FicWad

Author’s Note: As you can tell, this story is winding down. There’ll only be maybe 5 or 6 more chapters left. And even though I’m sad to see this story ending I am very excited to start another one. I’m having kind of a dry spell with ideas though so any ideas for a story would be amazing and taken into consideration. I hope you all don’t mind me starting another story.  Leave an idea for a story in a comment and I’ll think about it. Thank you for being such amazing readers.



Taylor’s POV

Oh God. It was like high school all over again.

I was taking a boy home to meet the parents. I thought I’d grown up and passed this stage by now. I guess there are just some things that you can never grow past.

Only now instead of some beat up old Chevy behind me and a slacker next to me who owns the car I have a whole street of tour buses, a famous musician fiancé, and another 50-something people with us.

Wow, how things change.

Yet I still remain the same girl wanting to make a run from it and save her boyfriend from her parent’s disapproval.

But this time this boy, not this man, is my fiancé and I am not willing to let this one go. This is something that mom and dad cannot control.

This is mine.

I got ready to walk up the walkway to the door, with Gabe’s hand grasped in mine.

I instinctively step in front of him as I wait for them to answer the door. As the door opens I open my mouth to speak. Instead I’m enveloped into my mother’s arms as she rambles on and on about frivolous matters that I could not care less about.

I finally got out of her grasp to see my father being his intimidating self and regarding everybody with a stern look. Everyone seemed to shrink back in fear, excluding myself and including Gabe. I almost felt him shivering in his Nike’s behind me.

“Hey there mom and dad. Long time no see,” I said as sincerely as I could.

Truth was, I was a very rebellious child in high school and rules weren’t really my thing. Let’s just say that I’ve never been grounded, because I didn’t let them ground me.

My little teen rebellion has put a permanent strain on our relationship.

“Sweetie how are??” my mother asked looking at all my injuries and looking at my sprained ankle which now I was only wearing the brace for, since it has already almost been a week since the incident.

Thank God it was kept low key. Same with me and Gabe’s upcoming nuptials. It wouldn’t be for much longer though since there was going to be a press release about the engagement in a week or two.

“I’m fine. Perfectly fine mother,” I muttered.

“You always were a strong one, you got that from my side of the family,” my father boasted to himself.

I rolled my eyes at my father. This wouldn’t be the last time I would do that during this visit. Thank God it was only one night though. It was only about 2 in the afternoon now though and I have until this time tomorrow and then we leave.

Me and Gabe waited until everyone got inside and was ushered out back. We walked into the house cautiously and my mom popped up from around the corner, making me jump in surprise. Gabe completely stilled as he stood next to me.

I gave him a questioning look before my eyes went to what he was staring at with an open mouth and an unwavering gaze. It was homemade chocolate chip cookies. I guess these guys didn’t get a lot of homemade food, being on tour all the time. And I doubt that any of them could cook very well anyway. Though I should give Alex some credit because he is not too bad. But you better keep him away from the grill.

“Mom, I think Gabe here would like a cookie,” I informed her as I elbowed him, trying to snap him out of his little cookie trance. Men.

“Would you dear?” my mother asked him smiling. She loved baking. It was wonderful except for when you were trying to go on a diet like every week in high school.

“Yes, pleas ma’am!” he said excitedly and grabbed a handful of cookies off of the offered tray.

“Okay, mom we’re going to see what everybody is up to,” I informed her as I started dragging Gabe towards the back door, limping slightly with my annoying brace. I should probably be wearing more supportive shoes than flip flops.

“Oh not so fast Taylor Ann Bartley,” if you were wondering, I’m related to Alex because our mother’s are sisters, therefore we do not share the same last name, and I sadly have no Hispanic blood in me. Which sucks, cause I don’t get that awesome all year round tan.

I stopped slowly and turned to face her, hiding my hands behind me back, hoping that she had not noticed the ring on that specific finger.

“Do not underestimate me Taylor. Don’t you think that the first thing that I would notice would be that shiny ring that has decidedly taken residence on your ring finger, and I highly doubt that it’s a coincidence that that specific ring is on that specific finger,” she told me with a completely neutral face.

“Ummm, well you see, that’s kind of a funny story…” I started.

“Mrs. Bartley I love your daughter with all my heart and I know this might seem kind of fast and you might think it’s foolish and naïve but what I feel for your daughter isn’t foolish or naïve, I promise you that. I wanna be with Taylor forever and I hope that you’re okay with that. Even if it’s not, that won’t stop me from marrying her, as long as she’ll have me,” he told her boldly and gripped my hand more tightly, as if accenting that whole mini speech of his.

I waited on bated breath for my mother’s response to all of this.

Slowly she studied him with an expressionless face and then she looked at his hand in mine and looked at the two of us standing next to each other, him at least a foot taller. Then all of a sudden a smile broke out onto her face.

“Bravo, bravo. I do have to say that I am impressed that you actually had the balls to do that. You gave off a very whipped first impression, but that might have been that fact that Taylor here was protectively standing in front of you when me and her father first answered the door. How could I have said no anyway? You saved my daughter’s life and for that you will always have my approval. I’d already approved before you were aware that I knew of your engagement. Wait it is you are only engaged correct? You haven’y already…”

“Yes mother, it is an engagement. We have not eloped. I knew that you would die of a heart attack and that grandma would kick my ass,” I answered her question.

“Good, good. I do not want to hear my mother’s bitching and moaning for hours straight. I have no idea how your grandfather puts up with that woman,” she muttered to herself.

“Oh, by the way Gabe you can call me ‘Mom’ or if that makes you fell uncomfortable than you may call me Denise. No Mrs. Bartley or ma’am though, it makes me feel older than these wrinkle do,” she tried to joke.

“Mom, those wrinkles are from tanning compulsively,” I pointed out.

Gabe broke in before and argument broke out, “I think I might just try out the mom thing but maybe we should wait until Mr. Bartley is aware of the engagement,” he said nervously.

“Thinking of how many ways he can injure you?” my mother asked understandingly.

He just nodded.

“37 ways with just his bare hands,” I informed him and at his questioning look I responded, “That’s what he told my last boyfriend that I’d brought home from high school.”

“Shit,” he said not wanting to move towards the back door as we had been doing, and he halted completely.

My mother looked back to see what was causing the wait and smile at us both comfortingly, “But there’s a big difference between now and then and her ex0boyfriend and you Gabriel.”

He just gave her a questioning look.

“You’re not her boyfriend Gabe, you’re her fiancé, her soon to be husband,” she responded smiling slightly.

“I am, aren’t I?” he asked rhetorically, smiling to himself.

“Yeah, you are,” I said cuddling into his side, “and you’re stuck with me for a very long time now,” I muttered as my mother walked out the back kitchen door and left me and Gabe to ourselves.

“I’m very okay with that,” he answered back.

“You better be more than very okay with that buster, because I am in fact a wonderful ray of sunshine on the lives of everyone who knows me,” I joked.

“Sure are sunshine, you sure are,” he mumbled before giving me a cute, quick little peck on the lips.

I suppose he was scared of my father catching us. We better get this whole ‘tell my father about our engagement’ thing over with soon because I want a proper kiss from my fiancé.

“Okay, you ready to face my father? And my sister and brother? And my cousins and aunts and uncles? And my grandparents?” I asked him.

“All at once?!” he asked in shock.

“Nahh. I was juust trying to freak you out. Did it work?”

“YES!” he said looking completely horrified.

“Good. But for now we do have to deal with my father, who will definitely be our biggest person to convince. My mother was like a give away, she would’ve been fine about it anyways. And then there is my grandmother who’ll be worst than my father now that I think about it. My father will be fine after the whole big show of macho-ness and the whole ‘don’t you hurt my daughter’ thing. My grandpa, will be easy, he’s chill about everything. Then there’s my sister and brother. Kylie is a Senior in high school now and Davie is a Sophomore, they should be easy too. We’ll get my father after he’s stuffed his face a little and my grandma after she’s had some coffee. My sister and brother would be the easiest targets to begin with.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gabe nodded.

“So who are we targeting first?” I quizzed him.

“Uhhh, the food..?” he answered meekly.

“Oh gosh, you men and your food,” I muttered to myself, sighing, “Fine we’ll get you some food first.”

“Is this a bad time to remind you that I am a vegan…?” he asked.

“I am well aware of that fact and I’m sure that we’ll find tons on non meat products. My parents cook everything. You’ll have loads to eat,” I tried to comfort him as we walked outside and towards the tables of food.

“I know am 100% sure that I have found the perfect woman. Now I am sure that you can supply me with all of my needs,” he answered swinging his arm around my shoulder. Let’s just hope that father dearest does not notice that just yet.

I surveyed the backyard and saw all the bands, merch people, techies, roadies, everyone hanging around the backyard eating. Some of the unlucky ones who hadn’t gotten there in time for a seat were sitting in whatever comfortable spot they could find, some even on the trampoline in the corner of the yard. My backyard was maybe the size of a football field, maybe a few feet less. It was a little crowded but everyone fit just fine.

I saw Gabe digging in to the homemade ziti and pierogies and new that he’d fit in perfectly fine with my family.

Dad I think we can handle but grandma I wasn’t so sure about.

I gently took Gabe by the arm after making my own little plate and steered him in a certain direction. I wanted to get away from everything and everyone and just hang out, just the two of us, for a little bit.

What better a place then my old room?