Meet the family

June 2029 - Pine Hollow, North Carolina

Gates family - Xander is 39, Chelsea is 39, Kat is 19, Caleb is 17, Olivia is 16, Bianca is 10

 

Xander Gates checks the oven to see how the ribs he’s cooking look. Pretty good, he decides, but they need to cook a while longer at the low temperature. Kat’s boyfriend Yori will be coming to dinner that night to meet the family for the first time and so Xander hopes that these ribs cook to be still tender, but nicely barbecued.

 

“Chloe!” Caleb exclaims just a few feet away. “This is the third time you’ve used the bathroom on the floor already today. What is wrong with you?”

Olivia eyes the dog, taking in the pitiful look in her eyes. “I think she needs to go to the vet,” she tells her brother.

Caleb leans down, looking into the dog’s eyes. He tries not to be too much of a softy, but his heart melts with the dog. “Do you need to see the doctor, baby girl?” he asks.

“You are such a baby with that dog, even if you don’t want to admit it,” Olivia says, snickering as she watches her brother.

 

Caleb takes Chloe to see Dr. Talla.

“She smells, she’s not acting like herself, and she’s peed on the floor several times already today,” Caleb says.

 

“Hmm.” Dr. Talla looks over Chloe and jots some notes down before giving the diagnosis.

“She has a touch of repugnitis,” Dr. Talla says. “I have a shot of medicine I can give her right now, and then just make sure she gets baths regularly and isn’t eating anything that is going bad.”

Caleb lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Dr. Talla. Anything that makes her not smell like a rotten banana will be great.”

 

Kat greets Yori outside with a soft kiss on the cheek when he arrives. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” she asks. They’ve been dating for a couple months now, but this is the first time he’ll get to meet her parents.

“I can’t wait to meet your family,” Yori says with a wide grin. "They can tell me all about you as a little girl."

And they can’t wait to meet him. Everyone rushes to the living room when they come in the house and make Yori sit down so they can question him about everything.

 

 

When Kat goes to the kitchen with her mom to get the table set, Xander moves over to sit next to Yori.

 

"So," Xander says. "How serious are you about Kat?"

 

"Well," Yori says, "we just started dating. But I'd love to get to know her and spend time with her. If she wants to spend time with me."

 

"As long as you keep that 'getting to know her' in a high class way," Xander says with a serious look.

Kat walks over just to time to hear that. "Dad," she moans, rolling her eyes. "Go help Mom with the food."

 

 "I'm sorry," Kat tells Yori when Xander gets up. "He's really my stepdad, but he's more dad to me than my real one. He's very protective."

"It's okay," Yori says. "I'd probably be the same way if I was in his place."

 

They all sit at the table so the family can do more examinations of the new guy sitting with them.

 

 

Bianca is sent to the bar to eat by herself since Yori has taken her spot at the table. Always pushed to the side whenever a guest eats with them.

“So Kat tells us you’re from San Myshuno,” Xander says. “How in the world did you end up across the country in a much smaller city?”

“I needed a change of scenery,” Yori says with a laugh. “Honestly, I was ready for something new.”

 

“Ugh,” Olivia says with a grunt. “I can understand that. I need a change too.”

 

“You’ll find one day that you’ll miss home,” Xander tells her.

Olivia shakes her head. “Not anytime soon.”

 

“Change has been the best thing I’ve ever done,” Yori says, looking at Kat as he smiles wide. In return, Kat blushes and smiles wide too, electric tingling running through her from head to toe.

The family eats and talks to Yori as long as they can, asking him many questions about himself and his family.

 

Even when everyone is done eating, Xander continues the questions. He has to make sure his daughter’s boyfriend meets all the fatherly expectations!

 

Yori insists on helping clean up after they finish eating.

 

 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Kat tells him. “You’re our guest.”

“I know,” he says. “But I wanted to help. And it gives a good impression on your parents.” He gives her a wink.

 

Kat laughs and hugs him tight. “You’re one of a kind,” she says. “I think that’s already impressed them.”

 

 

Olivia finds her sister and the new guy sitting on the couch together.

“Oh, hey,” Olivia says. “I didn’t know you guys were sitting here talking. My show is coming on TV in a few minutes.”

 

 

 “I can leave if you need me to,” Olivia says. But neither of them seem to notice her and she sits on the other end of the couch, turning the TV on.

After a few minutes, Kat gets up to go get them some cans of soda from the fridge.

Yori finally seems to notice Olivia sitting next to him. “Hey,” he says, smiling wide. “So Kat tells me you love working in the garden. Are you a botanist in training.”

Olivia shrugs. “I like planting in dirt. I don’t know what I’m going to do one day.”

They don’t talk any longer because Kat comes back and invites Yori to go explore the town with her. She doesn’t invite her sister, which Olivia figured would happen. Go on, Kat, Olivia thinks. Just ignore your family because of some guy.

Olivia is soon left alone with just the TV keeping her company.

 

 

Kat and Yori go out to the local park to skate.

 

 

Yori is embarrassed to admit that he hasn’t skated since he was a kid.

 

 But that’s obvious when he keeps falling, busting his behind on the rink.

 

After a few more falls, Yori and Kat go sit down at a nearby bench.

“Sorry,” Kat says. “I hope you’re not hurting too much from all those falls.”

Yori cringes, but he says, “No, it’s okay. I’ll heal eventually.” He grins wide, making Kat laugh.

“So what do you think of Pine Hollow?” she asks.

“It’s quiet here,” Yori says. “A nice place to come relax and forget all the stress of the rest of the world.”

She smiles. “Yes, that’s it exactly.”

“Do you plan to move back here after you graduate?”

Kat sighs. “I don’t know. I’d like to see the rest of the world. I’d like to find out what it’s all like.”

Yori smiles. “Well, you know I can show you San Myshuno anytime you’re ready.”

Kat smiles back at him. “I’ll keep you up on that offer after I graduate.”

 

“So what did you think of Yori?” Kat asks her mom later that night.

Chelsea sits down with her daughter. “I thought he was really nice and well-behaved. He is well-behaved in every possibility he can get into, isn’t he?”

Kat rolls her eyes. “Mom. That is not what I asked you about.”

 

“Yeah, but you know that I had you while I was in college,” Chelsea says. “And you know that I never married your dad because things just didn’t work with Nathan and me. I was blessed to find Xander who was happy to help me raise you. I only want what’s best for you in this life I’ve tried to make for you.”

“You did a good job,” Kat tells her. “And don’t worry. If it does get really serious with Yori, I’ll be careful and go for the life that’s best for me.”

“Good. And I do like him. I think he might be a really good catch, so reel him in tight.” She grins, making Kat laugh at her mom’s advice.

 

***

 

 

Chelsea knows that walking with the family’s dog Chloe is always a great way to start the day.

 

The days are really hot this time of year, but morning walks first thing are still a good way to get some exercise before the heat sets in.

 

 

Chloe doesn't give any whines or complaints in dog language as they walk, she just keeps going, wagging her tail at everything and everyone she sees.

 

But even though Chloe loves the whole family, the one she loves most is Caleb. She sleeps with him in his room and follows him around the house, happily playing with him as much as she can.

 

When he’s not walking or playing with his dog, Caleb spends his free time this summer with Emily Smith.

They’ve been dating almost a year now and still can’t get enough of each other.

He'd like to go further into this relationship...further meaning using the bed...but she says she's not ready and he won't press her for it. But still, those tight hugs make him want to be even closer.

Bianca may have to sit at the counter by herself when a visitor comes to eat with them, but she’s not entirely ignored.

Her dad and oldest sister join in with her to put together some amazing builds at her table of blocks.

Building things is one of her favorite hobbies. And she thinks sometimes that maybe she could really build things one day when she's older.

 

 

 

Olivia loves working outside and tending to the small garden she grew in the backyard. She’s thinking of maybe becoming a botanist one day.

 

 

Kat finds Olivia watching TV and sits down next to her. "So," she says, "everyone else has said what they think of Yori, but you still haven't."

 

"What is there to tell?" Olivia asks.

 

"Tons of things," Kat says. "Like how you were chatting him all up while I was out of the room. You must have a big crush on him."

 

Olivia's eyes widen. "What? I was sitting here watching TV, he's the one who started talking."

 

Kat laughs. "I was joking, Liv. I really am curious about what you think of him. Is he worth it? Should I break up with him or keep going?"

"He seems really nice," Olivia tells her. "You should give him a chance and see what happens."

Kat gives a relieved sigh. "I'm glad you think so. I wondered if maybe I was just too won over by his cute smiles."

"Well," Olivia says, "he is pretty hot, so that's the biggest thing that makes it all worth it."

She laughs as she ducks the couch pillow her sister swings at her.

-----------------

Writing here on the blog does have differences from what I post on the Tumblr version! These updates are more written out with extra details. That last scene with Kat and Olivia is all new and wasn't posted on Tumblr when I was writing this household. I had these pictures that I hadn't used back then, so I added them in with that little moment between the sisters. :)