Episode 140: Family Visit
When VJ got home, Lisa was lying on the sofa in her pajamas. "Oh man, sweetie… Were you waiting for me?" He didn't even realize he'd spoken quietly, but audibly. He got an immediate reply. "Mmm… Yes… I was…" He tilted his head slightly as he looked at her and smiled. "I'm sorry, I told you this morning I'd be a little late." She opened her eyes and slowly sat up.
He sat down next to her on the sofa, still smiling. Then he gently brushed some of her hair away from her face. "What's up? Where have you been?" / "Like I already told you, I had some errands to run and picked up a few more parts for the workshop. After that, I went back and connected everything that was new to the classic car. I've made a lot of progress now; I don't think it'll be long before it's finished." Lisa felt a slight skepticism when she heard his words, but it was probably just tiredness that gave her that feeling. "Hmm… Okay.".
"Hehe, I know you're not really interested in the car thing.. But I'm confident I'll be done with it soon. How was your meeting with Darlene?" Lisa briefly rested her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. "Ugh, a bit of teenage stress… Her boyfriend wants to sleep with her. She wants to sleep with him too, but things are getting pretty chaotic at school again regarding that topic."
VJ quickly grasped what it seemed to be about and grinned slightly. "Performance pressure among the boys and girls?" / "Something like that. Apparently, it's the desire for recognition for some." VJ leaned back a little and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't remember that being the case for us back then…" / "It wasn't, we had other problems. Oh, and she asked me what our first time was like," Lisa chuckled. "Oh, really? And what did you say?".
Lisa smiled a little and then sat down on his lap. "Well… not the truth… I told her it was nice, but that she shouldn't let herself be pressured." His gaze turned serious for a moment. "Was it really that bad back then?" She smiled and stroked his face. "Well, it took us a few tries, if you remember. But then it was nice." Of course, the first time having sex isn't always the biggest highlight, VJ knew that too. So he nodded with another smile and changed the subject. "I'm supposed to give you nice regards from your father." / "Did you two meet up?" / "Mhm."
"And how was he feeling?" / "Oh, pretty good, actually. We talked briefly about the baby. He's really excited and happy. What do you think about us visiting your family tomorrow? It's the weekend now…" Lisa sighed and looked out the window for a moment. "Okay… I promised I'd come by again anyway." / "Great." The two of them stayed on the sofa for a moment longer, watching the cat curled up on the armchair. Then they, too, headed for bed.
While Lisa had already fallen asleep next to him, VJ thought about what Michael and Jack had said. Surely there were countless different ways to propose, and one in particular appealed to him. He just had to find a way to make it happen.
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The next morning. To make good use of the day, Lisa had decided to drive to her parents' house with VJ right after breakfast. "Everything okay?" he asked, noticing she wasn't ready to get out of the car. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this house." / "Why?" / "I don't know… I just feel uncomfortable in there." / "Is it because of your parents?" She glanced over at the house and shook her head. "No, I… Oh, I just can't describe it." He took her hand and stroked it gently. "Okay, but let's at least do them a favor and stay for an hour or two, okay?" She took his hand and looked into his eyes. "Okay."
Judy was, of course, delighted to see her daughter. "If I'd known you were coming, I might have baked a cake or cooked something for you…" / "We wanted to surprise you. I don't need a cake, my baby makes me fat enough already," Lisa said giggling as she stroked her belly. "Oh, don't say that…".
The others were greeted as well, and conversations quickly ensued. Only Arlo hadn't yet appeared, as he wanted to focus on his homework first. The usual topics were discussed: everyone's well-being, what was new, and, of course, the baby was once again the main focus. "So, do you have everything you need for the little one now?".
"Well, the only thing we're still missing is a stroller. We haven't found the right one yet." / "I could ask around the neighborhood if you like." Judy's suggestion came in handy. Meanwhile, Lisa was talking to her sister. "So, have you been able to talk to Garrick yet?" / "No, but we'll see each other tomorrow, I'll hopefully have the chance then… Well…" Darlene didn't want her sister to discuss their recent private conversation in front of their parents. So they mostly focused on small talk.
Later, Arlo came downstairs and joined the small family gathering. They talked in the dining room for almost an hour about all sorts of things: the new addition to the family, the car VJ was restoring, and other things that just needed to be brought up. “Hey, are you leaving already?”
Lisa disappeared into the bathroom without a word, and VJ briefly sat down in the chair where she had been sitting. "We were planning to go to the movies later today…" "Oh, right. But everything else is okay?" Judy asked, sounding almost a little concerned. "Sure, everything's fine, you don't need to worry." VJ thought about the situation that had unfolded in the car just before the visit. But he didn't want to give anyone the opportunity to ask further questions.
A little later, Lisa and VJ said goodbye and left the house. Jack could see that his wife was a little disappointed. She wished they had stayed a bit longer. “Hey, once the baby arrives, she’ll definitely be seeking your company more often, darling.” Judy looked down at the table with a strained smile. “Of course… But did you see VJ? He seemed a little nervous.” / “Hmm, no, I didn’t notice.” That was a lie. Of course, Jack noticed that VJ seemed a little excited, but that was surely because of the impending marriage proposal.
It wasn't just Judy who would have liked a longer visit from Lisa—Darlene would also have liked to have a quick chat with her sister once again. But the most important things had already been discussed last time, and she was trying to mentally prepare herself for the next day as best she could. She had invited Garrick over to her house to talk everything through with him in peace and quiet.
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