Chapter 83

After all four of them got the house cleaned up downstairs, and then Martha and Pearl put fresh new linens on the beds upstairs. The rooms were still pretty empty because the rest of the furniture hadn't arrived yet. But a nice bed was sufficient and Pearl was sure his family would understand.

She was in her own closet downstairs when Rhys came to check on her. "You ok?" He asked.

"I've tried on 6 outfits. I don't know what to wear. I'm nervous, Rhys. What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm not good enough for you?" She tried to hide the tears forming.

"Look at me. It doesn't matter what they think. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. I love you. That is and always will be enough." He put his arms around her and kissed her.

She decided on a simple gray sweater and a pair of jeans and everything was ready when they arrived at 5.

"Welcome to the new house." Rhys said, opening the door. "This is Pearl."

"Pearl! It's is nice to meet you! I'm Marie, Rhys' Mom" a woman that looked exactly like Rhys, her skin was slightly olive like his, she had dark hair and his bright blue eyes "and this is Will, his father. We have been hearing about you since the morning after he met you! Congratulations on the record deal and the bookshop!" She gave Pearl a big hug. "So great to meet you, Pearl" Will said, also giving her a hug. "Your sister and littlest brother should be here soon. Oliver and his....girlfriend... won't be here until tomorrow. Well, show us around!" Marie said. They gave them a tour and Rhys was absolutely glowing with pride and excitement. They showed them their room for the next two nights, and then gathered in the the kitchen for tea and snacks. "Rhys, I have to tell you, you did wonderful. And I love this house and the property, too." His father said, smiling at Pearl.

"Thanks Dad." Rhys said, blushing.

They chatted a little about themselves. Pearl talked about her career in marketing and her band and she learned that Will had worked in factories most of his life and that his mother worked odd jobs in between managing Rhys' acting jobs as a child. She said it wasn't her idea to get him into it, he was just a natural born entertainer and she followed what he enjoyed, as she did with her other children. The second born, Oliver, was a Veterinarian and Rhys had helped put him through school, they were Irish twins, only 11 months apart. His sister, Maisie, just graduated culinary school and was working as a chef in Indianapolis. His youngest brother, Atticus, was still in college and hadn't decided on a major yet. "He's my dreamer, my lofty boy" Marie said.

"All literary characters." Pearl said after hearing about them. "Their names. Oliver, that's Dickens. Holden, that's Salinger. Atticus, is Harper Lee and Maisie, that's Henry James and Kipling."

"Yes!" Marie smiled. "Not many catch that, I am and always have been an avid reader and lover of literature."

"Same here." Pearl said. She was failing in love with his parents too. And no mention of money and no hint of billions. Ian was a liar.

The food for dinner was delivered and Martha was getting things set up when Maisie and Atticus arrived. Maisie was a spitting image of Will, she was tall and carried a few extra pounds, and had light, reddish brown hair with blue eyes. Atticus looked just like Rhys, only younger and smaller framed. They could be twins, Pearl thought.

"Hey Pearl! So great to meet you!" Maisie said, handing her several containers of food. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for a sister." Pearl blushed and loved the thought of it. Atticus stood behind her, giving her a quick smile and walking inside. He handed her a box and said, "Happy Yule. It's lovely to meet you." He had long, shaggy, wavy hair. He smelled like herbs and incense and you could tell right away he was a spiritual person. She like them both immediately.

She opened the box to find a few rocks inside and a jar filled with herbs and yarn and other things. There was also a candle and a bundle of sage. "Those are for the house. To bless it. And for you, for positive energy. You're embarking on several new journeys, I hear." Atticus said. He was cool. She liked him a lot.

Dinner was wonderful and they had an amazing time talking. After dinner, Atticus and Maisie enjoyed the hot tub while Marie and Will chatted with them in the library.

"We are so happy you two found each other. We knew Rhys wasn't going to settle until he found the one. And this June! Pearl, I'd love to help with planning, if you'd like. It can be overwhelming and I'd be happy to help." Marie was wonderful. Gentle. Kind. Supportive and bright. Things Pearl always craved in a mother but never had. It was a wonderful day and after meeting them, she fell in love with Rhys a little more.

The next day, they all went out to brunch in the city. His brother, Oliver, and his girlfriend, Britney, were meeting them there after their flight came in from Texas. They lived outside of Houston.

"Glad you made it!" Marie said, as a tall and handsome man that was a total combination of both Will and herself walked in. "Hello Britney." She said to the blonde behind him. She was young. Very young looking, with bleached blonde hair, lots of makeup and jewelry and a dress that looked like it was a size too small. Her lips looked they maybe had some work done to them along with her extremely large bosom. Pearl could tell right away that Marie was not as warm to her as she was to everyone else. Britney made her presence known. "Hello everybody! Oh my god it's so great to see you all! Are we ordering mimosas? Let's do that!" She said, waving her hands in the air and plopping down by Rhys. She went on and on about their flight and how rude the little boy was in the seat behind her and how the food quality on airplanes was going to trash. "Britney thinks first class flying means five star dining. It's an airplane, Brit. Not Buckingham Palace", Oliver said. She ignored him completely and talked about having to do charity work for the pageant board since she was a previous queen and how it was "total bullshit" she still had to perform those tasks for free. She was vapid and tedious. Oliver sat next to Pearl and while Britney was rambling about her new nail salon, he introduced himself. "I'm Oliver. It's really nice to meet you." He said. "Same. Glad you could make it." She said back. He seemed normal and not in the least bit shallow. What the hell was he doing with her?

They got back to the house and Rhys and Pearl showed them to their room for the night. "For some reason, I expected more bedrooms." Britney said as she threw her purse onto the bed. "There's just enough for all of you to have your own room, seems like the perfect number to me." Rhys said. "You're so funny." Britney said, rubbing his arm. Rhys looked uncomfortable. Pearl knew this kind of woman. She was older and had experience with these types of attention seeking snakes. She didn't like her. And if she touched Rhys again, she was going to make sure Beauty Queen Britney felt the same about her.