Being back home has been a very refreshing thing for my mindset and soul. Even though it doesn't feel like my home it will always be my home.

Does that make any sense?

Not being ambushed by cameras everywhere I go is also totally accepted. I enjoy my time at our town's small mall. It's more of a shopping complex than a mall. The whole thing is a one story L-shaped hallway filled with shops on both sides of it.

What I was not ready for is someone at the grocery store saying that they recognise my face. And to make things worse, this plump, blonde haired woman, whips out a magazine that she stuffed between her packets of pasta in the trolley that carries her groceries.

The blood runs from my face as I see my face on the front page of the magazine. The glossy A4 sized page displays Alexander and I holding hands while stepping out of a shoe store.

We went shopping three weeks ago, he actually wanted to get a few new ties and had me tag along. It ended up being less ties for him, but more clothes and shoes for me.

Which by the way I don't need but the man was very insistent on getting me more clothing items even though the closet that we now share is almost out of space.

I digress...

"Oh my gosh, it's you", she shakily points a well manicured finger between me and the me on the magazine.

As if things could not get any worse, mom emerges from the produce section and she approaches us with a confused expression on her face.

Dropping the lettuce she was holding onto our own trolley, her gaze finds the source of this woman's interest in me.

Why is this happening now?

I am basically a deer caught in headlights as mom looks at me with a questioning brow, curved up.

How do I even explain this to her?

And why do I always keep secrets from people I love?

The whole grocery store ordeal is put aside for the time being as we drive back home.

After the 'magazine lady' left us in awkward silence to continue our shopping which she so graciously interrupted. Mom said that this is something that we should speak about at home. 

The entire way back I am praying that I don't piss myself from the nerves wrecking my whole body. The tension in the car is so thick, you can cut it with a knife.

"Now do you want to tell me what happened between you and that lady back at the store?", she asks the moment we place the grocery filled bags on the kitchen counter.

Biting my bottom lip as I go through how to come with an answer that will not upset her. Mom has never been fully supportive of me dating men from the city. She always saw me as someone who would date a guy from our small town and settle down quickly.

And now I am not only dating a man from the city but I live with him and he is almost two decades older than me.

"She saw me in a magazine", I replied to her question.

A perfectly shaped brow is raised in question to my very stupid answer. My heart rate moves a little too quickly for my liking.

I may have cardiac arrhythmia by the end of this conversation.

She reaches into one the bags and pulls out a replica of the magazine that the woman at the store was holding.

How have I not noticed that she took a copy home with us?

"Alexander Cain and his new lover out on a shopping trip", she reads the subheading out to me.

Her tone sounds furious but at the same time amused.

"You're with him?".

Words get stuck in my mouth and all I can do is stare at the floor.

"Speak before I whip it out of you!", the sound of her raised voice makes me flinch. I know she's not going to beat it out of me but the threat still shakes me to my core.

You're never too old for a whooping from your mama.

"Yes mom, I'm with him". 

Slightly pleased with my answer, she motions for us to sit down so we can talk about this in detail.

Once we sit down at the dinner table, I finally open up and tell her about my relationship with Alexander. She listens, and does not interrupt me as she lets me explain everything to her.

By the time I am done, she looks calm.

"So you're telling me that, you're dating a billionaire who is almost twice your age".

Suppressing an eye roll for her knack for exaggeration, I nod my head in agreement.

"He is not buying your attention is he?"

My eyes widen at her question, "Eew, mom no! It's not like that".

I'm seriously grossed out at why she would even think that of me. Does she not trust the values she has brought me up with?

"Don't look at me like that. You never know with older men these days." she visibly shudders, "They have nasty relationships with young girls".

I shake my head, "Well, it's really not like that with us."

"Okay then", she nods as the conversation concludes.

I move around the kitchen to put away the groceries as she grabs a small yogurt tub and a banana to take to Nana.

We had left her with dad since today was his day off at work.

"Oh, Rosalie?"

Turning, I face her as he stands near the threshold of the kitchen entrance. "Yes mom?"

"I would like to meet him".

My mouth suddenly becomes dry at her request, "Okay, you can meet him next week after grad-"

She doesn't let me finish as she cuts me off, "-No, he will come by tomorrow and we will have dinner with him as a family".

"Tomorrow, but mom, he ca-"

"-Rosalie Ann Jones!", her tone shuts me up.

"It's Saturday tomorrow, he can surely come over and have dinner with us."

I have no words. 

I just stand with the peanut butter jar in my hands looking at my mother in shock, confusion and most of all fear. This is not someone I want to disobey, so I relent and nod at her request or better yet, command.

After packing away the food, I go upstairs to my bedroom to get some privacy as I hype myself up for the call I am going to have to make.

This day has taken a weird turn. This is not how I wanted to disclose the fact that I am in a relationship. This is most certainly how I thought I would extend an invitation for dinner with my parents to Alexander.

This feels too rushed. Why does mom want to meet him so soon?

I nearly tear a whole through my rug as I pace around the room. Finally gathering enough courage, I grab my phone from the bed and call Alexander.

Thoughts once again consume me as I the phone rings,

What if he says no?

Why is he not answering?

What if I'm interrupting him during something important?

What if h-

My loud mind is silenced by his voice on the other end when he answers his phone.

"Miss Jones, what a nice surprise", his deep voice mixed with his accent calms me down and for a second I allow myself to feel the wonderful sensation before my nerves come back.

"Lex, I have a favour to ask you".

"Anything for you my love, tell me. I'm listening". He sounds so carefree, so eager to please. 

How do I begin to ask him this?

"Rose, are you still there?"

Clearing my throat, I answer him "Yeah, I am still here"

"What is the favour my love?".

"Yeah..uhm..Well my mom sort of found out about our relationship" , I chew on my lip, waiting for his response.

"I wasn't aware that we were hiding this from her", he calmly responds.

Well we sort of were...okay I was the one who chose to hide a five month relationship from her. I didn't think that people from our small town cared about the lives of the rich and famous enough to follow them .

"We aren't hiding, I just never got around to telling her about us".

"Oh", I hear him release a sigh.

Great, now he's going to think that I am ashamed of him. I just wanted to stay in our bubble for as long as I could.

"Anyway she's inviting you over for dinner".

Once again I hold my breath, waiting to hear what he is going to say.

Is he going to accept?

Five seconds seem like an eternity as he ponders over the invitation. I move around my room like a crazy person as I wait.

Even Jelly Bean looks at me like I've lost my mind.

"When?" he asks.

I stare out the window onto the street, "Tomorrow night."

"Okay then, I accept".

"Wait, aren't you busy. I mean she'd underst-", my mindless rambling is stopped by his reassuring voice.

"Rose, I'll be there tomorrow. Text me the address".

I nod even though he can't see me, "Okay, I'll let her know"

"I'll call you later my love", his smooth voice once again calms me.

"Cool, later".

My shoulders sag in relief. Releasing all the tension that has every muscle in my body frozen. I fall onto the bed and finally relax onto the softness of the comfy duvet cover.

Tomorrow can't come soon enough.