One Thousand Miles

Chapter  |  The Hershs

Part  |  One

It was finally my favorite time of the year and I couldn't be happier. Thanksgiving was in less than a week and I was glad that I was finally going home to see my family. I was even happier when I found out that John could come along. John's name had managed to slip out of my mouth while on the phone with my mother only two weeks prior. 

"Who's John?" my mother asked.

I immediately covered my mouth with my hand as soon as his named escaped my lips. I quickly turned my head to face John who had immediately stopped chopping at a tomato and turned to me with wide nervous eyes. I still hadn't told my parents about John and our relationship because he said, and I quote, "I'm not ready to meet your family just yet. The last time I met a girl's parents, her father threatened to shoot me with a shotgun."

"Stephanie are you still there?" my mother called through the phone.

I snapped out of my trance and cleared my throat before. "Yeah, yeah I'm still here. I'm sorry about that I just....."

"You just weren't ready to tell me you were in a relationship with this John boy? Oh my baby girl is growing up! So when do we get to meet the guy? Will he be coming with you to Thanksgiving dinner?"

I choke on the air and John stops chopping at his tomato once again. "Will he be coming over for Thanksgiving dinner?" I ask in a high squeaky voice. John soon realizes that we're talking about him and starts frantically shaking his head no. "Um of course he'll be there."

He looks at me with even wider eyes and I do the same. We have a silent conversation through facial expressions until I hear my mother call my name once again. "Stephanie are you still there? Is everything okay over there?"

"Yes mom everything is fine. Look, I'll call you tomorrow okay. I just have to take care of something right now."

"Well okay, but sweetie just remember that---"

"Yeah okay I love you too, bye!" I say before quickly hanging up.

 "What the hell did you just do?" John asks throwing his hands up in the air. I could tell he was slightly frustrated, but the worry and nervousness outweighed it.

I sigh before wrapping my arms around his waist. "Baby, come on lighten up. You can't hide from them for the rest of your life. Eventually they're going to want to meet you. I mean if I were in their shoes I would want to know who my daughter has been fooling around with for the past two maybe three months."

He sighs and relaxes. He looks down at me and I notice his lips curling into a small smile. "Fine I'll go, but only if you come home with me for Christmas."

I smile. "I'd love to."

And that is how we ended where we were now. We were currently driving down the familiar road I'd been on thousands of times. It was the road that lead to the gated community I lived in, or used to live in. As soon as the gates to the community came into view I sat up in my seat. I let out a loud squeal and turn towards John and giggled. He smiled before resting one of his hands on my knee and keeping the other on the steering wheel. Once he came to a stop at the gate, he rolled down his window to get security guard to open up the gates.

The security guard was Pat. She was in her mid or late thirties, had short blond hair, and beautiful brown eyes. I loved her like an aunt. She was a very close family friend and would sometimes baby sit me when I wasn't even in my double digits. They would have had Ethan baby sit me, but he was still young himself and very irresponsible

"Hi Pat!" I called out the window excitedly.

She instantly recognized my voice and a huge smile appeared on her face. "Stephanie Hersh is that you? Wow, you have only been gone for just a few months and you already look so different, in a good way of course."

I laughed. "Thanks Pat. You don't look to bad yourself."

She chuckled. "So who's your friend?"

I look over at John before turning towards Pat with a huge smile. "Pat, this is my boyfriend, John Schmidt."

She smiles. "John Schmidt. That name sounds slightly familiar. I know I've heard it from somewhere, but I'm getting old so that's not surprising," she laughs. "Well I'm Pat Arnold, it's nice to meet you John. You take good care of this one; she's like a second daughter to me."

"It's nice to meet you too, and I'll be sure to take good care of her."

"Well I don't want to hold you guys any longer. It was nice meeting you John, and nice seeing you again Steph. You guys may go on in. Happy holidays," she says before opening the gate.

I give her a small wave before sitting back in my seat. "She's nice isn't she?"

He smiles and lets out a quiet chuckle. "Kind of reminds me of my mother. The only difference is she didn't give me a thousand kisses on the face."

I laughed. "Well here's one." I leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before sitting back in my seat. For the next few minutes, I gave John directions to the house I had lived in for three quarters of my life until we finally pulled up in the driveway. The house was bigger then I remembered, but nonetheless I missed it.

John climbed out of the car and opened up the door for me just as my youngest sister, Katie, came running out the house. I let out an excited squeal before running towards my sister and scooping her up in my arms. I spun her around and threw her up in the air a few times before mom finally stepped outside.

"Oh my baby I've missed you so much. Come and give your mama a hug," she said with tears falling down her cheeks.

I let Katie slide down my leg and onto the ground before rushing to my mom and bringing her in for a hug. I cried into her shoulder for a minute or so before pulling back with a huge smile on my face. That was when my father, Ethan, and Ally emerged from the house with huge smiles on their faces. I gave each and every one of them a hug before turning my attention to John.

"Guys this is......." I trailed off.

The sight I was seeing brought the biggest smile to my face. John was currently holding Katie on his hip with a huge grin on his face as he listened to Katie talk about all the new books mom had checked out from the library for her.

"This is John Schmidt. He's my boyfriend," I say, adding a cough at the end.

Everybody turned their attention to John, and he looked back at them with the huge grin still plastered on his face. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Stephanie has said some good stuff about all of you."

My brother smiled. "Wow, thanks sis. That's always something good to hear, too bad we haven't heard a thing a about you."

"Ethan!" my father scolded.

John's face paled.

Both mom and dad shoot Ethan an icy glare, but he just ignores them and lets out a small laugh. "Don't worry man; I was just kidding with you.....maybe."

John shifts from one foot to the other uncomfortably and looks down at the ground. Ally clears her throat before stepping forward and taking Katie out of his hands. "Why don't we all go inside where it is nice and warm? It's a little chilly out here don't you think?"

I let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah Ally's right. Just let us get out stuff out the car and we'll meet you guys inside."

They all head inside leaving John and I alone. I turn towards him and give him a small smile before wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him closer. He doesn't wrap his arms around me, but I didn't care. I bury my face in his chest and breathe in his scent.

"I don't think your brother likes me very much," he says with a hint of sadness of his voice.

I pull my head back and look in his eyes. "He likes you, it's just.......I've never had a boyfriend before so this is all new to him you know? He's just being the cliché over-protective brother."

He laughs at my attempt to make a joke surprisingly. "Well I guess you're right, but if he tries shooting me in the head with a shotgun does that give me the right to say I told you so?"

I nod my head. "Yes now let's get our stuff and head inside before he starts to suspect that we're doing more than just grabbing our suitcase out the car."