Guest: Thank you

Guest Yep. Go Paige.

Chapter 45

Emily followed the sound of voices into the kitchen, Paige trailing a half step behind her, the grip on her hand firm, despite the tension Emily could feel running down her arm. If she glanced back, she knew she would find the muscles standing out in stark relief. This was the way Paige wanted to play it though, so Emily was willing to let her. She gave Paige's hand what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze, smiling faintly when she felt the return pressure. She felt four sets of eyes on her as she entered the room, and she struggled to keep her step from faltering.

"Had to drive to two stores, but we got 'em," Emily announced, lifting the grocery bag dangling from her wrist up as evidence. She knew that her voice was a little too loud, her tone a little too cheery in her attempt to combat the tension she could practically feel radiating from Paige, not to mention her own unease.

"Thank you, sweetie." Pam stood to take the bag from Emily, opening it to peer at its contents before moving to put it into the fridge, giving both girls shoulder's a squeeze as she stepped past them.

"No problem, Mrs. Fields," Paige said, softly, sweetly. And, Emily wasn't the only one who stifling her laughter. It seemed like, ever since Emily had told Paige that it was driving her mom nuts with all the "Mrs. Fields" and "Ma'am's," that she was doing it even more. It had nothing to do with manners anymore. Not really. Yes, Paige was polite, almost to a fault. But she was comfortable enough in the house to make herself at home, feeling free to get something to drink, or make a snack. She also seemed perfectly comfortable around Pam, not a trace of nervousness evident in their conversations or interactions. She was pretty sure that Paige was doing it now just to tease.

Emily's eye caught Maureen's as stepped across the room to tuck herself into her father's side, towing Paige along after her, her girlfriend only too happy to oblige. She still found herself needing the reassurance of his touch until she could convince herself that his presence was real, and her dad gave it willingly, draping his arm across her shoulders, and dropping a kiss to the top of her head. She offered Maureen a weak smile, only to be offered a warm one in return. It was a subtle gesture, but it was enough to loosen the knot in her stomach. Paige's mother had been warm, and welcoming at dinner the other day. But, that had been before she was aware, officially, of their relationship. Though, Paige had informed Emily that her suspicions about her mother knowing the truth were correct. She was just glad to see that the confirmation didn't change how she felt.

"You didn't really drive all over town looking for those, did you?" Wayne asked, clearly amused by the concept. Especially on what Emily was pretty sure was a fool's errand. She was pretty sure her mom had sent them off to the store just to get them out of the house, the party preparation had been mostly complete, and the tasks she'd started assigning them before they left had become increasingly tedious.

"Two stores is hardly all over town, sir."

Pam chortled, and Wayne chuckled, Emily was happy to see that Paige had relaxed enough to tease, it was a good sign for how this little gathering was going to go. Already, she could feel the tension flowing from the room, and from Paige. The grip on her hand loosening to a casual hold, rather than a desperate clinging.

"Right. Well, the McCullers brought over some food. It needs to go out onto the buffet table in the living room. If you two want to make yourselves useful." The "for once" not spoken, but clear in his tone, and from the grin on his face.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Hey, too late. We've been offering to help out all day. But someone kept shooing us out of the kitchen." Emily shot pointed looks at first her mother, then her father. "I think we're done. Right, Paige?"

She glanced back at Paige, who had a bit of a deer in the headlights look about her. Clearly caught between acknowledging the truth and trying to be polite. It would be sweet, if it didn't mean she was likely to disagree with Emily.

She shrugged non- committedly. "It's only a couple of containers," she hedged, eyes wide and pleading with Emily. "Wouldn't take long."

Emily huffed and rolled her eyes, unable to help but give in to her girlfriend, even as she silently bemoaned her natural desire to please people. She pulled away from her father, and allowed herself to be guided across the kitchen to the counter and began unpacking the bags.

"Oh, girls. Don't worry about that. I'll get to it in a minute," Pam said, waving them away.

"It's fine, Mrs. Fields."

"You only want to help because you want to sample the food before everyone else gets here," Emily teased, bumping Paige's hip with her own.

Paige scoffed, feigning indignation.

"Oh, please. You're stomach's been growling for like, an hour."

"Well, can you blame me, what with you having me running all over town."

"You say that like you were actually running, and not just sitting in the car, cruising along."

Their parents chuckled at their banter, and then tuned them out, resuming whatever conversation they'd been having before Emily and Paige had entered the house. Emily had taken note of the fact that both Maureen and Nick had remained silent during the exchange, and while Maureen had seemed relaxed, and at ease, she had felt Nick's watchful gaze on her, on them, the entire time. She didn't know if it was a good thing, or a bad thing, that he'd said nothing.

Paige didn't seem too concerned though, as they loaded themselves up with containers and headed into the other room. It could just be a front though, put on for the benefit of the others in the room. As soon as they were alone, she dumped her burden onto the table and turned to Paige.

"How are you holding up?"

Paige's movements were more calculated, as she placed her load onto the table and then began taking the lids off, one by one, and laying them. "I'm okay," she said, glancing to the side, and giving Emily a reassuring smile. "I promise," she added, seeing that Emily was uncertain whether or not to believe her. "Was it weird, to have my parents sitting in your kitchen? Sure. Did it feel a little awkward holding your hand in front of them? Of course. But, it also felt really nice having the four of them together like that, clearly getting along. It just feels…right. You know?"

Emily hadn't really thought of it that way, but now that Paige mentioned it, she knew she was right. She was hit with this image of family dinners, all six of them around the table. Shared holidays, and special celebrations. Because her vision of the future was solidifying with Paige in it. She could picture them, two, three years from now, coming home from college on breaks, bemoaning the night spent apart in their respective childhood bedrooms after a semester spent falling asleep and waking up together, and complaining about how weird it was to be back to having to tell their parents where they were going, and who they'd be with. Or, five years from now, living together in a tiny little apartment in some still unknown city, making the drive back to Rosewood for Thanksgiving or Christmas, looking forward to home cooked meals and Pam's (of course Pam's, always Pam's) lavish turkey dinner, with both sets of parents present. Or, in ten years, in a house now, maybe with a couple of little ones, making that same drive, looking forward to those same things. She couldn't help but feel like today was the first of many such gatherings. And she could only hope that it was true.

It didn't take long to get the table set up, and guests began arriving shortly after, the house slowly filling with friends and neighbours. It was nice, the number of people who came out to welcome her father home. Emily made the rounds, greeting people and making sure they had food and drinks, if they wanted them. Paige never strayed far from her side, always with a hand on her back, or an arm around her shoulder, or idly playing with her fingers, happy to be introduced around, proudly declaring herself as Emily's girlfriend to those who didn't already know. And, even to a few of those who did. Emily couldn't help but laugh as she introduced herself to Aria's mother that way, despite the fact that, surely, Ella already knew. It was sweet though. And not something that she could bring herself to mind.

Nick kept his distance for most of the party. Though Emily could feel his watchful gaze on them at times. His expression unreadable, though not outwardly disapproving, which she took as a good sign. When he did approach, with Paige at his side, he was mostly quiet, letting Paige and Emily and Wayne take care of the conversation. But, Emily noticed the way he looked fondly at his daughter. And the way he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, keeping her firmly by his side. Any lingering wariness Emily had of him instantly vanished. Clearly, any struggle he was going through over Paige's sexuality, he was determined to overcome, and that was enough for Emily. It made her want to get to know the man, a desire she previously had not felt.

Paige didn't speak often of her parents, aside from little tidbits here and there, like how afraid she was to come out to them, or comments about how they weren't around much. She hadn't expressed much interest in bringing them and Emily closer, so Emily hadn't given the idea much thought. Until lately, that was. Over the past few days, she had been spending a lot more time with them, and seeing how happy that made her, it made Emily want to be a part of that was well. She wanted Paige to feel like Emily was as much a part of her family as Emily felt Paige was part of hers. More than that, she wanted Paige's parents to have as much trust and belief that she was good enough for their daughter as her parent's had in Paige. It was an unfamiliar feeling for her. She hadn't interacted much with Maya's parents, hadn't the need or desire to. And, Maya certainly wasn't going to win over hers. Or, her mother at least. Her father had been willing to give her the benefit of the doubt because Emily cared for her, but he'd been overseas.

He was here now though, both her parents were, and clearly Paige had won them both over, without even having to try. Emily doubted it would be that easy with Nick, but she hoped that the end result was the same. The party, if she were lucky, would be a good start.

Nick was hard to read, but he seemed to be having a good time. Especially since whatever words he and Paige had exchanged in the kitchen, which had brought him over to her and her father for a brief, but pleasant conversation. She had lost track of him since then, but had seen him talking animatedly with Byron and Ella a few minutes ago, and he'd even shot her a small smile when their eyes crossed paths.

Inviting Paige's parents to the party had been a good idea. She was glad that her mother had suggested it. The party itself was also a hit. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, friends and neighbours mingling and eating, with no signs of it slowing down. Emily was pleased, though at the moment, she was in need of a little break It was getting a heated in here, the temperature having risen drastically with so many people in such a small space, despite several open windows and a couple of fans circulating a breeze. She felt like she was cooking from the inside out, and was definitely in need of a little fresh air. Despite that, she was reluctant to tear herself away from Paige's side, immensely enjoying the feel of her girlfriend's arm slung casually around her waist as they chatted with Mona and her mother. Unfortunately, it the heat was getting to be too much, so she excused herself from the conversation.

"You okay?" Paige's instant concern was sweet, but unnecessary.

"Fine" She brushed a soft, reassuring kiss against Paige's lips and slipped from the arm around her waist. "It's just a little hot in here. I'm going to grab a drink, and step outside for a minute."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Emily smiled at the offer, even as she shook her head. She brushed another kiss to Paige's lips, patted her stomach lightly. "No. Stay. Mingle. I'll just be a minute."

"Hurry back," Paige whispered against her lips, pouting adorably.

"Promise."

Emily worked her way through the crowd to the kitchen, where she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, then stepped out the back door and onto the deck. She sucked in a deep breath of cool, sweet evening air, feeling it fill her lungs and sooth across overheated skin. It raised goosebumps across her arms, but she welcomed the chill. She opened the bottle of water and tilted her head back, taking a long pull, the cool liquid relieving her parched throat.

She was just about to turn and head back inside when a sound to her left caught her attention. She turned towards the rustle of bushes, and let out a soft breath of surprise as Nick rounded the corner, his shoulder brushing a few errant branches as he lifted his hand to take a drag from a cigarette. The tip flared red in the darkness, and then faded as he pulled it away from his lips to exhale. He paused as he glanced up at her, his steps faltering. His hand fell to his side, the cigarette burning away, forgotten.

"It's a nasty habit, I know," he said, pinching the ashes off, and taking another drag.

Emily shrugged. She supposed it was, it wasn't something she'd given much thought to. Her dad smoked sometimes, cigars more than cigarettes, but either would do when he was out with his army buddies.

She struggled for something to say. This was the opportunity she'd been looking for, wasn't it? A moment to connect with Paige's father, to start to build a rapport with him. But, the silence hung heavy between them.

After a long moment, Nick let out a sigh. "I know what you must think of me." His voice was soft, though it travelled easily in the stillness that surrounded them. "But I'm not…it's not…"

Emily shook her head at his words, though his gaze was out at the yard, and not at her. "I don't…Whatever you think I feel about you…it's not that… She stumbled over her own words, just as he had, knowing that they only had once chance to get off on the right foot, but not quite sure what she even meant to say. She shook her head, frustrated at her own inability to gather her thoughts clearly enough to say something meaningful. "I can see how much you care about Paige. The fact that you're here tonight, it means a lot. To Paige. And to me."

Nick nodded, the ghost of a smile crossing his lips. "I can see what she sees in you," he said. "And, when I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit, you're everything I ever wanted her to find in a partner." The smile went crooked, turning somewhat wry. "I just, always envisioned that partner would be a man."

Emily tipped her head towards him. That was fair enough. She didn't really fault him for being thrown by all of this. It was a lot to take in. And, he'd reacted better than expected. Emily was glad that Paige's fears had been proven unfounded.

"Now I find myself at something of a loss at how to feel about…all this," he said. "My wife tells me that I need to get over it. My beliefs….my upbringing tells me that it's a sin. But then, I look at my daughter…." He shook his head, "I've never seen her happier than she was in there with you."

Emily felt a warm surge of pride at his words. Paige made her so happy. Just thinking her name brought a smile to her lips. If she made Paige even a fraction as happy as Paige made her that would be enough. And, now here she was, having the last person she'd ever expected to endorse their relationship, tell her that it was true.

"I love her, sir." She hoped that it wouldn't be too much for him to hear.

But, he merely nodded.

"I think you best call me Nick," he said after a moment, as he made his way up the steps towards her. "This whole Sir, Mr. McCullers business makes me feel old. And, has me looking over my shoulder to see if my father's behind me."

Emily nodded, taken aback by this words. "Of course, sir. I mean, Nick."

He chuckled, and shook his head. "It's going to take awhile for that to stick, isn't it?"

She was relieved that he didn't sound upset.

"Probably." She gave a shrug, and pulled a face. "Sorry."

"If it makes you feel any better, it feels a little weird for me too."

"Oddly enough, yeah, it does make me feel better."

He nodded, and gave her an awkward clap on the shoulder. Clearly, they weren't going to slip into the same kind of easy relationship that Paige and her father had. But, Emily was okay with that. Where they were right now, as tentative and uneasy as it was, at least it was a step towards something.

"Don't stay out here too long. You'll catch a chill."

"I'll be in in a minute."

His hand on her shoulder turned into a light squeeze, and then he stepped past her and into the house.

Emily lingered on the deck for a moment or two longer, reeling a little from the conversation, before turning and headed back inside. Paige was leaning against the kitchen counter, holding a glass while Hannah poured her a drink. She glanced up as the door swung shut behind Emily, then her gaze shot towards the living room, and Nick's retreating form.

"Were you just outside with my father?" She set her drink down on the counter and moved towards Emily, ignoring Hannah's protests as the movement caused her to spill.

Emily nodded, welcoming Paige's hands rubbing up and down her arms in an attempt to dispel the goosebumps there, when really all they did was raise more, of a different variety.

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing bad," she promised, reaching up to stop the brisk movement of Paige's hands, lacing their fingers together in a reassuring squeeze.

"What does that mean?"

"It means we had a nice talk. And we've come to an...understanding of sorts."

Paige's brow furrowed. "That doesn't sound good."

"Trust me, it is good."

Paige's gaze softened, though her brow was still somewhat furrowed, as she was torn between trusting Emily, and distrusting her father's intentions right now.

"He told me to call him Nick," Emily offered, hoping it would appease her. "He said it makes him feel old. But, I think it's because he knows I'm going to be around for awhile."

"Only awhile?" Paige's eyebrow shot up, and a teasing grin tugged at her lips.

"Well, what would you prefer I say?"

"How about…indefinitely?" She frowned and shook her head in response to her own question. "No, that doesn't sound right either."

"No?" Emily's throat tightened as the teasing question suddenly took on serious implications. "What about…forever? Does forever sound better?" She kept her tone light, but her heart pounded as she awaited Paige's reply.

Paige didn't disappoint, however. Her eyes lit up and her grin grew wider. "Yeah. Forever sounds perfect." She dipped her head, her lips just about to brush against Emily's, only to jump back with a curse as a loud clang sounded right beside them.

"What the hell? Hannah!"

Emily's ears were still ringing, both from the noise, and from Paige's curses, as she rounded on Hannah, to find her friend standing there with a frying pan and a wooden spoon.

"I get it, okay? We all get it. You two are disgustingly in love. But can you please just get a room or something, and take care of all this lovey-dovey bullshit? You're grossing the rest of us out."

Emily burst into laughter, unable to contain her response. Paige's forehead fell against her shoulder as she dissolved into laughter as well. Hannah huffed, and muttered to herself as she strode from the room.

"Oh yeah, there's soda all over the counter," she called over her shoulder in parting. "Clean that shit up."

Her words only served to make them both laugh harder.