Chapter 15.2

Before Tina fell asleep, they both came to a conclusion that he'd visit her parents on Saturday. As he watched the girl next to him sleep peacefully, he found it difficult to close his eyes.

'Were their lives going to be like this once they got married?' He couldn't help imagining. They clearly talk every single day. Whenever he missed her, they would videocall. Their dates have been great so far. However, he missed her when she wasn't there. His heart longed for her whenever her warmth wasn't around.

After he saw her off, he returned to the house, and unsurprisingly, he was met by the two naughty elders and his father.

"Your complexion looks nice today," Mrs. Strider teased him.

"You look well rested," Sia followed.

"Did she rest well?" Mr. Strider asked as he stopped in front of his son. He was against what his wife and mother did, keeping someone else's daughter away from her home, but he couldn't win against the queens in his family.

Jeff nodded to his father's question and received a friendly pat in return.

"Granny, mom," he looked at them seriously, "don't do that again. She stayed so you guys wouldn't feel dejected. You guys put her in a tight spot. It's okay if her parents knew about us, but they don't yet, so she wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation."

After hearing what Jeff said, the two women reflected on their actions last night. They were in a hurry to get Jeff married, but they failed to take Tina's feelings into consideration.

"What if she doesn't want to come back here anymore because you guys traumatized her? Even I won't be able to convince her otherwise."

After saying his piece, he went back to his room to retrieve his briefcase. He took a glimpse of her work outfit that she wore yesterday in the laundry basket, and once again confirmed that she spent the night in his room. It was a wonderful feeling.

Thinking up until here, he made a decision to add five to seven outfits and shoes for Tina in case of rainy days. He also took a mental note of skincare, underwear, and other feminine care product that he'd ask Bob to purchase later.

Upon returning downstairs, his mom called out to him.

"We know now. We were indeed too rash yesterday. I'll talk to her later," Mrs. Strider said solemnly.

Very soon, it was Saturday. Jeff was a nervous wreck. When he had invited Tina over, at least his family wasn't there for half of the time. However, he was deliberately going over to Tina's house to meet with her parents. He was worried about making a horrible first impression.

"My son is such a catch. They'll love you," Mrs. Strider said as she straightened out his outfit.

"You're a businessman too. Obviously, you're a complete package. You have nothing to worry about. I remember you said you already have her sister on your side. You've already won the battle halfway," Sia boosted his confidence with a grin on her face.

"Be respectful and patient," Mr. Strider only spoke these few words to his son before Jeff set out to Tina's house.

Upon his arrival, he called Tina and about 5 minutes later, she showed up and was heading towards his car. He noticed that she looked out of sorts, so he stepped out of the car to meet her.

"Babe, what's wrong?" he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other, he used to hold her face. Her arms were also surrounding his waist.

"My grandmother is here," she said worriedly. She then buried her head in his chest.

"Do you want to come again another time?"

It would be disrespectful to her father if he turned away now. He didn't want to leave an impression that his girlfriend's paternal grandmother was a monster because of her views.

"It's okay. Since we already made the date, we need to keep it," he placed a light kiss on her forehead before releasing her to get the gifts from the car.

He watched as his little woman led him into her home. He was too nervous to admire the lawn and the flowers, and as they got closer and closer, his heartbeat increased rapidly. Today, he mustn't fail!

"Mom, dad, granny, this is my boyfriend, Jeff," she introduced.

Jeff put the gifts to the side as he stood up straight.

"Good morning granny Lawrence. Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence. I am Jefferson Strider. Tina's boyfriend." He made his introduction confidently. Only God knew how crazy nervous he was on the inside.

"Hi bro-in-law," Lina cut in with her jolly self.

He could only stiffly smile at her as he allowed Tina's other family members to run an intimidating scan on his person.

"What do you mean bro-in-law? We don't know yet if your sister can keep him," Martha sneered as her eyes remained glued on the young man before her.

Everyone was clearly uncomfortable with her statement, even Jeff frowned a little.

"Oh! granny Lawrence, it's me who won't let her go," he said in a half-serious half-joking manner.

Mrs. Lawrence's face beamed with a smile, showing her support for the way he brushed off Martha's remark.

"Young man, did you have breakfast already?" Mrs. Lawrence asked as she stood up.

"No ma'am."

"Then join us then."

The whole family made their way to the table, and by tactic understanding, Tina took the seat on his left while Lina took the seat on his right. Mrs. Lawrence was seated right in front of him, while Lina was facing Martha.

"So, what do you do for a living Jeff?"

He put down his cutlery that he had just picked up to answer Martha's question.

"I own a small company. We specialize in tech business," he replied humbly.

He gave Tina's hand a squeeze underneath the table, motioning for her not to worry.

"Very good. Better than whatever it is she does. At least when you get married, if that ever happens, she can quit her job and be a good housewife," Martha said scornfully.

Although Jeff was somewhat mentally prepared, Martha was just on another level!

Nobody said a word…