He grabbed your hand tightly as you walked carefully up the steps. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought he was shaking. You couldn’t deny the fact that you were nervous too. Never before had you introduced him to your parents, and your father was known for being particular about who you dated. When he found out you were with a celebrity he didn’t take it well, even going as far as to demanding you return home. Eventually of course, he calmed down, but you were still afraid of how he was going to respond. You looked up at your boyfriend with what you hoped was a reassuring smile.

It felt like an eternity before your mother opened the door. You smiled and ran towards her, grabbing her in a tight embrace. You did the same for your father, as your mother hugged your boyfriend before even being introduced. After you released your father, he turned towards your boyfriend, extending his hand and giving it a firm shake. He offered what appeared to be a smile, and you were beginning to feel confident in the situation.

Dinner went well. Conversation seemed to flow naturally between the four of you, laughing and talking with ease. Afterwards, you and your parents moved to the living room. A thick feeling of discomfort settled in the air, as your father began what you dreaded. There was only one word to describe what was to come: interrogation.

“So. She says you’re a celebrity?” Your boyfriend nodded politely. “You any good?” His eyes widened slightly, but he nodded once again.

“I like to think so. We do our best.” Despite his honest efforts to please your father, the conversation slid downhill quickly. A few minutes passed, and the questions had morphed into uncomfortable accusations.

“I don’t like the idea of her dating a celebrity.” You frowned, folding your hands into your lap. You knew your father was jumping to the wrong conclusions about your boyfriend, purely because of his occupation. As his anger and frustration became more apparent, tears formed in your eyes. You looked over at your boyfriend and saw his face falling, clearly uncomfortable and unsure how to react. An awkward silence fell over the room as everyone noticed how upset you had become. Quickly rushing to your side, your boyfriend grabbed your cheeks and wiped the tears with his thumbs.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered, loud enough for your parents to hear, but quiet enough to know he was speaking only to you. “It’s going to be okay.” Your mother turned to your father, staring him straight in the eyes.

“We need to talk in the kitchen,” she said, giving him the stern look you became used to as a child. The two of them walked away for a few minutes, your boyfriend pulling you into his chest and brushing your hair slowly.

In the five minutes it took for them to finish talking, both you and your boyfriend fell asleep on the couch. You awoke to the sound of your mother laughing, pointing in your direction. Your father walked over, patting his hand on your boyfriend’s shoulder.

“So you love my daughter, don’t you? Your boyfriend nodded, slightly confused. Laughing, your father shook his head. “You’re in for a ride buddy. You haven’t seen what she’s like when she’s angry, have you?” he joked. Your boyfriend laughed as well.

“I think I can handle her,” he said with a laugh.

“Hey!” You playfully hit at the both of them. Everyone laughed, and you sat back down next to your boyfriend, a smile on your face.

Introduction to the parents? Success.