Bradley and Bob going to visit Bob’s family and it’s just so cute because they’re so welcoming and Bradley chokes up because it feels like home
Fe. Fe. FE. A brilliant explosion of color lined the road, the fall foliage on display everywhere he looked. Bradley glanced over at Bob, who was humming along with the song on the radio as he drove. One hand on the wheel, the other holding Bradley’s. Thumb smoothing over the back of his hand. It was still all so new, despite being together for nearly a year now, and when Bob asked him to come home to meet the family, Bradley panicked. Bob had put up with it all. The silence, the nerves, the eight million questions when Bradley decided that yes, he would go home with Bob to Tennessee. “You alright?”
The soft question startled Bradley out of his thoughts. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. It’s gorgeous out there.” “It’s gorgeous in here too.” Bob grins, and Bradley’s heart skips a beat. He squeezes Bob’s hand gently. “Last chance to back out,” Bob says softly, turning down a dirt road. “I’m ready.” The drive widens slightly, winding along. Immense pastures spread out as far as he can see, the sunset setting everything ablaze in shades of oranges and reds. There’s a slight dip in the road, Bob taking a hard right, the crunch of gravel giving way to concrete. The drive ends in a loop with a sprawling ranch house. Bob pulls up next to another truck. There’s a blonde woman, a child on her hip talking to man who has an identical child on his hip while two more race around the truck. “My sister Ellie, and that’s her husband Jeff.” Bob says softly. “The twins are in a Dr. Seuss stage and only answer to Thing One and Thing Two. The boy with the cowboy hat is Jensen, and the little girl is Aubrey.” “We like Jeff?” “We like Jeff.” Bob repeats. “Margret is on the porch, and her boyfriend is probably in the house.” There’s a blonde woman standing on the porch, laughing as three dogs escape out the front chased by two more children, a teenager following lazily after them. “The two little kids belong to my cousin.” Bob says, “They’re staying with momma while Rhett’s working the circuit. The teenager is Charlie, he’s Margret’s.” Bob startles when there’s a thump to his window, turning to see a third woman with her face pressed against the glass comically. “That’s Cassie.” Bob says as Bradley laughs, seeing the slow realization in her eyes that Bob isn’t alone in the cab of the truck. “You ready?” “Absolutely not.” Bradley says with a soft laugh, but he’s got his hand on the door release. His feet hit the ground, and there’s a moment of quiet. He can feel all eyes on him, taking his measure. And then Bob gets out of the truck. He slams the door closed, walking over to Bradley taking his hand. “Behave, all of you.” There’s another moment of silence, broken by a thunderous crash, or the call of a very large bird of prey, Bradley’s not sure. The two kids who had been running around the other truck turn and barrel straight into Bob, taking him down while the dogs, and two other younger children join in. “Ellie,” the woman with a toddler on her hip, offers her hand. They shake, and he grins. “Hold this,” She hands Bradley the toddler. “Robert Floyd you didn’t tell me you were bringing your boyfriend?” Ellie takes a foot to her knee and she joins the dog pile as Cassie knocks into her. There’s a whole lot of wrestling and yelling and hysterical giggles. “Are you Thing One, or Thing Two?” Bradley asks the blond toddler who blinks brilliant blue eyes at him. The kid holds up two fingers, before there’s a tiny hand slapping against his mustache. “Pleased to meet you Thing Two.” Bradley murmurs and is rewarded with happy laughter. “It’s safer inside.” Jeff tips his head toward the house, Margret was moving down the stairs zeroed in on the mass of bodies rolling around in the dirt. They head up to the house, Bradley’s stomach rumbling when he smells something delicious coming from the kitchen. “Welcome to the chaos.” Jeff says with a smile. “Go find Nanna, tell her Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend are here.” He sets one twin down, and takes the other from Bradley. It’s warm and noisy, there’s toys strewn about, shoes piled up in the entry way. A television is playing cartoons, there’s music coming from the kitchen. Bradley feels his shoulders drop, the last bit of nerves evaporating from his belly. He hadn’t felt like this in years, and it was something that he had missed deep down in his cells. Home. The door bangs open behind them, bringing with it a gust of chilly autumn air. Bob’s draped on his back, Bradley supporting his weight, feeling himself blush when a soft kiss is pressed to his cheek. “Come on, let’s introduce you to Momma.”