To Caress My Day

Twigs jolted from underneath Seth at the sound of her phone going off. At first, she hadn’t a notion of where she was until the nude form of her snoozing boyfriend stretched halfway across her own bare body began to help clear her fuzzy mind up. Reaching out for her phone, she grabbed it and eyed the contact name shining down on her face. Answering it, she cleared her throat and smiled. “Hi, mommy!”

“Hi, my love!” Araceli received her affectionately from her living room. “I’m sorry to call so randomly, but I just wanted to tell you two Merry Christmas. I just can’t seem to wait for you to get here to do it.”

“Merry Christmas to you too, mom.” Twigs responded back, ignoring Seth snuggling his head deeper into the crook of her neck in his sleep.

Araceli's voice dimmed when she pulled her mouth away from the phone to address her husband who had poked his head in. “What was that, Luther? Oh, of course! Yes, I’ll tell her.” Placing her mouth back to the mouthpiece, she reiterated her husband’s memo. “Also, dear, dinner will be ready here pretty soon. You two might want to scurry on over and join us.”

Twigs squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of shame muzzled her. She had told her mother she’d be back in time to assist with dinner, but instead she tumbled into bed with her boyfriend. Pouting, she hastily apologized. “Oh my god, I completely forgot to help you with dinner, mom! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to ditch you. I completely lost track of ti-”

“Don’t worry, Tahliah, it didn’t slow me down. Luther is here after all.” Araceli pestered her husband. “Besides, there are still a few things left to do before we’re done here. If you leave now you can make it in time to help me some more. But I’m warning you, Tahliah, if you end up arriving late tonight I’ll never forgive you...and I’ll find a way to despise that suave accomplished boyfriend of yours.”

“We won’t be late, mom. I promise.” Twigs smiled to herself, knowing her mother wouldn’t go through with her threat. After exchanging their farewells, mother and daughter hung up their phones. Turning her attention to her comatosed boyfriend, Twigs installed a hand on his upper arm that was draped across her slender form and shook it. “Seth, it’s time to get up. We need to make a pitstop too to pick up some wine along the way so we need to get moving now.”

Though lethargic, Seth strived hard to heft his own body up off of the bed and onto his feet to forage for some clothes, mumbling dazedly. “Yes ma’am.”

With some help from her, the couple were out the door and in his rental car towards her parents house. Along the way, they picked up some wine and finished the rest of their journey which turned out to be not as far as he presumed it was. He was also intrigued to discover that their place was close to one of the rivers as well. It was basically behind her backyard. The couple vacated the car to walk down the long spacious driveway to a white two-story home. They had almost reached the dark wooden front door when it unexpectedly opened to a merry Luther keen to accost them first. “Took you youngsters long enough. Come on in! It’s freezing out there.”
“You’re not kidding.” Twigs shivered in her oversized coat as she zipped inside.

Seth couldn’t withhold his appreciation when the toasty warmth from inside encompassed him the moment he stepped in after Twigs and shut the door behind him. “Thank you, sir.”

“It’s no problem, Seth.” Luther waved his thanks off as he helped them with his step-daughter’s coat. “You are the guest for the night. I couldn’t very well leave you out there in the cold with Tahliah. Araceli would have taken a broom to me.”

Seth laughed at that mental picture and swooped his cap and blond wig he had been sporting throughout his entire stay in Gloucestershire off his head. “I don’t suppose you’d mind if I hung my disguise here too, do you?”

Luther stared at Seth for a long time, taking the true man underneath the facade. His wife had searched her daughter’s boyfriend up on the internet and had presented him an image of Seth already, but seeing him in the flesh with his own two eyes was entirely different. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit starstruck. Stretching his hand out to shake his for their first legitimate meeting, Luther nodded his head. “Feel free, Mr. MacFarlane. It’s nice to finally meet you face to face.”

“It’s nice to be able to have a chance to meet you face to face as well, sir.” Seth shook his hand earnestly, grinning with exhilaration that their relationship hadn’t gone up into flames yet.

“Enough with all that, I gotta hurry up and help mom with dinner.” Twigs interrupted the two men and their warmhearted reception. Witnessing it made her heart balloon with love, but right now she had a promise to uphold. “Let’s get going!”

“Alright, Miss Bossy.” Luther taunted her as he let the way further into the house. “Your mom should be in the kitchen getting the last finishing touches done.”

Seth examined his surroundings closely with admiration. The walls were all the color of cream and the clean carpets a light beige. “You have a lovely home, Mr. Vere.”

“Please, call me Luther.” Luther corrected him. “And thank you very much. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Seth alerted the older man and submitted the brown paper bag with the wine bottle inside. “Here’s the wine Tahliah picked up for tonight.”

“Splendid! This will be magnificent with dinner. Impeccable choice, Tahliah.” Luther took the bottle with a grin then gestured to them to enter the living room on the left while he planned to take a right into the kitchen. “Make yourself at home, Seth.”

Before Seth could take another step, Twigs turned around to swathe her arms around his neck and mash her lips against his. He was forced to squelch a moan as his arms snaked around her and pulled her tightly to his frame. The couple should have been sated from their earlier activities, but could clearly do for more. Ending the kiss, Twigs grinned up at him. “Thank you for not forgetting the wine in the car.”

Seth nodded and watched as she slipped away to follow in her step-dad’s footsteps into the hall. By himself, he helped himself to a seat on the couch in the comfy living room. He wasn’t alone for long when Araceli hastily scurried in, wiping her hands on her apron, her eyes were seeking something and when they landed on him, they seemed to brighten. “Oh, Seth. Just look at YOU! You look like...YOU without that wig!”

Chuckling, Seth stood up. “I would hope so, ma’am.”

“Call me Araceli.” Araceli corrected him much like her husband did. Opening her arms, she closed the distance between them to embrace him. “Excuse me, I’m just so overwhelmed to be seeing you this way. It truly feels like we’re meeting for the very first time. It’s much more proper this time around.”

Seth didn’t feel at all awkward when he hugged her back. She was a miniature version of his cherished girlfriend. She gave life to his girlfriend. How could he not be pleased around her? “It is...um, where did the other two go off too? Are they both helping you with dinner?”

“More like I put them to work for me.” Araceli laughed as she stepped away, her hands still fastened on his arms. “I wanted to have a private moment with you.”

“A private moment?” Seth echoed curiously, one of his brow arching. Had he done something wrong? Was there disapproval concealed beneath a feigned mask of joy? If so, Araceli was damn good with her poker face because he never would have had an inkling that that was the case.

“Yes.” Araceli affirmed then indicating to the couch he’d been sitting on before she entered. “Please, sit with me.”

“Sure.” Seth nodded, submissively taking a seat beside her.

A lump was forming in his throat. A lump of fear. Was she about to tell him that he wasn’t exceptional enough for her daughter? Twigs had made it known her parent’s judgement of him wouldn’t overrule her decision to date him, but...if he didn’t have their consent it would certainly haunt Seth to the end of his days. He wasn’t Mr. Perfect and he never proclaimed to be, but when it came to their daughter he tried his damndest to keep her happy, show her that she was highly loved, and uplifted her with nothing but support.

He was her biggest cheerleader. He loved her like no other ever could. How could he be wrong for her?