Just Before You Go

“Ready?” Jimmy asked happily as we lingered just outside his parents’ front door.
I fidgeted nervously, smoothing my dress with my palms—which were still scabbed from the fall a few night prior.
“You look great,” he assured me with a grin. “Stop fussing.”
Jimmy gave me an encouraging final look before pushing the door open and dragging me inside. His mother, I assumed, was rushing by as we walked in.
“Hey Jim,” she smiled, buzzing by in a flash. “Kelly’s running late—”
She stopped in her tracks, turning on her heels.
“Who’s this?” she asked happily, eying me up.
My heart stopped.
Jimmy placed his hand on the small of my back, slowly pushing me forward.
“This is Aria,” he told her.
She grinned from ear to ear, “You are Aria?”
I nodded sheepishly, nervously extending my hand to her, “It’s nice to meet you.”
She brushed passed my hand and took me straight into her arms. I was taken aback and unsure how to react—I looked at Jimmy helplessly. He just laughed.
“We’ve heard so much about you,” she told me as she pulled away. “Seems you’ve put quite the spell on our little Jimmy here.”
“Mom,” he grumbled.
I blushed, “I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”
“Oh,” she waved. “Come in, come in. Don’t stand in the porch like strays.”
She disappeared around a corner. Jimmy leaned down to sneak a kiss onto my cheek from behind, actually pushing me forward now.
Their home was warm and inviting—that may have had less to do with the building and more to do with the family. I couldn’t help but immediately pick out an adorable picture of Jimmy as a young boy—even twenty years younger, those eyes were unmistakable.
“I’m sorry,” I giggled quietly, “Did you have a mullet?”
He smirked, “Don’t act like you’re not impressed.”
“He still does,” a tall man grinned at us. “It’s just backwards now.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes, “You guys and my hair…”
I reached up to rustle it—more than it already was, “It’s cute.”
The tall man neared me, he was gigantic like Jimmy, and held his hand out to me, “I’m Joe.”
“Aria,” I smiled, trying to pretend like his grip wasn’t breaking the bones in my hand.
“We’ve heard—”
Jimmy groaned, “Can you two stop? Mom just gave the same speech.”
“Give the boy a chance,” his mother snickered. “Pretty girl like her, he could use all the help he can get!”
“Mom!” Jimmy barked.
“What?” she snickered. “You know I’m teasing.”
This dynamic was inherently different than the family I grew up in. I’d always fancied ourselves close and tight-knit…but it became readily apparent to me within two minutes of meeting his parents that my family was not close. We were not tight-knit. The way we spoke was more like acquaintances…Or like eternal parenting. I wasn’t totally sure.
But the revelation horrified me.
“I see you’ve met my wife,” Joe smiled.
I just nodded.
“Get comfortable,” she told me specifically. “No need to be shy.”
I looked to Jimmy for guidance. I’d never been this nervous—I was a parent’s dream girlfriend. I was hardworking, polite, intelligent…What was I so worried about?
Jimmy set me down on the couch, sitting next to me and holding my knee with both of his long hands. This helped.
“Jimmy says you moved here from Minnesota?” Joe asked me curiously as he sunk into the smaller sofa. “How are you liking your first California Christmas?”
“It’s weird,” I said awkwardly. “I’m used to snow.”
He laughed, “That would be a pretty big adjustment.”
“Mom,” a younger girl came in calling, walking passed the three of us, “Is dinner ready yet? I’m starving!”
I watched her curiously. I assumed that was one of Jimmy’s sisters—he’d mentioned them once or twice. He didn’t make a habit of talking about his family in too much detail, but I’d heard rumblings. And I knew enough to know to lie when meeting the parents.
“Katie,” Jimmy whispered to me.
I nodded subtly.
“I hope we’re not stealing you away from your family,” Joe continued.
I smiled, “No, sir. They had a little party last weekend—so…I’ve paid my dues.”
“A party?” he asked. “Sounds like fun. We all know our Jimmy likes a good party.”
It felt a little, to me, like rubbing salt into a fresh wound. Though, I’d assumed Jimmy hadn’t told his parents what had happened—I was surprised but a little relieved.
“Wasn’t that kind of party,” Jimmy scoffed.
“Well, we’re happy to have you,” Joe said and I couldn’t help but notice how very much like Jimmy he sounded.
If I hadn’t been paying attention, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to tell them apart.
“I told her that!” Katie was shouting back to the kitchen when she spotted me.
She did a double take and then looked to Jimmy for explanation.
“Hi,” I said sheepishly.
“No,” she smirked. “Are you Aria?”
I got the sense that Jimmy really did talk about me a lot.
“You brought her home?” Katie gasped excitedly to her brother. “Kelly’s going to flip. Aria, you don’t even know—Jimmy is obsessed with you. You’re all he talks—”
Jimmy lunged off of the couch and toward his sister. He towered over her, like everyone else. She squealed, taking off for the stairs with a Rev hot on her tail.
Joe was just shaking his head as the duo roared and thumped all the way up the stairs.
“Siblings,” I smiled fondly. “The universal sound of siblings.”
Joe nodded, “Do you have any?”
“A brother,” I replied simply.
“Older? Younger? A twin?”
“Older,” I snickered. “He’s great.”
“Older brothers are a terror I’ve realized,” Joe smirked at me. “Jimmy has been terrorizing his sisters his entire life.”
I just smiled.
Jimmy came back, his hair a mess and his nose a little bloodied. I just stared—he looked very pleased with himself. He smirked as he wiped the blood onto his sleeve.
“When did she learn to fight back?” Jimmy cackled.
Joe just sighed.
Jimmy’s mom returned to announce dinner was ready but she stopped herself when she caught sight of Jimmy’s bloodied face.
“Leave your sister alone,” she said knowingly. “Go wash your face and come eat.”
Katie appeared, giving Jimmy a real smug kind of look before prancing off to the dining room. Then it was just us.
“Did she punch you?” I smirked, inspecting his nose and wiping at the blood.
He laughed, “She fucking kicked me—like a straight up donkey kick. It was the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
I really liked to see him happy. And sober. It was a picture perfect moment—even if his face was a little broken.
“Jimmy?” I asked quietly as he started to head for the food. “What’s your mom’s name?”
He smiled, “Barbara.”
“Barbara,” I repeated in a hush. “Got it.”
“They like you,” he told me happily, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
I grinned widely, “Apparently you do too.”
His face turned a delightful shade of red. I nudged him with my elbow before he dragged me to the table. We were seated together and the scent of his mother’s cooking was enough to make my mouth water uncontrollably.
“Are we not waiting for Kelly?” Joe asked his wife.
She shook her head, “She knows what time we eat.”
“She’s at a boyfriend’s house,” Joe said to me quietly, a look of knowing on his face. “I’d be surprised if she shows up at all.”
“She would have if she knew Aria was coming,” Katie grinned.
Jimmy tossed a green pea at her face.
“On your plate,” his mother warned him with her fork.
Jimmy was appreciative of my apparent social anxiety, helping me out by scooping dollops of food onto my plate for me. I’d never been an anxious person—but I did have certain quirks. Jimmy understood quirks well.
“So what do you do, Aria?” Barbara asked curiously. “Jimmy says you’re smart.”
“I’m not that smart,” I smiled.
“Humble,” Joe noted. “I like that.”
She was still looking at me for an answer. I wasn’t really sure which one to give.
“Well,” I hesitated, pushing at a pile of mashed potatoes, “I’m working as a bartender right now.”
“How fitting,” Katie snickered.
Another pea flew across the table.
“On your plate,” Barbara repeated.
Jimmy shrugged at her—he was a little shit.
“I am a licensed lawyer though,” I added because bartender sounded a little like gold digger in that moment. “So, I’ve been looking for work in my field…”
“A lawyer?” she gasped. “Good for you!”
“She wants to open her own bar though,” Jimmy said with a mouthful of food. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“That’s not true,” I laughed awkwardly.
Joe smirked, “If you love what you’re doing, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“I don’t work a day in my life,” Jimmy grinned. “I get paid to sleep until four every day.”
Barbara rolled her eyes.
“It’s all about the things in life that make us happy,” Joe continued pleasantly. “For me, it’s my family. For Jimmy, it’s his music—”
“And Aria,” Katie teased.
A handful of peas flew across the table, showering down upon his sister—and then the floor.
His mother groaned loudly, “James Owen Sullivan!”
He looked a little like a deer in headlights, “She started it.”
“How old are you?” she laughed. “Clean it up.”
“I’m eight,” he said to her seriously—but left his seat to clean up like she’d instructed.
He was a good son, if not a little difficult.
“He really is obsessed with you,” Katie grinned.
“That’s it,” Jimmy grumbled.
Instead of picking up the vegetables like he was supposed to, he grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled him across his shoulders. He took off with her kicking and screaming, pounding loudly on his back.
“He really is,” Barbara smirked at me.
Jimmy called back, “Keep it up, Barb! You’re next!”
She giggled loudly.
I’d never seen a family quite like this before—and I’d never seen Jimmy quite so giddy…but fuck, was it ever nice.
It was also a little bit nice to hear how much Jimmy had talked about me. Talk about a different experience from what my family had put him through. The differences were enough to renew my embarrassment of my parents and make me really question what I’d always thought to be true of my family unit.
It was nice, even if just for one night, to be a part of a family that genuinely loved each other—no judgements, no difficulties.
Nothing but love.

Notes

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