Woohoo, it's my favorite month of the year...
.... February!!!
I love this month because it has my favorite holiday...
VALENTINE'S DAY!!
Since I call this the month of love, I'll be sharing a lot more about #loveyoumore to celebrate.
Welcome to the first Sneak Peek Friday of the month.
Enjoy!!
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The rest of the day went by well. Tyler and I hung out, talking and catching up on the past few weeks. While we were in the middle of watching a movie, the doorbell sounded throughout the house.
"Expecting someone?" Tyler asked.
"No, no idea who it is. I'll be back." I said as I headed for the door.
"Hi," I said as I opened the door without realizing who was there.
My mother and two sisters stood in front of me. I felt a bit of panic due to the fact that I told them in the past about Tyler but they hadn't actually met him yet. Growing up, my sister's were loud, energetic, and extremely honest. There wasn't a filter on their mouths, which worried me. I had no idea if Tyler would be ready for this bunch, yet.
"Coffee on?" my mom asked.
"No, but I can fix that," I answered. "Come in. I was just watching a movie with Tyler." I said, giving them the hint that I wasn't alone and praying that they wouldn't do anything to embarrass me.
"Oh.. he's here?" Audra asked surprised. "Well... perfect timing. Where's he at?"
"Yeah, he's in the living room. Be nice and don't scare him off." I warned.
Disregarding my warning, my sister's headed off to the living room. Taking a deep breath, I followed. "Tyler, I'd like you to meet my sisters, Jen and Audra," I said, pointing to each as I said their names.
I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to these two. Jen was a bit of a workaholic. She always had her strawberry blonde hair in a low ponytail to keep it out of her face. She was short with a thicker build. Her hazel eyes scanned the room as she took a seat in a chair adjacent to the couch. Audra always had anger issues and tend to fly off at the mouth. The smallest thing could rub her the wrong way, sending her into a fury of irritation. Most of the time, she would complain of those who mistreated her and would party herself into a stupor. Once she pulled herself together, she would do it again. With her strong spirit and personality, she'd date guys who were just like her; control freaks and be surprised when things went wrong. After several weeks of dating, the two would break it off, leaving her bewildered; wondering what exactly it was that caused another relationship to abruptly end.
She followed closely behind Jen and took the seat at the other end of the couch. Her light brown hair falling toward her face as she got comfortable; sitting with one leg down on the floor and the other tucked snugly underneath her.
"I'm Audra," she said, her green eyes staring at him. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Tyler replied with a nod and repositioned himself on the couch.
"I'm Jen." she said, waving a bit before continuing, "I'm the sucky older sister who works too much to come visit."
With a laugh, Tyler replied, "It's nice to meet you too."
"Okay...now that we got the introduction out of the way. I have a question for you." Audra started and I rolled my eyes. I knew they wouldn't be able to resist giving him the third degree and battering him with questions.
"I'm an open book. Ask me anything."
"Colonia says you're a Marine who was in Iraq. Do you have any foreign diseases?"
With a chuckle, "No, I'm completely healthy." Tyler replied.
"Good, because I don't want you passing off any diseases to my sister that will kill her. Because then...you'd have to deal with me," she warned.
"Audra, really?" I asked, giving her a look to tell her to knock it off.
I loved the fact that my sisters loved me enough to protect me, but at times, they could be a bit overprotective. I knew I would always be able to count on them. If my world was falling apart, they would be the ones I'd want by my side. They take control and are quick on their feet. They tend to cover every angle, helping to fix whatever was amiss, and stay right there by my side until everything was back in order. They always offered a shoulder to cry on and wouldn't leave me standing alone until I was good. They never rode on any mistakes I had made in the past. Once I was back on track, the crisis was over, never to be mentioned again. Once the storm had passed, their tolerance would go back to the way it was and I'd be the middle child once again. Jen would go back to being the woman who worked too hard, bringing in the money, while Audra went back to her impulsive ways.
"Sorry, I have to ask," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
My mom chose the right moment to walk back into the room, "Coffee ready?" she asked as she looked at the side stand.
"Ohhhh, shoot!!" I said as I jumped up from my seat beside Tyler. "I'm sorry. I forgot. I'll get it now." I said, thankful for a moment to regroup myself and breathe.
My anxiety was getting to me as I waited for the coffee to finish brewing. I had been a ball of nerves, afraid my sisters were going to be a bit rough on Tyler. I took my time adding the crème and sugar while stirring it. I took a deep breath and headed back into the room with everyone else.
"Where did you go for that coffee?" Mom joked as I handed her the cup.
"Be careful. It's hot." I warned.
Tyler had been in mid-conversation and I quietly listened to him finish. It seemed as if he was telling them how life was for him when it came to visiting other countries. All seemed well and it looked as if Jen and Audra had relaxed a bit.
When Audra settled back into her chair, she smiled. "Sounds like it'd be exciting to travel the world and see different things." She peered my way, face reassuring me that she was going to behave.
"Oh, Japan! Really?" Jen asked surprised.
"Yes, really!" Tyler answered. "It was an amazing experience. Visiting Japan was, by far, my favorite place. I found it pretty cool that they include English on their signs and whatnot, in addition to Kanji.
"Bet it made things a bit easier for you?" My mom questioned.
"It did, but I had a few friends that spoke both languages and interpreted what I couldn't read. I was stationed in Okinawa, which was quite a peaceful place. It was an amazing opportunity to gain life experience while learning about another culture. I missed being home but it was well worth it.
"What was it like living half a world away from where you grew up?" Jen asked.
"Well, it was fun watching the higher ranked guys drive in a right-hand drive car on the opposite side of the road." Tyler smiled at the memory.
"Right-hand drive?" Audra asked confused.
"Basically the steering wheel is on the right side of the car instead of on the left like we have here."
"Ohhhh!! I bet that was weird at first to see." Jen chimed in.
"Absolutely. I thought it was pretty cool."
"Was the food gross?" Audra asked, shifting the direction of our the conversation.
"It's really not much different than the food we have here. Just the texture of some of it is different. The best part was the warm weather all year around. Who could complain about that?"
"I'd spend all my time on the beach. I'm a beach girl." Jen said. "How different are the stores and stuff there?"
"I had access to most everything you can find here in stores. There was some stuff that wasn't available but I didn't go without. Especially, when my grandmother constantly sent me packages."
"Sounds like it was a nice experience." My mom said. "My coffee's gone. You guys about ready?" she asked my sisters.
Jen jumped up, "Yep," she said, while Audra followed suit.
After we said our goodbye's, Tyler and I finished our movie while cuddling on the couch. The visit with my family wasn't as bad as I thought. However, the anticipation of hearing their opinion on Tyler had me apprehensive.
I hope you enjoyed this week's preview. I'd love to hear your thoughts, feel free to post them below and leave me a comment!!!
