To Caress My Day

Twigs was shaking in her boots as everyone departed the rented car just as the front door of Seth's father, Ron MacFarlane opened to unveil his jovial face flushed with excitement. He let out a merry laugh as Rachael rushed to greet him with little Bella still behind in her car seat. Ron reminded Twigs of Santa Claus without the white beard, the red suit, and matching hat. He had a red face behind tiny spherical glass, and white curly hair with a thick groomed mustache. He stood aside to grant his daughter and son in law in, displaying to Twigs eyes his button up red shirt, beige slacks and dark dress shoes.

“Pixie, you coming?” Seth inquired his girlfriend who seemed to idle in the secluded confinements of their rental car than take the hand he was extending her. He knew the reason was that her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. “Remember what I said, Tahliah. They can think and feel any way they wish to about you, but that won't change a damn thing about how I feel. At the end of the day, I'll be leaving Connecticut with you just as madly in love as I am now.”

“O-Okay.” Seth's words washed over any remaining doubt that had entered her mind, but as she placed her graceful hand in his, and allowed him to expel her from the safety of the car and out in plain sight, her body began to quiver.

“Is everything okay out there, Seth?” Ron hailed out to his son from the doorway, wondering why he and his new girlfriend were dawdling.

“We're fine! Just ending a call.” Seth misled his dad as he shut the car door and fixed an arm around Twigs in case she went limp and fainted to the floor out of anxiety. He drew her towards the front door where his father awaited to greet his son's engaging companion. Instantly Seth grinned at his dad. “How's it going, old man?”

Ron wagged a finger in his son's face as he began his bantered. “I don't wanna hear another word from you, you man, until you apologize for terrorizing your baby sister on the way here!”

Seth's jaw dropped. He should have known Rachael wouldn't have dropped their little clashes on the plane so easily and ultimately associate their dad into it! “WHA-”

Ron shifted his attention to the petite woman at his son's side and scanned her over with a friendly smile. She was not the regular type of woman he saw his son dedicate his free time to. Where the other ladies wore skin-tight clothes, this one donned an oversized sweater, coat, loose jeans and thick black combat boots. Where they had light skin and long silky blond/brunette hair, she had dark chocolate curly hair and lightly tanned skin. Where their features were well proportioned with probable services by a cosmetic surgeons, she had naturally big brown eyes that were a bit far apart, a cupid bows lip that were always parted, and a dust of light freckles over her nose. She was unquestionably distinctive, much like his daughter had claimed. “And you must be Tahliah, am I saying that correctly?”

Twigs nodded, and planted her hand in his large offered one as she spoke in her silky voice that seemed much smaller compared to the two MacFarlane Men. “Yes, Tahliah Barnett, sir. It's nice to meet you.”

“No please, the honor is all mine.” Ron declined before stepping further inside to let the couple in. “Please, do come in. It's pretty chilly this time of year.”

Seth led Twigs inside the warm marvelous home only to be attended by his step-mother, Xiang, coming around the corner. She was an Asian woman his father married after his late first wife's passing who looked youthful than him. It wouldn't shocked him if Twigs speculated that Xiang was a gold digger after his dad's money. Everyone seemed to think so for noticeable reason of their age gap. “Oh, hey Xiang, how've you been?”

Xiang received him with a warm hug while wearing a pale green sweater, black tights, and comfy slippers. “Fine, fine. How are you?”

“Busy as usual.” Seth answered before staring down at Twigs. “Xiang, I'd like you to meet my remarkable girlfriend, Tahliah Barnett.”

“It is a honor to meet you, Tahliah.” Xiang addressed her sweetly and with the cheerful shake with her even smaller hand. “I am Xiang, Ron's wife.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you both.” Twigs responded with a graceful smile before peering around. “And your home is absolutely splendid!”

“That's all Xiang's doing.” Ron divulged as he came up behind them to put an arm around his small wife's slender shoulders.

A cry from Bella to her grandpa from where she stood in front of the couch cut off the group. With an exuberant laugh, Ron goes over with Xiang to shower the small child with attention. Seth retracted his arm from around Twig's shoulders to take her hand and navigate her to the couch across from Spencer and Rachael.

Twigs spent most of her time observing the family interact with each other behind a glass of wine. They truly were a uproarious bunch that constantly had a smile on her face and made her abs ache from laughter. She didn't know how many times they came close to making her cry tears in good spirits. At one point, Rachael and Xiang trekked into the kitchen in discussion, leaving her with the men. It definitely transformed the exchange to a more masculine conversation that not all feminine ears would want to listen to, but soon she was retrieved by Rachael poking her head out to request for her cooperation with dinner. Leaving the party with Bella in her arms, as demanded by Rachael, Twigs entered the kitchen where she noticed the first watercolor painting out of many in the home on a wall. Lowering the child to the floor, her brown eyes appreciated the beautiful art of a tree in autumn by the waters. Rachael followed her eyes and grinned as she gave her daughter a cookie. “Oh, Xiang painted that.”

Twigs turned to look at her then Xiang with a smile. “You did?”

“I did.” Xiang concurred as she whisked something in a pot with a wooden spoon. “I did it sometime ago, I'm not sure specifically when.”

“It's stunning!” Twigs certainly gushed, her eyes skimming the detail in the tree. “I'm not sure if I've ever done watercolor before. If so, it's been much too long.”

“Perhaps during your stay we can give it a try.” Xiang proposed.

“Ooo, are we gonna make the boys join us?” Rachael challenged before recalling with a pout that her brother was an artist and would surely outshine her. “On second thought, lets leave them out of this.”

“Tahliah, dear.” Xiang summoned out to her from over her shoulder. “Could you get those boys in there to set the table for us since they aren't doing anything to help?”

Speculating why she was being asked to do such a task when she has such a small voice, Twigs gave her an compliant nod anyway. “Sure, I'll get right on it.”

Stepping into the living room, she sauntered into Seth and Ron playfully disputing over which one had the factual recollection of a comical event that she wasn't witnessed to in the past. Both men were on the fringe of their seat trying to get Spencer to verify who was correct since he was there. “Um, guys?”

No one but Seth heard her. Her voice could stick out in an entire amphitheater filled with screaming Katy Perry's fans to him for it was the music to his heart. He turned his head to her and raised his hand to quiet his dad. “Hold on there, dad, my Pixie-Poo is talking.”

Spencer frowned at the wacky add on to her initial nickname. “Pixie-who?”

“Oh, there you are!” Ron chuckled at her, not perceiving what poo-thing his son was talking about at first. “Sorry dear, we didn't you hear you come in.”

Twigs overlooked the second part to her nickname for now with the plan to ask Seth about it another time as she indicated towards the kitchen. “It's okay. I just came to ask you fellows if you'll set the table for us.”

Seth powerfully clapped his hands together before anyone could complain to such a daunting task. “You want it, we're on it, babe!” Launching himself off the couch, he headed over to the living room but only after stealing a passionate smooch on her full lips in passing.