Meet The Parents

 Lily finally panics and draws herself out of the kiss

 "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade your personal space" Jake quickly snapped.

 "No…you didn't" Lily whispered with a soft smile on her face, assuring him that she liked the kiss as much as he did.

 "Umm.. I have to go now," she hesitated. She needs to go, but she doesn't want to.

 "Goodnight Jake"

 "Alright then Lily, goodnight" he said reluctantly.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the hum of light chatter filled the small-town café where Lily worked. It was a busy Thursday afternoon, and she flitted from table to table, balancing plates and smiling, though her heart wasn't entirely in it. 

Jake and Lily's connection had become stronger as they texted and talked on the phone every day, putting each other through their experiences of the day. It was more like a daily routine, but for some reason Jake never texted the other day and still didn't text today. Because of this, Lily wasn't in a good mood. For two days, she'd been waiting for Jake to text her. Their last conversation had been warm, even flirtatious, but his sudden silence since then had left her second-guessing everything.

 "What's your order, ma'am?" She asked the aged woman in front of her, trying not to sound rude or anything.

 "My regular." The lady said, and Lily immediately got into it.

She wiped her hands on her apron and headed back to the counter, letting out a soft sigh. *Maybe I read too much into it* she thought. She was about to refill the napkin holder when the bell above the door jingled. 

"Welcome!" she called without looking up, her voice cheery but automatic. When no one immediately replied, she glanced toward the door.

There he was. Jake.

His sandy blonde hair was tousled as though he'd been driving with the windows down, and his green eyes locked onto hers. He wore a shy smile, his hands tucked into the pockets of his denim jacket. For a moment, Lily froze, her heart pounding in a mixture of relief and confusion.

 "Jake?" she asked, stepping out from behind the counter.

 "Hey, Lily," he said, his voice soft yet confident.

 "I—uh, I've been meaning to stop by."

Her brows furrowed.

 "Two days. Not a word," she said, folding her arms.

 "You don't think to text, but now you're here?"

Jake winced, scratching the back of his neck.

 "Yeah, about that… I wanted to see you in person. Texting wasn't gonna cut it because of what I had to say."

She blinked, caught off guard.

 "What do you mean?"

Jake stepped closer, the café buzzing around them as if it were a world apart. He pulled a small bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back, their bright colors a stark contrast to the nerves evident on his face.

 "Lily, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he began.

 "I didn't text because… I wanted this moment to be special. You mean so much to me, and I didn't want to mess it up with a half-thought-out text. So here I am, flowers in hand, asking you face-to-face: Will you be my girlfriend?"

Lily's jaw dropped slightly, and for a moment, she could only stare at him. The clinking of plates and hum of voices in the café seemed to fade.

 "Jake, are you serious?" she finally managed, her voice almost a whisper.

 "Dead serious," he said, his green eyes never leaving hers.

A slow smile spread across her face, and she took the bouquet from his hands.

 "You really know how to keep a girl waiting, don't you?" she teased, her tone softening.

 "I'll make it up to you," he promised.

 "Every single day."

Lily's cheeks flushed as she nodded.

 "Alright, Jake. Yes. I'd love to be your girlfriend."

The café erupted in soft applause from the nearby customers who had overheard the exchange. Jake grinned, his confidence returning as he reached for her hand.

 "Guess I'll be coming here a lot more often," he said, his thumb gently brushing hers.

 "Good," Lily replied with a laugh.

 "Because I'm not letting you disappear for two days ever again."

Jake stayed around her cafeteria so he would drive her home when she was done for the day in the café.

 "I was so scared that you might say No" he said, focused on the road.

 "And why would you think I'd ever say No to you?" Lily asked as she drew the flowers close to her nose and smelled them for the hundredth time since he gave them to her.

 "I don't know. Thank you for accepting to be my Lily" Jake replied, taking a quick glance at her. Lily found herself blushing like a sixteen-year-old who finally got to hear her crush say a 'Hi' to her.

Jake made a turn and parked in Lily's parking yard. She couldn't believe he still remembers after the one time he dropped her

 "You remember my parents' place?"

 "Why not? Guess I have a photogenic memory."

 "Yeah right" Lily said sarcastically and they both burst out laughing,

 "So, you live with your parents, huh?" Jake asked.

 "Unfortunately" Lily replied.

 "Planning on renting an apartment soon." She defends herself

 "Everyone has where feels like home to them, if staying with your parents is comfortable for you then why change that?" Jake asked

 "Well…" Lily couldn't find her tongue. He was right. She thought he was about to make fun of her for being either a mommy's girl or a daddy's girl.

 "Well, I would love to meet your parents. Maybe some other time, if you don't mind though." Jake said.

 "Of course, anytime" Lily was excited but tried comporting herself.

The guy she liked a lot would love to see her parents. She couldn't wait. She got out of the car and walked inside.

 Lily adjusted her scarf nervously as Jake drove them up the long gravel driveway to her parents' house. The large Thompson home looked warm and inviting, it's front windows glowing softly against the late afternoon sky. Jake reached over and squeezed her hand.

 "You've got nothing to worry about, Lil," he said with a confident smile.

 "Meeting families is my specialty."

She laughed softly, shaking her head.

 "You sound like you're preparing for a trial."

 "In a way, I am," Jake replied with a wink.

 "Winning over your parents and sister? It's the most important case of my life."

Lily rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips.

 "Well, good luck, Counselor. My mom and dad will probably love you. But my sister? Rose is… let's just say, she's not easily impressed."

Jake parked the car and stepped out, buttoning his coat against the chilly air. Lily followed him to the front door, where the faint sound of laughter and clinking dishes could be heard. She hesitated for a moment before ringing the bell.

The door swung open, revealing Ellen, Lily's mother, with her arms wide open.

 "Lily!" Ellen exclaimed, pulling her daughter into a warm hug.

 "And this must be Jake!"

 "That's me," Jake said, offering a friendly handshake.

 "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Thompson."

 "Oh, please, call me Ellen," she said, her eyes sparkling.

 "Come in, both of you. It's freezing out there!"

As they stepped inside, Carter Thompson appeared in the hallway, his tall frame and firm handshake giving away his years as a military man.

 "Jake," he said, sizing him up.

 "Lily's told us quite a bit about you. Lawyer, huh?"

 "Yes, sir," Jake replied with a polite nod.

 "Practitioner, specializing in civil cases. Most of my work involves mediating disputes and helping people find common ground."

 "Good," Carter said, his stern expression softening into a smile.

 "We need more people like that in the world."

 As the group moved to the living room, Jake quickly settled into a rhythm. Ellen and Carter were charmed by his anecdotes from the courtroom, stories laced with just the right mix of humor and humility. He described a recent case where he had represented a small business owner against a large corporation, framing it as a modern David-and-Goliath story.

Ellen was enthralled.

 "That's amazing, Jake. It must be so rewarding to help people like that."

 "It is," Jake admitted, his tone sincere.

 "But honestly, it's not just about winning cases. It's about making sure people feel heard and understood."

Thomas nodded approvingly, clearly impressed.

 "Sounds like you're in the right line of work."

Just as Jake was beginning to relax, a voice cut through the cozy atmosphere.

 "So, what's it like convincing people to agree with you for a living?"

Everyone turned to see Rose standing in the doorway, arms crossed. At twenty-five, Rose was Lily's older sister and her polar opposite. Where Lily was warm and reserved, Rose was fiery and outspoken. She gave Jake a once-over, her sharp brown eyes betraying her skepticism.

Jake didn't flinch. He met her gaze with a polite smile.

 "It's challenging, but rewarding. The goal isn't to convince people, really. It's to find solutions that work for everyone."

Rose raised an eyebrow.

 "Sounds noble. But isn't being a lawyer mostly about finding loopholes?"

 "Not the kind of law I practice," Jake said, his tone calm but firm.

 "I believe in fairness, not shortcuts. Loopholes might win cases, but they rarely solve problems."

Ellen clapped her hands, breaking the tension.

 "Well, dinner's ready! Let's move to the table."

At dinner, Jake continued to charm Lily's parents with his wit and thoughtful conversation. He shared stories about his childhood, growing up with a single mom who worked tirelessly to support him. He spoke of how her struggles inspired him to become a lawyer.

 "I wanted to be someone who could make a difference," Jake said, his voice filled with quiet determination.

Ellen looked teary-eyed, and even Carter seemed moved.

Rose, however, remained silent, watching Jake like a hawk.

Finally, as dessert was served, she leaned forward.

 "So, Jake," she said, her tone laced with curiosity,

 "You seem like you have all the right answers. But what's your flaw?"

The room fell silent. Jake set down his fork and looked at Rose thoughtfully.

 "That's a fair question," he said.

 "I'm not perfect. I work too much sometimes, and I have a hard time letting things go. I can be stubborn, and I'm terrible at cooking. Seriously, if it weren't for Lily, I'd be living off takeout."

Carter chuckled, and Ellen smiled. Even Rose seemed taken aback by his honesty.

 "Okay," Rose said finally, a small smile playing on her lips.

 "At least you're honest."

By the end of the evening, Jake had won over everyone, including Rose. As they prepared to leave, Rose pulled Lily aside.

 "He's not bad," she admitted grudgingly.

 "But if he hurts you, I'll make sure he regrets it."

Lily laughed, hugging her sister.

 "Deal."

As they walked to the car, Jake turned to Lily.

 "How'd I do?"

 "You were amazing," she said, her voice filled with affection.

 "Even Rose likes you now. That's no small feat."

Jake grinned.

 "Told you. Courtroom training."

Lily laughed, leaning against him as they drove off. For the first time, she felt certain that Jake wasn't just the right man for her—he was the right man for her family, too.