We walk into his childhood home with his hand in mine, reassuring me that it was okay, that this wasn't a panic worthy situation.

But there were six cars out in the driveway, all apart from the cars that were in their huge garage attached to the house and apart from Karsen's car and so it made me squirm.

People. There were quite a lot of people in here.

I needed to get better at my people skills, but I hadn't thought of it much before Karsen, because I never thought i'd ever be this person.

I never thought of a relationship months ago, hell I barely even thought about having any friendships, so of course I never thought of meeting my boyfriends parents one day, or his family or anything like this that i'm doing today.

Yet here I was, now in a red dress, with a tight bun on my head, holding the hand of a handsome college football player, sweating bullets as we walk together, side by side.

Life was weird.

I look around the house, liking that it wasn't as inhumanely large as I thought it would be in my head. Don't get me wrong though, it was a big house, but it showed that they only had one child and were rich, not that they had lots of kids and were rich so they had to have like, eleven bedrooms, this house probably was a four bedroom house, four bathrooms, maybe a study or something for their father to work in- look at me, I already started to create their story in my head and I hadn't even met them yet.

I shake my head at myself, even thought I tend to do that.

The further we walk in the more I notice. The walls were cream colored, more on the white side, a color not usual in a house full of children but of course they only had one kid, and that was the boy who was holding my hand right now.

We hear the laughter and chatter come further in the house. But its getting closer, which means we're getting closer.

Breathe.

I swallow hard, letting Karsen lead the way in front of me as I look around us, seeing some pictures of his mother, father and him on the wall and my worries seep away as I look at a small framed picture on the wall, it was Karsen with a football in hand, wearing a football jersey that was one too many sizes big, probably five years old in that picture.

"You always loved football." I say, pointing to the picture and he hums, looking to me behind him over his shoulder, "I'll show you all the pictures around the house after you meet them."

Those words bring back all my nervousness and he notices, bringing his hand over my skin and rubbing up my arm. "I promise, they're accommodating people baby."

"Accommodating is such a formal word to use." I tease him, forcing a smile on my face so he doesn't worry too much and it seems to work a little because he smiles back, turning around and we continue to walk till we get to the lounge area where a wood burned fire burns, making the house warmer than it was outside.

And thats when I see them... the people.

Or well, Karsen's family.

I do a quick mental head count, nine women, six men, and two kids, both boys, three people around our age, one boy, two girls. I almost choke.

They turn around at the sound of Karsen clearing his throat, the two kids who I now see are twins gasp and drop their toys, running over to Karsen, screaming uncle Karsen, all the way over and I feel a small smile etch onto my face at the sight of their flailing arms.

He doesn't get to hug them both, since both boys just wrap their bodies around either one of his legs. So he merely rubs their heads and I can't help but giggle.

"You must be Adrienne." I hear a feminine voice before I can even think, and I look up, completely forgetting there were other people here and I blink, swallowing harshly, "I am." I look around at everyone, waving. "Hi."

They all give me smiles or waves, some send me both which makes me relax a little. They were nice, or well, they seemed nice which was good enough for now.

I move to Karsen's side, holding his hand between both my hands and Im sure the woman who stands up and walks to us is his mother.

Shes a little taller than I am, but they're all taller than I am. A tall damned family.

She smiles, a dimple indenting on one side of her face and I smile wider because Karsen has a single dimple on the opposite side of his cheek. She had his color eyes too.

"Im Piper, Karsen's mother, Merry Christmas." She holds her arms open for a hug and my eyes almost widen at the gesture. A hug? Already? I move in closer and hug her, "Well I'm Adrienne, you know that already but yeah." I smile gently, "Merry Christmas."

She grins a toothy grin, "You look beautiful darling."

I can't help smile even wider, I don't remember when last my own mother had said those words to me. "Thank you Mrs Krist, so do you, your home is lovely, I especially love the pictures."

She winks at Karsen who merely watches our interaction like a hawk from beside me, "I like her already."

Im sure we both feel the tension roll off our shoulders like boulders, and now we can slouch comfortable, we don't slouch, but the fact that we could is comforting. "I like her too." He says almost half smart assed, leaning in and kissing my cheek and my eyes widen, looking up to him beside me with warning eyes but he only scrunches his nose teasingly making his mother laugh.

"Let me introduce you to everyone else then we can go and look at all my embarrassing pictures." Karsen tells me, and his mother gasps before I can even nod, "You didn't even wish me a Merry Christmas?"

He rolls his eyes at that, "I did, over the phone."

She glares playfully at that.

He snorts, moving to her to hug her, "Merry Christmas ma." She immediately pushes his hand away, shooing him off, "Thank you, now go."

A soft laugh bubbles at the pit of my throat as he rolls his eyes with a smile on his face, walking back over to me, slipping his arm around my waist. "I like your mom." I tell him, and he smiles a little more. "I knew you would."

===

Karsen had three cousins, two female, one male. He had five aunts, six uncles. And he had two nephews. I got introduced to each one of them, and finally I had gotten introduced to his dad who had gone out to get more firewood.

He was a sweet man. Nothing like my father. They were the parents I would've wished to have as a child. Now as an adult we'd be more likely to envy a person with amazing parents when he had horrible ones, both mom and dad. But this was my boyfriends parents, all I felt was happy for him. Happy he grew up in a home with such a tight knitted family, a family where everyone's love showed through.

They may all live spread out across the country but they all came together on these special days and definitely kept in touch all through the years which was all that mattered. And when he didn't have everyone here, he had his amazing parents.

Im happy he has a good life. A better life than mine.

"Why're you thinking so hard?" He asks me after dinner as we lay on his old bedroom bed, minutes after I had continuously teased him on all the football players and childhood art he pasted had around his room.

He had been this boy all his life. I just know young me I would've loved him even if I met him earlier. I was always this way. And so was he. Maybe we would've been high school sweethearts, or funnier, maybe kindergarten sweethearts.

Sandbox love never dies.

I almost smile.

"Just thinking about your life, your family." I say, playing with a strand of his fallen hair, "Im happy that you brought me here today." I tell him, smiling at him and he smiles back and I swear I could stare at him for eternity, "Im happy you're here, with me."

I lean in closer, kissing his chin and he leans down, capturing my lips against his own, "There's no one else i'd rather be with in the world than you Adrienne." He whisper's softly against my skin, making my heart swell.

"Me too." I whisper back, looking up at him and all I can think is wow, I love you Karsen Krist.