" Wow, Joe thought, did she just say she loves me? I knew she did, and she knows I do, but she had never said it to me yet! She also said she'll be with me regardless what her family thinks… "Jess" he muttered, with a cracked voice, feelings overwhelming him. "Joe" Jess said turning to him "I know we haven't talked about this yet but I am really prepared to do whatever it takes for us to be together". At that Joe's eyes started to water and he took her hands. He couldn't speak but his stare spoke volumes. "Jess please think about this more" Pinkie pleaded with her. "There is nothing more to think about Pinkie. Actually, I think we should go tell my parents, after all I promised you we would talk to them when I was back, what do you think Joe?" He wasn't so sure about this, but he trusted her "if you think now it's the time, okay". "You are crazy!" Pinkie stormed off upset. What was her sister thinking? Her parents were going to kill them both and make her life miserable. She made her way downstairs waiting for the apocalypse to start.

Jess took a deep breath and turned towards Joe. "Are you sure you want to do this now Jess?" "There is never going to be a good time for us to announce something like that. I know that it won't go down well but at least we'll have 4 weeks to make them turn around. And if they don't it won't take me too long to pack up my stuff and come stay with you" She tried to lighten the mode with that joke but her heart was only half in it. She was terrified by what she was going to do but it had to be done and she was telling the truth to Joe. She knew her parents were never going to be okay with it for a long time and she didn't want to sneak around to see Joe for years to come. Let's rip it off like a band-aid she thought. She turned to get the door but Joe stopped her. "There is something I need to tell you before we go do this" he said. Jess looked at him quizzically. "I love you too" Joe said, meaning every word of it and hoping to convey with those words how much she meant to him and how much he appreciated what she was up against and ready to sacrifice for him, for them to exist. Jess got all of it and more, she knew what Joe meant and she replied with the only way possible, a deep and emotional kiss.

With that, they left the room ready to face the scariest conversation of their lives.