Despite the long and uneventful trip, Rae hesitated to exit the car. She and Aiden had finally arrived at her mum and stepfather's home in Lincolnshire. Aiden had already hopped out to stretch, and Rae reluctantly followed his lead. Instead of knocking on the door, Rae stood transfixed by the sight of her childhood home. On the other side of that door waited embarrassing stories about Rae at age 8, several back-handed compliments about her weight and appearance, Karim pawing at her mum in front of company, a barrage of questions fired at Aiden about their sex life, and a multitude of other horrors that Rae couldn't even begin to fathom.
"Rae? Rae? RAE?!" Aiden raised his voice, slightly worried. "You alright?"
"What? Yeah, I'm fine," Rae reassured. Aiden continued walking toward the door before he was immediately halted. Rae quickly grabbed his arm and stared at him with a look of impending doom.
"Everything is fine, but just be prepared. Mum is very sweet, and she means well, but she can also be a right pain in the arse. And as we both know, I won't be sprouting flowers and sunshine from my bumhole any time soon. If she and I start rowing, DO NOT get involved. Just run away as far as your skinny little legs will take you," Rae warned.
Aiden pulled her into a warm hug, kissing the top of her forehead. Rae took a minute to breathe him in. She took care to notice how he smelled of soap, fresh laundry, and a scent belonging to just him. Rae found the smell to be scarily intoxicating.
"It'll be fine Rachel. In less than an hour we'll be out of the house and meeting your friends at the pub. In a few days your new place will be ready and the craziness will be over," Aiden reassured.
"Ok. Let's just get this weekend going," Rae sighed.
For some unknown reason he would refer to Rae by her actual name. At first it was just to tease her because she hated it, but for some reason he kept it going. Rae kind of enjoyed it though; it made her feel more mature; like she was a grown up in a grown up relationship. Rae would get annoyed by how serious and dry Aiden could be, but in times like this she could really appreciate his rational thinking. With great effort she peeled away from Aiden's inviting grasp. She didn't think she should start her return to Lincolnshire by sexually devouring her boyfriend in the driveway of her mom's home. With a deep breath and a new resolve, Rae walked to the door and knocked.
After a few moments the door flew open. Rae's mum squealed in delight and began ushering them in frantically. "Come in, come in! Oh my goodness, Rae you look gorgeous. So that new diet is finally taking effect?" Linda asked innocently.
"Lovely mum. I'm not in the door two seconds and you're taking the piss?" Rae questioned, annoyed.
"Alright, alright. Relax. I'm not taking the piss. Can't your mum pay you a compliment without you thinking I'm the worst person in the world?" Linda asked.
"Well if I could get through the door without one your snarky remarks, then I think…." Rae began.
"Ladies, ladies can we please…umm…take a chill?" Karim popped in from the kitchen. "Rae it's so nice to see you. Come give hug," Karim requested.
Where Karim had years and years of practice with Linda and Rae, Aiden sat back in awkward silence not knowing exactly how to handle the situation. Karim, noticing the quiet young man standing in his living room, offered his hand to shake attempting to quell the awkwardness of the moment. "Hello. My name is Karim, and you must be Aiden. How are you?" Karim questioned.
"Yes, hello Karim. I've heard so much about you. It's nice to finally meet," Aiden retorted, thankful for the distraction.
Seeing the introduction, Rae rolled her eyes and sighed at the terrible start Aiden had gotten to meet her family. "Mum this is Aiden. Aiden this is my mum Linda," Rae quickly introduced. Linda rushed over with a smile on her face, the previous squabble obviously forgotten. Linda embraced Aiden in a hug.
"Hi Aiden. Please forget the terrible things you have heard about me so far and allow me to welcome you into our home. Dinner is ready so let's just sit down and get to know each other," Linda suggested.
Rae, Linda, and Aiden lumbered to the dining room in silence as Karim went to grab the food. Once the table was set, everyone seemed to settle in.
"So, Aiden, Rae tells us that you work over at Uni?" Linda began.
"Yes that's correct," Aiden answered
"You're a bit older than Rae. Do you often date younger girls with limited sexual experience?" Linda asked.
"Christ, mum! Can we at least make it through a meal without you asking about us getting off with each other?" Rae cried across the table.
"Well, I don't mean to be rude. You seem like a nice enough lad, but I just want to make sure you're not taking advantage of my daughter. You don't mind the questions, right Aiden?" Linda questioned.
"Well, I….uhhhh," Aiden stammered.
"How about a change in conversation? What's been going on around here?" Rae asked looking frustrated.
"Well nothing much. Although, it's been quite a buzz since you announced that you were coming back to Lincolnshire. Everyone has been asking about you," Linda announced.
"Really, like who?" Rae asked, her interest peaked.
"Well, the usual suspects of course. Chloe rang a few times. Izzy and Chop wanted to make sure that you were definitely coming back for the wedding. Oh and Archie is excited to see you as well," Linda said nonchalantly.
"Anyone else?" Rae asked slightly hopeful.
"Yeah, Finn has stopped by quite a few times to ask if you're really coming back for good, and to help around the house a little," Linda admitted. Linda looked up with a knowing face to see Rae look down at her plate sheepishly while Aiden glared in confusion at Rae.
"Is this the infamous Finn that I hear so much about?" Aiden asked quietly
"Yeah, well you'll get to meet the whole gang at the pub. Remember?" Rae asked
Dinner moved quickly after that. Linda started a terribly embarrassing story about Rae involving super glue, a chair, and a pair of ripped pants. Rae used that time to cringe inwardly, then tune her mother out completely. Rae began having second and third thoughts about letting Aiden and her mother meet in the first place. "I should have just hidden him in the boot of the car until it was time to go to the wedding," Rae thought. As her mum began to babble Rae's mind started racing. She hoped that things would fare better with the gang. She couldn't wait to see everyone again, but she still felt incredibly nervous to be around them for a reason she couldn't quite pinpoint. Rae had regularly visited her friends throughout the years, so why was it so nerve-wracking to meet them with Aiden in tow? Despite being nervous, Rae pulled Aiden out of the front door as soon as the last bite of dinner was done.
Rae felt a wave of déjà vu as she pushed open the door to Chippy's. Rae could hear the Beastie Boys blasting through the karaoke machine as though it was meant for her. The people of Lincolnshire knew she was finally home. To make her homecoming complete, the first view she had was of all of her old friends at their table as though not one day had passed.
There was an audible yell of excited acknowledgement as Chop, Izzy, Chloe, and Archie popped right up to greet her. They all took turns wrapping her into long hugs. The only person who didn't get up immediately was Finn. Finn, who Rae noticed, was sitting next to his girlfriend Amber. He continued to stare at Rae as she hugged each member of the gang. It was almost as if he couldn't make himself believe that she was really there.
"Hiya Finn. How are you?" Rae asked
As though being shaken from a long train of thought, Finn shook himself and stood up to hug Rae. Rae had nearly forgotten what it was like to hug Finn; it was an otherworldly experience. Being best mates with Finn had many advantages, but one of the best had to be his hugs. No one gave hugs like Finn; they were warm, caring, tight, comforting, and almost sentient. Finn always knew exactly what mood she was in after a 5 second hug….it was pretty eerie. After what seemed like ages, the two broke apart from one another. For a moment they continued to stare at each other. "It's good to see you Rae. You look so different from the last time I saw you," Finn commented. Rae wasn't quite sure how to breathe anymore. Finn was taking time to scan every inch of her face as though searching for something. Catching her bearings, Rae responded with half a smirk, "Well, it's the new me. I'm a grown up now in case you didn't get the memo." Finn gave a small smile, but continued to stare as if waiting for Rae to say something more profound. As long as Rae had known Finn, she couldn't figure him out 100%, and she could honestly say she knew him better than anyone. She stared at those big brown eyes trying to figure out what to say next when her thoughts were interrupted by the clearing of a throat. Rae turned around and mentally kicked herself for failing to introduce Aiden for the second time in one day.
"Shit. I am so sorry. Everyone, this is Aiden. Aiden this is everyone," Rae quickly explained. Rae and Aiden pulled up seats between Finn and Chloe as everyone said their 'hellos.' Looking to break the awkward silence that had befallen the group, Rae piped in; So Izzy, Chop are you excited about the big day?
"Course we are Raemundo. Everything is planned, packed, and ready to go," Chop reassured. "Everyone already knows our wedding is going to be the party to end all parties. No other experience will ever compare. What we really want to hear about, is how you met this handsome lad over here," Chop slyly asked gesturing to Aiden.
"Well, it's not a big story is it?" Aiden began. "We met up at University during a big alumni dinner. There was one of our professors up giving a bit of a speech, and droning on a bit. I got distracted by a girl in the corner pulling faces and rolling her big, beautiful eyes. I fell in love immediately, and spent the rest of the night trying to pluck up the courage to talk to her. Finally, after catching me stare at her for the hundredth time she walked up and gave me her phone number. Rachel's been keeping me on my toes ever since," Aiden finished with a warm smile to Rae.
Aiden's story was met with a genuine "Aww, that's so sweet!" from Chloe, Izzy, and Amber. Chop piped in with a more sarcastic, "Aww, you guys are just adorable…" As the table filled with laughter at Chop's silliness, Rae was distracted by a finger on her leg. Finn, who sat in curious silence throughout the story, began writing a message to Rae in their trademark code under the table. Rae could not help but look down with a sheepish grin at the familiarity she and Finn shared. She could pay attention to nothing else as Finn began to spell out 'RACHEL?' Rae simply looked over at the incredulous look on Finn's face and gave a slight shrug before turning her attention back to the rest of the table.
"So Rae, is it official? Are you definitely moving back to Lincolnshire then?" Chloe asked
"Well…." Rae teased "….I am absolutely moving back to Lincolnshire." A collective cheer echoed around as everyone pounded their glasses against the table. For the first time in a long time, Rae felt good and settled. She looked around to see the smiles on the faces of her old friends…this felt like normal. The only person not cheering was a subdued Aiden. "So Aiden," Chop began "are you moving here as well to make an honest woman out of our little Raemundo here?" Chop was met with a noticeable slap to the arm by his bride to be, Izzy, as the rest of the table began to groan. Rae and Aiden shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, clearly not wanting to discuss their situation at that moment.
"Well after the wedding, my flat will be ready, and next week Aiden will be helping me make the big move," Rae announced.
Aiden answered the open question, "Once I find a job here in Stamford, I will be moving in with Rae."
"Alright, so you'll be making an honest woman out of her then?" Chop asked oblivious to the glares he was getting. "Maybe they'll be two weddings less than a year apart…"
The conversation was interrupted by Finn abruptly rising from his seat. "I'm just going to grab another beer." Without another word, Finn walked off. Both Rae and Amber stared after him wondering what was wrong, but before Amber had a chance to think twice, Rae was up from her seat declaring she needed a drink as well.
Rae made her way over to the bar, bee-lining to Finn. "What is the matter with you today?" Rae asked looking annoyed.
"What do you mean?" Finn questioned, not looking Rae in the eye.
"I can tell you're in a shit mood, but I was hoping you would pull together enough to say more than two words to your best mate who you haven't seen in almost a year," Rae spat out.
"Who says I'm in a shit mood Rachel?" Finn said with more venom than he realized.
"Fine. Be an utter twat if you like. I don't need to stand here for this," Rae turned to walk back to the table, but was stopped by Finn's hand clasping into hers.
"Wait, Rae. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just…I don't know. I haven't seen you in a year and you come back with this new look and new attitude. I didn't know what to think," Finn explained.
Now it was Rae's turn to examine Finn. For the first time she noticed exactly how many years had passed since they first met. Finn looked almost exactly the same, except he was a bit more rugged. He had a bit of stubble growing on his face and he seemed a bit taller as well. Despite the changes, he still had that look about him…the look she thought about so much; it was the look of sweet sincerity that never failed to warm her insides from head to toe. Finn somehow managed to look innocent and cheeky at the same time. It would drive her crazy on any given day.
"Listen, Finn, Aiden is the first guy in a long time that I've really liked. He's a sweetheart once you get to know him. You're my best mate, and I do care what you think….can you try to get to know him before you decide to hate him?" Rae pleaded.
"It's not that I hate him, he just doesn't seem to really know you. I don't want you to get hurt is all," Finn admitted.
"Listen, we don't have to talk about it now. Between my crazy mum and this crazy wedding, I'm really going to need you this week…so no more fighting. I missed you way too much to fight with you now," Rae smiled.
Finn smiled back, unable to stay angry in Rae's presence. He wrapped Rae in another hug, and they took their time letting go. Rae put a year's worth of hugs, smiles, secrets, and everything left unsaid between them into this one hug. Despite speaking nearly every day on the phone, there was something lost when Rae and Finn weren't in the same room together. She truly missed him, and judging from his unwillingness to let go, he missed her just as much.
"Come on, let's go back to the table. Who knows what embarrassing thing Chop is asking Aiden now," Rae joked. They walked back slowly, still hand in hand, in time to see Chop go red in the face. Aiden turned to look at the approaching pair, looking down at their joined hands.
"So Rachel, Chop here tells me that you and Finn used to go out? That's funny…you never mentioned it," Aiden asked in a mock casual tone.
Rae thought to herself, "Oh shit! What did I get myself into…."