Sprinkling Fling ✓

29.

make sure you have read 28, i uploaded that last saturday!!

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We leave early morning tomorrow.

My bag is packed—I have a gift ready for his parents. I cannot come empty-handed when they are providing me a place to stay in New York City and nourishing me with thanksgiving dinner. They live in the Big Apple it cannot be cheap to host guests.

I'm a bit excited to meet his parents. From what I've heard, they are very gracious people—his mom at least—I'm also excited to see him interact with his parents. I peg him as a real momma's boy.

She is a baker, retaining her own little bakery in the heart of the city. Del has told me before he likes to bake; it's what he grew up doing. Whenever necessary, he stepped in to help her at the shop, if he didn't have to play hockey.

His dad is the big hockey player in the family. It's the man Del always had to look up to whether he wanted to or not. Del never talked in-depth about it, but I know he didn't always like being pushed by his dad that much. I know Del always had to be the best of all. It was all so he could be as great as his dad one day, and he might be even better. I'm sure he will go pro after college.

"Darling, you paying attention?" Del snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?" I turn to face him.

We're in his car on our way to that hockey party now. For once, I didn't care about coming; the team guaranteed that Tamara and her little minions won't show up. Much to my embarrassment, Del told them what had happened and what she had done to me.

"Just wanted to make sure you're alright." He says, and his hand moves to my upper thigh. I earn a comforting squeeze from him. "You know we're not going to stay for long. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yeah, that's perfectly fine." I nod at him.

Tomorrow.

I pick at the skin of my nails when I realize that we will be there in less than 24 hours. Maybe I lied when I said I'm excited to meet Del's parents. To be quite honest, I'm scared shitless. But, there is nothing better than to deceive your own brain.

"You're not fine—I know you. You have nothing to worry about—my parents will love you."

I look up at him.

"How do you know I was not just nervous about the party."

"Because I know you, my ice baby."

"Okay, fine. You got me, but it's your parents I'm meeting. What if they don't like me?"

"I guess your nerves are normal. Everyone gets them," Del justifies, "but everything will be perfectly fine."

I want to ask if they ever met Tamara, but I don't. I am not going to bring her up again.

We do reach the house—the lawn is full of people. I've been here before. It's Gabe's house. Del didn't tell me where it was before, but I'm assuming he isn't happy about it. I haven't seen him interact with Gabe in a while, but I'm confident the tension between them is still there.

If I notice it again today, I'm determined to ask him about it on the way back.

He seems to be better with Taylor now. I don't know why, but their conversation about the concert must've been enlightening to him.

I climb out of the car. I wait for Del to reach the sidewalk before we walk to the party. The street was already fully occupied, so we had to park in the back a bit. Del didn't bother asking them to save a spot for him in the front as we won't be staying for a long time—an hour tops, Del told me.