Status: In Time

To Caress My Day

Chapter 144: I Can Feel It

With the table set and the food prepared, the MacFarlane and the Laudiero family assembled in the dining room table and gorged into their Thanksgiving meal. Everybody was elated, laughing and appreciating each other's company. Even Twigs was as she sat in between Seth and his father, who was seated at the head of the table and his wife Xiang on the other side of him. She was already in love with her boyfriend's family, she was appalled to find herself realizing while biting into some turkey that Ronald divided among them. The MacFarlanes were so hilarious, fascinating and generous. The only one of them missing she found herself yearning she could have met was Seth's late mother, Ann.

“If don't mind me asking you, Tahliah, how and where did you meet my outrageous son?” Ronald chatted from her left, reviving her from her thoughts.

“Oh, I gotta hear this!” Rachael enthused, putting her utensils down to snag her glass of red wine and slackened comfortably in her seat, her eyes on the couple mentioned.

“Oh, um.” Twigs stammered, a strong rise of timidity befalling her from being in the limelight which was odd because she was dancer that has performed in public many times before. She wasn't sure why but she was notably shaky around Seth's family and began to speculate if it would ever go away in time. “We met in the UK across the Atlantic ocean. Specifically in London, England at a cafe near my apartment.”

Seth draped an arm along the back of her chair as he scooted closer to her while reaching for his own wine glass. “And the 'how' part of the story is that I had ordered myself some coffee at the register and was signing autographs when I first noticed her sitting with her friends in a booth. I technically met her through her friends when they came up to meet me. One thing led to another and we started dating.”

Twigs smiled up at him, her hand migrating beneath the table to prop gracefully on his thigh. Her smile turned into a grin when he set his cup down in order to cloak his own over hers and link their fingers together. “Yeah, I was much too shy to introduce myself to him.”

“In the UK, you say?” Ron reiterated skeptically, and when he received a affirmation he studied his son. “Didn't you go there wi-”

“With a friend!” Rachael cut in, upholding her brother by making sure her dad didn't disclose Seth's ex-girlfriend Avery Jenkins. “Yes, he did but I'm sure this 'friend' of his didn't mind him straying about on his own, dad. Seth's a grown man.”

“Right, thank you Rachael.” Seth hastily cut in after his sister's remark when he spied his father's mouth reopening. He gave his old man a strict look before jerking his head towards Twigs who was none the wiser and savoring her wine to not bring up Avery's name in her presence.

Shrugging it off, Ronald shut his mouth and gave Twigs a warm smile. “Coffee sounds nice.”

“In that particular cafe it definitely is.” Twigs conceded with a nod and a charming smile. “I'd recommend if you ever find yourself in London.”

Xiang tilted a bit in her seat to regard Twigs behind Seth's larger form. “Ms. Barnett, I believe either Seth or Rachael told their father that you're a dancer, is that correct?”

Twigs turned her head the opposite direction and leaned forward to identify Seth's step-mother better. “Yes, ma'am, I am.”

“What kind of a dancer, sweetie?” Xiang inquired her, her eyes declining to her plate as she concentrated on ripping up her turkey.

Twigs wasn't sure if they would judge her when she told them, but took the risk anyway, Seth's supportive words still resonating in her head from before when he told her he wouldn't leave her if his family differed with his dating choices, she answered. “I dance in music videos for musicians, mainly. I use to volunteer at a youth club to teach kids to dance but that place closed down soon after I met Seth.”

Xiang's eyes widen, recalling the absence of clothes and vulgar performances video girls do in music videos. “Oh...”

Leaning over to murmur in his lover's ear, Seth gave her a soft nudge. “But you're more than that, aren't you baby? Go ahead, tell them about it.”

“Seriously?” Twigs mumbled back, wondering if she should declare of her imminent career as a musician herself. “You think I should?”

Seth nodded before nudging her again. “Of course, Pixie. Show off a little bit.”

Convinced, Twigs reported to everyone at the table attending, gaining their attention. “Actually, I am trying to get into music too.”

Ronald's eyes brightened up as he looked between his own brilliant son and his newly discovered adept girlfriend. “Oh!? You are?”

Twigs gave him a firm nod. “Yes, sir. I'm actually hoping to drop my first ever EP next month.”

“Get outta here!” Rachael whoops in delight, her dazzling face illuminated in motivation for her. “Are you serious? That's amazing, Tahliah!”

“Thank you.” Twigs blessed her, her cheeks burning with a slight blush of flattery.

Seth stretched his arms up before dropping them back down and around his girlfriend, tugging her close to his side. “Yup, my little Pixie is a fabulously rare genius this world has ever seen!”

“Now, Seth, why do you continuously call her Pixie?” Xiang demanded curiously, indicating her fork in Twig's direction. “Is that a pet name or something?”

“Well yeah, look at her.” Seth reclined back to unveiled Twig's smiling face much better. “She's got these cute full lips that you never wanna stop kissing, and big brown eyes that are a bit far apart like a Pixie, plus she's got this perfect button nose that you just wanna bite off.”

Twigs let out a squeak when Seth reached out to gingerly tweak her nose, making his niece Bella laugh in joy. She promptly shielded her nose and whined. “Seth! Knock that off.”

“Yeah, and no one wants to make out with your girlfriend except you, Seth.” Rachael cleared up for her brother before addressing Twigs with an apology. “No offense, girl.”

“None taken at all.” Twigs waved a hand to decline her apology. “The feeling is absolutely mutual on my end.”

The family burst into an exuberant laugh before Ronald shifted his attention to Rachael and her relationship with her husband Spencer who was privately relishing his meal while supplying Bella hers. Twigs observed to their conversation with a smile on her face, eventually tipping her head down against Seth's arm receiving the tightening feel of his arm around her. The ambiance in this house, the aura of these people, and the sanguine exchanges and whimsical jabs between brother and sisters made her feel nice and serene in their presence. She didn't care if they weren't conversing to her or not, she still giggled at the antics of Seth acting as the callous big brother.

Every once in a while, Seth would tilt down to give her a kiss on the head and murmur words of tenderness in ear such as now. “I love you so much, Pixie, you know that right?”

“I don't just know it.” Twigs assured him, staring up at him merrily and with love twinkling in her eyes. “I can feel it.”

And that was the truth of it. His love was so great and compelling she could literally feel it like it was a living breathing life form of it's own, and the best part was, was that it was all hers.