14
Damon
A few days pass, andI can tell the meeting with the lawyer provided some reassurance for Tessa. She isn’t completely back to her old self yet, but she’s getting there. Every day, I can see the noticeable change as her anxiety goes down when dropping Emily off and picking her up. It is natural for her to feel this way after what Chris did, but soon, if everything goes right, he won’t have the option to do anything like that again.
I want to do something different tonight, so Liam is coming over for dinner. At first, I thought about inviting Aiden too, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her. He could be a bit much at times.
Plus, Thanksgiving is fast approaching in three days, and I think this will be a good test run. There are no qualms about Liam and Tessa getting along because he is thrilled I finally opened my heart to someone.
The doorbell sounds, and Emily races past me to answer the door.
“Hi there, little one. You must be Emily.”
“That’s me,” she replies, giggling.
Here we go. One thing everyone worries about when bringing new people into your life is that your family incorporates them too. Not sure how to have a healthy relationship with someone if your family hates your partner. “Come on in, we have about ten minutes until dinner’s ready.”
He decides to join Emily in the living room and watch the latest Animal Planet special. One thing they will have in common is Liam is a huge animal lover. If he could have a tiger as a legitimate pet, he probably would. Honestly, I am still surprised he didn’t go to veterinarian school and instead became a firefighter.
From the kitchen I can hear them talking about their favorite animals, and then Emily goes on to tell Liam all about our trip to the Dallas Zoo. I smile. That day was a great first adventure for all three of us, and it melts my heart to know she holds it in such high regard.
Tessa comes out of the bedroom and stares at me, wondering what the hell I’m doing. Eavesdropping, but trying not to make it obvious, thanks. I’m not sure why having them meet my brothers put me on edge, but it does. Especially Aiden. He can be an asshole sometimes and can’t keep his personal opinions to himself. Perfect reason why he isn’t here tonight. It’s best to start slow, instead of bringing them both in and having a shitty night.
Once the food is complete, Tessa and I take it to the dining room, with Liam and Emily following suit. Most of the conversation is between those two and consists of a million and one questions about him. She really is a curious person, but that’s good. It warms my heart to know they get along so well.
“So, now that you and Emily are best friends, I’d love to get to know more about you,” Tessa says.
Liam isn’t a shy person, but he isn’t like Aiden who loves to talk about himself to others.
“I know being a firefighter runs in the family, but if you could have chosen a different profession, what would it have been?”
He scratches his chin. “Maybe a pilot. That’s always interested me.”
The questions continue, about him growing up and what sports he played, and then she tries to sneak in and get him to tell her all my embarrassing stories. Not going to happen.
“Nope. That’s it. Enough with the questions. You don’t need to hear those.” I laugh.
“Okay, what about a girlfriend then?”
He blushes. “No. I work a lot so I don’t seem to have much time for that. Although I’d love to find someone, it just seems like it's not the right time for me yet.”
“Be patient. You’ll find her.”
Once dinner is done, Emily runs and jumps into Liam’s arms to give him a hug before he leaves. It’s so sweet to see how much they get along already. Liam has always talked about having kids someday, and hopefully he gets the chance to be a father.
After Liam departs, Tessa and I take a seat in the dining room and discuss Thanksgiving. It’s coming up soon, and we need to have a game plan set. She has no problem with my brothers coming, which I didn’t suspect she would, but there’s one other surprise I have in store for her on that day.
“Oh, by the way, Harper asked if I wanted to get dinner and drinks tomorrow. Is that okay?”
He kisses me. “I already told you to go out and have some fun. You have me now. Go enjoy yourself without worrying about Emily. She’s in good hands, promise.”
Her phone rings and we both look at each other briefly before she answers.
“Hello?”
I can’t hear what is being said on the other end, and it leaves me in suspense. From the slight smile on her face, it must at least be good news. My eyes are fixated on her, waiting for her to fill me in.
“Who is it?” I ask as she puts up a finger.