We Met At The Eye Doctor

"Hello?" I say as I pick up my cell phone Christmas day.
"Merry Christmas!" Mandy's voice yelps from the other end.
"Hey, Merry Christmas." I say happily, "So what are you up to?"
"Ahh, well I'm leaving to go to my parents soon." She says slightly less than ecstatic.
"Well mine are coming here and so is Mike's sister."
"So how is living with Green Day's hottest?"
"Jeez, you're obsessed." I accuse, "It's awesome."
"Cool, well last night I got to meet Jerry's parents, they were umm interesting."
"Interesting huh?"
"Yeah, well his mother is REALLY protective of him from woman such as myself."
"Ahh okay." I say laughing, "Well we spent last night at Billie Joe's, and Mike even dressed up like Santa for the kids at midnight."
"Awe, that reminds me of that Madonna song. How does it go again? Santa baby, so come down the chimney tonight."
"Perv."
"Oh c'mon like you didn't have a roll around with Santa Mike."
"That is none of you business."
"Oh you know it's true."
"Yes well."
"Alright well have to leave now." Mandy says as I hear Jerry in the background.
"Bye." I say as I hang up the phone.

I walk into the kitchen to find Mike making himself his second coffee for the day.
DING DONG!
"I'll get it." I say as I turn out of the kitchen and head to the front door. A woman with brown hair is standing at the door.
"You must be Cassie." She says extending her hand to shake mine. "I'm Anastasia."
"Oh hi." I say feeling dumb that I didn't recognize Mike's ex. I let her into the house as I attempt to start conversation. "Stella is just about ready."
"Stella talks a lot about you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, she likes you a lot." She says casually, "She said she made sure you really loved her Dad."
"Yeah, she sort of mentioned that to me."
"Mommy!" Stella calls out as she runs toward where we're standing. "I saw Santa last night, but Dad missed him."
"Really? Did he bring you anything?" Stella nods happily.
"Yup, a video game and a new Barbie."
"That's awesome, so are you ready to go?"
"Umm, almost, I have to brush my teeth." She says as she runs off.
"Whoa, slow down Hero." Mike says as he joins us in the hall. "Hey Ana, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas." Anastasia says casually as she shifts her bag on her shoulder. "so you dressed up as Santa."
"Yeah." Mike says happily, "I made pretty damn good Santa too."
"You're only missing the huge gut." I say laughing.
"Yeah Mike, you could've gotten Tre's dad." Anastasia says laughing.
"Am I missing something?"
"Well Papa Cool literally looks like Santa Claus, it's scary." Mike says laughing.
"Papa Cool? That's pretty funny."

"My teeth are brushed!" Stella says as she runs up to where we're standing.
"Alright, let's go then." Anastasia says as she picks up Stella's bag which was sitting by the door.
"Bye Dad." Stella says as she hugs Mike.
"Bye Hero, I'll see you next week for new years." He says as he kisses the top of her head.
"Bye Cassie." She says innocently as she gives me a quick hug before scurrying out the door.

Mike and I move on to finishing cooking Christmas lunch and setting the dining room table. Just as we finished the door bell rings.
"That's probably Myla." Mike mumbles as he heads for the door. I follow him a few seconds later.
A woman with light brown hair and man with really dark brown hair walk in.
"Hey Mikey." She says as she hugs Mike. "How's it going?"
"Great." He says as he turns to me, "Myla, Luke, this is Cassie."
"Hi," I say going to shake their hands, but Myla grips me in a friendly hug. The doorbell rings again and I get really nervous, my parents. I head over to the door and open.

"Hi Cassie." My mom says as she comes to hug me.
"Hey Mom, Dad."
"Hey." My dad says as he steps into the house and turns to Mike. "Quite a big place you've got here."
"Mike these are my parents John and Ellen."
"Nice to meet you." Mike says as he goes to shake my father's hand.
"And that's his sister Myla and her husband Luke." My parents nod in a friendly manor.

"So will we get to meet your parents today?" my mother asks shortly later as we sit at the dining room table. I should've told my parents a bit more about Mike.
"Uhh, uh well umm." Mike stutters.
"Our mother left when we were kids and our step-father died a while back." Myla says calmly.
"I'm so sorry." My mother says as she starts to turn red.
"It's okay." Mike says as he gets up to pour wine for everyone. Mike didn't really like talking about his parents much, he only talked to me about them once and that was the anniversary of my unborn baby's death.
"So Mike, Cassie told us you're part of a successful band." My father says changing the subject.
"Yeah, I guess we're pretty successful." Mike says sheepishly, dear god why this has got to be the worst 'meet the parents' ever.
"I thought she was pulling my leg when she told me, but then I went to look it up on the internet." My father says proudly. "You have your own fan site and everything."

"So how'd you two meet? Mike never told me." Myla says also realizing how uneasy this is for Mike.
"Well, we met at the eye doctor." I say relieved that we got a fairly effortless conversation topic. "Mike was there with Stella and when he went to get a coffee Stella started talking to me."
"Oh Mike, so you're getting you daughter to help you pick up chicks." Luke teases.
"No, actually picking up chicks wasn't what I wanted at that time, it just sort of clicked." Mike says getting nods of approval from my parents.
"Stella is your daughter?" my mother asks. "So you've been married before?"
"Yeah." Mike mumbles.
"Mom." I say warningly.
"Well continue." Myla insists.
"Anyway, when I came back a couple of days later to pick up my contact lenses I ran into Mike again and he asked me out for a coffee and it all escalated from there."
"So umm how'd you find out about his career?" Luke asks interested, "Or did you already know when you heard his name?"
"I uhh well." I stutter.
"She was assigned as the photographer for the Green Day photo shoot." Mike says indifferently.
"Secrets in a relationship." My mother mutters.
"Mom, it was only a couple of days after we met." I say rolling my eyes.

After lunch, Myla and Luke leave to go see his parents and I pull my mother aside.
"Mom, what the hell's your problem?"
"What?"
"Why are you being like that to Mike?"
"Like what?"
"You're giving him the cold shoulder."
"I'm sorry, but he's just not, not well for you."
"You're wrong."
"But Cassie, he's a rock star; the spotlight will always be on your relationship."
"No mom, you're wrong, we've been together long enough to get press attention, but we haven't."
"Not just that, the drugs, the alcohol, the whole lifestyle is dangerous." She rambles, "I looked him up on the internet, I know the type of stuff he does."
"So you decided to judge him before you even met him?" I say officially pissed, "He stopped doing drugs when his daughter was born."
"Still you can't be serious about this guy." She persists, "I mean are you sure you like him for him and not all this?"
"All this, isn't as fancy free as it seems. You know I'm not crazy about all this. I went on tour with him, the tour bus is horrible, but I was with him and that's all that mattered."
"And what about the whole strain of him being away touring all the time?"
"Yes, him being away is horrible." I agree, "But if I love him there's nothing I can do about it."
"You loved Corey too, remember." She says strongly, "And family doesn't seem to be a strong point with Mike."
"You've never seen Mike with his daughter, he could probably win father of the year. He's kept in touch with his sister even after his family fell apart and even after his success so don't you dare tell me that family doesn't matter to him." I warn finally as I leave the living room to rejoin everyone in the kitchen.

My father and Mike are sitting at the table having a lively conversation.
"Mike, where's the washroom?" My father asks as he stands up from the table.
"Down the hallway to the right." Mike says pointing it out.
"He's a good guy." My father whispers as he passes by me, I'm glad at least my father approves.

My mother casually makes her way into the kitchen. Minutes later my dad returns.
"Honey, maybe we should get going?" my mom suggests.
"Not now, I was having a conversation with Mike here." My dad protests as he sits at the table.

My parents finally leave and Mike flops down on the couch, we went to bed really late last night and woke up early, no wonder he's so tired.
"Sorry about my mother." I say as I sit on his lap so that I'm facing him as I straddle his leg and sling my arms around his neck.
"It's okay." He mumbles as he puts his hands on my hips. I lean in for a long and passionate kiss which escalates to Mike holding himself over me as we lay on the couch still in that same kiss. I move my leg so it'll stop being pinched between Mike and the sofa causing Mike to fall off the couch bringing me down with him. I can't help but burst out laughing, I look over at Mike with a smirk pasted across his face as he cups my cheek starting up a new passionate kiss.