Loser, Whatever!

Once I had found Oliver again, we were seated at a long table outside in Jered's backyard with other family and friends awaiting the arrival of Janna and Jered.

Finally, wolf-whistles and cheers signaled that they were awake and heading outside. They were beaming and clasping hands as they appeared and took their seats.

"Thank goodness! I was getting hungry." Oliver said quiet enough so only I could hear. I chuckled and he took my hand in his, "When we get married, I'm not putting anyone through this torture."

The brunch was followed by the opening of wedding gifts, which was very boring. At least it gave Oliver and I an idea of what we want and don't want in our wedding.

At 4:00, we bade goodbye to Janna and Jered as they left for their honeymoon in Barbados.

"Are you pakced?" Oliver asked as we prepared ot leave.

"I suppose so, why?" I answered.

"You said something about wanting to meet my parents. Now is as good a time as any." he explained.

"Of course! I'd love to meet your parents!" I exclaimed. "Are you packed?"

"Yeah, just let me get my stuff then we can get yours." He disappeared into the house for the briefest of moments and we apparated to Janna's house to collect my stuff.

"Do you remember what I said about my parents the last time we talked about them?" He asked.

"Um.. Not really." I answered truthfully. He sighed.

"Well, they're very different from your parents." He started.

"Different from my parents is good." I pointed out. He laughed.

"I mean they've practically been begging me to get married since I turned seventeen. And now I'm twenty-two."

"Do they know that we're engaged?" I asked.

"Not yet. But they know we used to go out two summers ago." He replied.

"Oh. Should I be there when you tell them?" I asked.

"Definitely. The way they are, they'll probably just assume we're engaged and it'll save us from having to tell them. I've never brought a girl home before."

"I feel so special." I laughed.

"About being engaged or being the only girl to meet my parents?" He chuckled.

"Both." I said and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. He bowed his head so it was easier for me to reach his lips and placed both his hands on the small of my back.

"Shall we go?" He smiled as we broke the kiss.

"Yes please!" I grabbed my bag and took his hand as he turned on the spot and we disapparated.

"Ooh, are we in Scotland?" I asked. It was so green here!

"Yep." He answered. There was a very old-fashioned house in front of us. Built out of stone and it had a thatched roof. He led me up the stone path and knocked on the wooden door. It was answered by a middle-aged woman with greying brown hair and a pair of glasses hanging from a string around her neck.

"Oliver?" She asked as if she couldn't believe it.

"Hey Mom." He answered.

"Oh, It's been so long!' She said a little louder and pulled her son into her arms. "And who is this gorgeous young lady?"

"Mom, this is Bridgette, my fiancée." He introduced.

"It's nice to finally meet you." I said as I held out my hand for her to shake. She inspected my left hand that I was offering to her and took it in hers.

"I hope Ollie wasn't cheap with you, just from hearing about you, you deserve more than just another engagement ring." She placed her glasses on her nose and examined the ring. I giggled.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he got only the best." I answered and he winked at me.

"Well, it sure is nice." She said and released my hand. She wrapped her arms around me and the glasses fell off her face. "Welcome to the family, I'm Margot."

"It really is nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry I didn't come over before the engagement." I apologized.

"Oh, no need to worry about that! I'm sure Ollie wouldn't have wanted to bring you home until he had a sealed deal. I get the impression he's embarassed by his parents!" She laughed. Well, at least she saw the humour in this. "John! Come out here, there's someone Ollie wants you to meet!"

A man about the same age as Margot tunred the corner and froze.

"And who might this delightful young woman be?" He asked as he slowly made his way to the front door. His dark hair was greying and thinning, balding in some places. He too wore glasses, but on his face and not around his neck like Margot.

"I'm Bridgette." I said and held out my hand for him to shake, my right one this time.

"So you're the famous Bridgette. Come in, we've heard so much about you!" He said as I walked in behind Oliver and closed the door behind me. The front hall was small, so we took our shoes off and made our way into a sitting room with wooden walls and a stone fireplace with two armchairs and one sofa. Oliver and I took the sofa while Margot and John took the chairs.

"Oliver and Bridgette are getting married, John." Margot explained to her husband.

"Is that so! Well, it's about time, Oliver. You're not getting any younger." He turned to his son as if they were discussing something less serious than his only son's engagement.

"Neither are you, Dad." He grinned.

"So, when's the big day?" Margot asked.

"Sometime in September." I supplied.

"A Fall wedding sounds nice. And the pictures will be ever so lovely with the colours!" Margot slipped into a daze.

"You'll be staying for supper?" John stated more than asked.

"Of course." Oliver replied. Margot returned to earth and got up to cook something in the kitchen. I got up to help.

Dinner was nice. Oliver was pretty much right about his parents. Margot had arranged for me to go shopping with her for a dress, which was nice because I didn't really want to call my own mother up and tell her I was getting married to the man she made sure I didn't marry. Sure, I had Janna, but it wasn't the same as a mother.

The date was set for September 27th in Scotland. The colours would be beautiful, as the Wood's promised. I could hardly wait!