Family Portrait

Instead of turning towards the main road that would eventually lead one to the freeway, Hayden instead turned in the opposite direction. We drove along the street that wrapped back around the school campus and passed it into a small residential community that consisted of older homes of various sizes and values. With the school campus still within sight, Hayden's blinker warmed me that he was tirning. We drove up this large hill that I thought would never end. It whipped back and forth, climbing higher and higher. He must live at the top overlooking the school, as well as the rest of the valley.

We continued up the hill a short while after it had become a dirt road. The road was relatively smooth from lack of traffic, but it was hard to see where the turns were with all the large shade trees and overgrown bushes. He slowed down quite a bit; I guess he realized that I hadn't been here before. Near the top of the hill we finally veered from the face of the mountain and ventured deeper into the cool shade of the forested area. Once more he put on his hand blinker and turned. I fallowed, not too closely, I had no clue what was behind that turn.

To my surprise it was a giant blue house with white trim. Picture perfect. The house was three stories high with huge bay windows and a nice little garden out front. A cement path winded through the yard leading right up to the front door. Hayden parked his car in the driveway next to a big black Denali. I just pulled my car up behind Hayden's and put it in park. I turned off the ignition and stepped out of my car.

I could see a boat on the side of the house. Must be nice to have money. I thought. Next to the boat was a small red old model Pontiac. That was definitely a chick's car. I wondered if it was his mom's. I looked over at him and pointed to my car with a question in my expression, making sure where I parked was alright.

"Yeah that's fine. Leave it there." He called to me, over the other vehicles parked there. He stood there for a second while I crossed the driveway to join him walking up to the door. "Ready to meat the folks?" Hmm, this felt oddly like a date.

I wondered if he had noticed as well because he sort of did a half turn and then turned back again. He started to put his hand out as if to grab mine, but then he pulled it back quickly looking away from me, choosing instead to bring it up to awkwardly scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah, umm, this way." I fallowed him to the front door.

He opened the door slowly and I was immediately transported into another world it felt like. The atmosphere and vibe of the entire world around us completely shifted upon stepping through that door. My nose was filled with sandalwood incense, and sage. Hayden hollered into the house, "Mum, dad, I brought a friend home." He spoke as if he had found a lost puppy that he decided to keep. I blushed once more.

On the walls immediately inside the front door, hung numerous photos scattered along both sides, there was one in particular that immediately drew me to it for some reason, a portrait of a beautiful woman, standing with a man. They had their arms around eachother, and looked quite happy.

The face of this woman was so captivating, I had to get closer, to see her better. She had long raven black hair that flowed thickly down all the way to her calves. Her full figured body was curvy and feminine. Her face was so entrancing, she had crystal blue eyes, unlike any I had ever seen. I stared at her for a moment, completely ensnared by her beauty. "Who is she?" I asked without even knowing where the words had come from.

"That is my father's sister, Cerridwen. That's her husband." He pointed to the man in the portrait. "He passed away a few years back, and we haven't seen her since." I looked at his face, bracing myself to apologize for bringing up a sour subject, but he seemed completely at peace with it.

As if to answer my curious expression, he added, "My father has to do his job, and when somebody is breaking the law, he does not give bias judgment. My aunt disowned him for fallowing through with his orders. She is still angry, but we have all accepted the fact that my father does his job to keep us all safe." I was slightly confused by his sudden desicion to divulge such a lengthy piece of information, and incredibly personal at that. Such a change from what I was used to. Even though it left me with more questions than answers.

He put his hand on my lower back and led me away from the beautiful woman's photo. The house was gorgeous inside, and seamed to be twice as big as it did from the outside. The walls were all painted different colors. The entry way was cream and there was a large staircase curving up to the second floor. The banister was a dark, almost black mahogany wood. We turned left into the large kitchen and his parents were sitting at the dark wooden dinging table.

My eyes darted around the kitchen, I couldn't help but indulge in eyeing all the visual candy. The kitchen looked like something out of a Martha Stuart catalog. The walls were a deep wine color with grapes sponge pained around the top, adjacent to the ceiling. It was a lot to take in.

There was a large painting over the wall where the table was, and it almost certainly was a real Thomas Kincaid. Figures. All the kitchen appliances were a matching set in polished chrome. Everything looked so new and clean, it was almost disturbing.

The kitchen had a faint scent remnant of fresh cookies and bread. His mother, Anna Sophia, looked like the baking kind. She was quite petite, I mean really tiny. She had these big gooey doe eyes that were so full of love and warmth, you just couldn't help but to love her right away. Her auburn hair was light and chestnut colored like Hayden's. She had such soft looking skin that was smooth and surprisingly tan. I would have guessed her age to be about thirty but that couldn't possibly be right.

Hayden's dad, William, on the other hand looked to be in his late forties. He had dark brown almost black hair, with grey peppered all throughout. His eyes were grey like Hayden's but he had gigantic black pupils, like an owl. He stood up as we entered and walked over. Mr. Grahm was tall, like Hayden.

"Hi Mr. Grahm. I'm Carlie; it's nice to meet you." I reached out my hand to shake his, but before I could get it all the way in the air, he had whisked me up into a tight hug. I hugged him back and backed away blushing slightly. It was horrible how easily others could read my face. His mother smiled at me.

"It's nice to finally meet you Carlie deer, we have heard so much about you." I smiled at her and looked over at Hayden. He talked about me to his parents? That was unexpected.