"Um, awkward question," Chris asked on the plane as they neared Eppley Airfield in Omaha. "I know you and your mom talk a lot, but have you told her about..." he touched Larissa's necklace. Even he didn't like saying the word "miscarriage". It was such an ugly word. It made him uncomfortable saying "baby" too. It made it that much more real what happened and what they were missing out together; more painful.
Larissa touched Chris' finger that was still lingering on her necklace. "Yah, I did," she paused. "I didn't go into too much detail, though. It was hard enough for me to tell her at all."
"Why?" Chris blurted without thinking about how his question may have come off. "I thought you guys talked about everything?"
"We do...normally. But," she rubbed her hands together. "Let's just say that they're a bit more...Reserved? Old-fashioned? I mean, it is the Midwest."
"Ah," he understood. Larissa's parents would have been none-too-thrilled about their out-of-wedlock baby.
"Don't get me wrong," she held her hands up. "Mom was very sympathetic. It's in her nature. But I'm not sure if she even told my dad. He's not as open-minded as she is."
"Even though we were already planning on getting married?"
"Yep. Doesn't matter. He would have been really disappointed in me. It's probably better if mom didn't tell him. I don't want to see that look on his face."
"Seeing your parents' disappointment in their face is the worst, isn't it?" Chris tried to relate with Larissa, though he was growing increasingly concerned that he would do or say something he shouldn't in front of her parents over the next five days.249Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu29GSU9hq
"Why didn't you warn me sooner? You know how I am. I have a tendency to just say what I'm thinking. I'm kind of freaking out now."
"Why?" Larissa's brow furrowed.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very 'reserved'. What if I do something I'm supposed to? Am I even allowed to hold your hand?"
Larissa couldn't help but laugh at how the tables had turned from their norm. She wasn't used to Chris worrying about what anyone thought. Well, except for her and his parents, anyways.
"Hand-holding is fine. But..."
"But?" he waited.
"Don't be surprised if we have to sleep in different rooms."
"Seriously?" Chris raised his eyebrows.
"Seriously," Larissa tried to hide a smirk. "I know it seems crazy, but it's only five days. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Yah. Sure," he mumbled his reply, but he was already deep in thought. More like "deep in worry". What he thought was going to be a good time meeting Larissa's parents was already sounding like a nightmare of walking on eggshells. His trance was broken by something rubbing between his eyes.
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking up at Larissa, who was rubbing firmly between his eyes with her thumb.
"Stop worrying. It's going to be fine!"
The week was interesting, but went off without a hitch, for the most part. Chris could tell Larissa's father wasn't crazy about he or his little girl being actors.
"Too unstable of a profession," he declared. Couldn't argue that point. Chris tried his best to reassure George nonetheless.
Naturally, the court date came up in conversation. He was surprised to find himself relieved when Larissa and her mother, Martha, lied and said that she had been fired for having a bad case of food poisoning. Normally Chris didn't condone lying, but it seemed like the best thing in this case after what Larissa had said on the plane.
He and Larissa really had ended up having to sleep in separate rooms during their stay. She had tried to insist that he take the more comfortable bed in her old room, but he ended up taking the lumpy sleeper sofa. By the end of the week, Chris couldn't remember the last time he felt so sleep deprived. But he loved every minute of it, nervous or not.
He was filled with an extra warm feeling seeing Larissa and her mother together, especially as their talk grew animated as they looked over wedding magazines. He couldn't put his finger on it at the time, but seeing the relationship she had with her parents and how happy they all were to be together made him want to marry her that much more.
He must have sensed their time was running short, because on Christmas Eve, as Martha and Larissa cleaned up dinner in the kitchen, George attempted a heart to heart with Chris. Even more interesting, George had had a drink or two of whiskey already.
"I really appreciate you bringing my little girl to visit," they both continued to stare at the fire roaring in the fireplace.
"You're welcome. It was my pleasure, sir. No one should have to be away from their family for that long. Likewise, it was my pleasure getting to meet you and Mrs.Olsen," Chris put on his best charm without trying to be too obvious. He was going for "I am just this polite" as opposed to "I'm just buttering you up". Several minutes passed before either of them spoke.
"Care for a drink, Christopher?" George shook his half-empty glass in the air.
"No thank you, sir. I'm good," he tried to decline politely.
"Ah, come on, boy," he slapped Chris' knee as he stood. "One drink ain't gonna kill ya," George made his way to the bar and began pouring a drink for Chris.
"Alright," he chuckled, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. "Just one, though. Hate to be hungover for my flight tomorrow."
"Speaking of which," George didn't miss a beat,"What's this movie about I hear you're in?"
"Uuuhh," Chris faltered. He highly doubted George Olsen was interested in space movies. "It's a sci-fi movie," was all he offered.
"Oh? Anything interesting or 'just paying the bills', as Lars like to say?" Chris thought it was both funny and disconcerting that, as far as he knew, he and Larissa's father were the only two people on the planet who called her "Lars" for short.
"Um, a little of both," Chris laughed as he took a drink of whiskey. "It's a remake of a classic. The director's quite popular nowadays, but this movie could go either way since the original show has such a huge, loyal fan base."
"Oh, a sci-fi tv show? What is it?"
"Honestly? I've already told you more than I'm supposed to or that I've even told Larissa at this point," Chris laughed and took another sip. "The director is real weird about keeping it a secret, for some reason."
"Come on, son. Just tell me what it is," George insisted.
"Well...It's a Star Trek remake," Chris waited for his future father in-law to make some sort of face of disdain, but instead, his face actually brightened.
"Really? I loved Star Trek. One of my favorite shows back in the day."
"Really? That's great, sir. I've been watching a bunch of old episodes lately so I know what I"m getting myself into," they both laughed.
"Please, call me George," he raised a hand. "I get it and I appreciate the gesture of respect, politeness, whatever it is you're going for, but please. Just call me George. After all, we're going to be related in less than half a year, right?"
"Absolutely, s—George," Chris corrected himself as he took another swig from his glass.
"So you're really serious about this?"
"About marrying your daughter? Of course! I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
George pondered that for a moment. "I suppose you wouldn't have flown my daughter all the way out here AND came yourself if you didn't mean it," George winked at him.
"No, sir," Chris didn't bother to correct his self this time. "I was hoping to meet you guys before we became in-laws. This was the perfect opportunity." There was a pause in the conversation. "I want you to know how excited Larissa is to have you guys there. For the wedding, I mean. And if she's happy, I'm happy," Chris looked down at his cup, trying to hide the goofy smile on his face, but it must not have gone unnoticed.
"It seems like you really love her," George confessed.
"I do, sir."
"Save that talk for the wedding day. Well, minus the 'sir'," they both laughed. "I'm glad you found her. Maybe she was meant to move all the way out there for a reason after all," it was George's turn to look down at his drink. Were those tears in the corners of his eyes? Chris wondered and hoped he wasn't squinting for a better view. "Take good care of her."
"I will, George. Always."
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