I turned to Courtney, once we stopped off outside my house, to find her fiddling with the collar of her leather jacket.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm alright. I suppose I'm just a little nervous," she admitted, "I'm so lame."

I gave a shake of my head then.

"No, you're not. You're my girlfriend which automatically makes you one of the coolest people alive, Courts. They're going to love you because I- I mean," I cleared my throat, "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

"You're right," Courtney said, as her eyes flickered with curiosity for a moment. She seemed to let her question go, though, as the two of us exited the car and walked up to the front door of my house.

We stopped there momentarily because I could tell that Courtney had things on her mind that she wanted to talk about.

After a minute, she spoke again.

"I think it's just weird that I was alone for so long and now I'm part of something...I feel like I'm part of a family."

"You are. You're my best friend and my girlfriend and you're basically part of my family, Courtney," I assured her, with a sweet smile.

"I'm stressing out for very little reason. The rational part of my brain is telling me that this is going to be okay. I think that after what happened with my dad, the idea of people fully accepting me has just seemed...foreign," she admitted.

"Hey, you're one of the kindest girls I know and one of the most beautiful, too. My mother and siblings are going to love you," I said.

Courtney gave a nod of her head, then, as she appeared to be encouraged by my words.

I grabbed my house key out of my pocket and opened the door for the two of us, so that we could walk on in.

Once we were there, my mother, Vanessa, soon walked over to the two of us.

"Hi, Miss Clarke. I should have introduced myself properly a while ago...I'm Phoebe's girlfriend, Courtney," she said, with a sweet smile.

My mother returned her pleasant expression.

"It's great to finally meet you, Courtney. Come on in," my mother told her.

My mother informed the two of us that she was very happy for the both of us. Soon enough, though, she had to return to work again. So, Courtney and I sat in the front room for some time, before Callie entered the living room. She had her phone in her hand and it looked as though she was mid-call, so Courtney and I remained remarkably quiet.

"Ben, I've said it before and I don't want to have to say it a thousand more times. I tried to be there for you and you cheated on me, you were a generally crappy boyfriend. I tried to understand you but...I have my limits, too, Ben. We are over. For good," Callie said and then abruptly ended the call.

"Wow, good shit, Cals!" Courtney said.

Callie released a soft laugh, as she met my gaze.

I stood up from the sofa to grab her into a hug.

"I'm proud of you, Callie," I told her.

"Thank you, Phoebs," Callie said, as she drew back from the hug. "I guess I realised my worth and I am worth more. I let myself be taken advantage of, for far too long, because I tend to put other people's needs in front of mine. I can't continue to do that anymore. I could tell that it was making you upset, too. I care about you so much, Phoebe and I never wanted to hurt you."

"I was worried about you, that's all. I'm glad you're out of your relationship with him now, Callie. I love you and I know that you deserve more. You deserve someone who can give you the world and not someone who makes you feel as though your world is crumbling underneath your feet," I said.

Callie nodded as her expression became a little more optimistic.

I knew that breakups were never easy but this one was particularly necessary. Callie could move on and find someone that looked after her. She could find someone that made her feel the way that Courtney made me feel.

Callie's lips twitched up at the corner, as her eyes scanned between Courtney and I.

"So, you two are together now?" she asked us.

Courtney and I nodded in agreement.

Bow walked into the living room with one of his picture books and blinked a few times at Courtney.

"Who are you? I like your jacket," he said.

"Hey Bow. I'm Phoebe's girlfriend, Courtney," Courtney said.

"Girlfwend?" Bow asked, as a sweet smile appeared upon his lips and formed a dimple in his cheek.

"Exactly," Courtney said.

"Yay! When's the wedding?" Bow asked.

Callie, Courtney and I all chuckled.

"I think you might want to slow down on the U-haul there, Bow," Callie said.

"What U-haul?" Bow asked, as his eyebrows crinkled together in his confusion.

Courtney met my gaze and warmth shimmered in her eyes.

"He's adorable," she said.

I shrugged.

"He's Bow," I said, as I felt a smile naturally work its way onto my face.

After Courtney had some time to talk to Callie and listened to Bow babble back at her, too, it came time for the two of us to return to my room. There was a lot the two of us needed to talk about and I intended to do it soon.

"Your room is almost as cute as you are," Courtney told me, with a slightly teasing tone to her voice.

I gave a slight shake of my head in my amusement but smiled all the same. Courtney smiled back at me.

"I mean that, though. You're cute, beautiful and amazing. Amazing, beautiful and cute. The ABCs of what I want in a girlfriend," Courtney said, as she held a hand out to me.

I walked over to her to take it and the two of us sat down upon my bed.

Courtney leant in slightly, so I caught the scent of her floral perfume, as she pressed her lips gently to my cheek. I felt it warm slightly. That always happened but I supposed I was especially nervous.

"You look as though you have something on your mind," Courtney said, as a thoughtful expression appeared upon her face.

"I do," I said.

I took a deep breath, then. There was a lot I needed to tell her.