The second reason was because he was still feeling some type of way about his aunt not contacting him for 26 years. But with Noa there, he was less likely to let his anger get the best of him. And the third reason was he needed her unbiased opinion of Selena, especially before he included Ainsley in their next meeting. Was he planning to meet with Selena again? Vaguely. It depended on how this meeting went.
He had also chosen a public park for their meeting, not wanting her to see the house just yet. He wanted to get a feel for her in person before he invited her to their home.
Noa was the exact opposite of her stoic boyfriend, she in fact, was super excited to meet Idri’s aunt. She chose to wear pink and purple instead of black today, standing alongside Idri while thinking of how much fun this was going to be. Her feet were trying to talk to her and she wanted them to be a bit comfortable before their son decided to use her bladder as a punching bag again. Having had enough of the awkwardness, Noa grabbed Idri's hand, “You know she can see us if we sit on a bench right? That and my poor little size 5 feet are killing me~” not even waiting for an answer, she started tugging him along, “Come on big guy, I want to relax, not scare people away.”
He snorted softly as Noa tugged him to the nearest bench. This was another reason he wanted her here. She kept him calm, and relaxed. If he were doing this alone, he’d be tense and likely to be defensive and angry in their conversation. “Can’t help it,” he mumbled. “It’s nerves.” He had never met anyone from his mother’s side of the family. He had barely met anyone from his father’s side of the family, only an uncle that his mother had banned from the house when he was young. He sighed softly as he sat on the bench, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “My poor bunni, so abused by her son before he’s even born,” he said affectionately, kissing her cheek.
Well she figured as much. But sadly the remedy she had for nerves would have to wait. “Mmmmmnnnn….Massage later then? I have heard that helps greatly with nerves.” No she wasn't about to make a joke about happy endings even though the immature part of her really wanted to. Usually she would make herself home in his lap but since they were in public, it would be better for them to behave themselves…Mostly. Noa laid her head on Idri's chest, grabbing his other hand to place on her stomach. “Wooosaaa Idri. Your heart is beating 90 beats per minute.” Haji chose that moment to actually kick at his father’s hand which caused her to snort. “Yeah, poor bunni indeed. Always abused by her son AND her manager.”
Idirian smiled softly when she suggested a massage. “That might help, yeah,” he said. And he would return the favor. He loved the little noises she made when he was working the knots out of her back and shoulders. That usually led to things he shouldn’t think about in public. Her head on his chest relaxed him further and he held her closer. He took a deep breath and released it slowly at her suggestion. Haji’s little kick against his hand made him smile. He couldn’t wait to be a father, to be better than Garrett and give his son everything he wanted. Within reason. Mostly. The kid needed manners and all, too.
Selena was running a bit late, which made her nervous. She had wanted to make a good impression on her nephew and his (pregnant!) girlfriend, but being late would not likely do that. She spotted them sitting on a bench and smiled at the sight they made sitting on the bench. She could see her sister in Idirian’s smile as he looked at Noa’s stomach in quiet wonder. She was glad that he seemed to be happy. He deserved that, after what he had told her of his life over the phone. Not that he’d done much more than hint at things.
She waved as she drew closer to them, calling out. “Hello!” she smiled, coming to stop in front of them. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person, Idirian. And of course you, as well, Noa.” The young woman had done much to make this happen, as she understood.
Oh wow! She was beautiful! Which means Idris mother must've been as bright as the sun. Noa had given Selena a bright smile in return, “It's Nice to meet you too Selena!” She reached out her hand for a shake, hoping Idri would follow her lead. If not then she would have to encourage him somehow.
Idirian shook Selena's hand after Noa had, recognizing his mother in her face. He still wasn't sure how he felt about it. “Nice to meet you, too,” he said, still a bit wary of the whole situation even though both women seemed happy. “In your letter you said I have an uncle, and cousins. How many cousins?” He was blunt, as usual, getting straight to the point. He sat forward on the bench, one hand resting on Noa’s leg. He had debated standing, but he didn’t want to tower over his aunt at first.
Selena smiled brightly at Idirian. “Yes, though your uncle is my husband, Aurelio. And we have three children together, your cousins. Although, Margarethe, my eldest daughter, has children of her own. Your second cousins.” She smiled hopefully at him, hoping he would want to meet the rest of them soon, too. Margarethe’s eldest would be about his sister’s age, she thought. And Emilio, her middle son, was getting ready to have his second child with his wife.
Idirian nodded a bit. He was definitely curious about the rest of his family, but… “My sister. Well, half-sister. She and I share the same father. Would she be welcome the next time we meet?” Because if she wasn't, then this was over before it got started. Ainsley didn’t share any blood ties with this side of his family, except for him.
“Of course! I would love to meet your sister, and would be welcome to our family as well.” Selena was pleased that at least he had had some family growing up besides his father. His sister would be welcomed as family, just as Idirian would be. Selena had done everything she could to make sure her children didn’t end up like Gabriella. She gave them room to make mistakes and when they did, she was always there to help pick up the pieces.
Noa was content to watch the interaction between the two, proud of Idirian for giving his aunt a chance. She did have a feeling that this meeting would go smoothly. To be honest she was sure Idri could've been fine without her here, but she was…Touched that he decided to invite her to meet family they he never got the chance to meet growing up. This also meant that if he keeps in touch with them, they could meet Haji as well when he is born.
Idirian relaxed enough to have a comfortable conversation with his aunt, his hand finding Noa’s and squeezing lightly. He likely wouldn’t have had this meeting with Selena if it weren’t for Noa. She had done a lot to bring him out of the gloom he hadn’t realized he’d been living under. Not that it changed his view of people in general, but he was more likely to try something new with her by his side than he was without her. Like meeting his aunt. Starting a family. Falling in love. And Ainsley loved her. He was glad that his sister finally had another female to talk to about…girl stuff.
But he was letting himself get distracted. He listened as his aunt described their family, and apologized again for only getting in touch with him now. Idirian shook his head at that. “I’ll be honest, I was angry at first. Twenty six years? But the more you explain about my grandfather, the more I understand. But it was Noa that convinced me not to burn your letter.” He leaned back again and rested his arm behind her shoulders, giving her a quick squeeze.
Selena smiled at Noa. “Then I suppose I have you to thank for helping me get in touch with my nephew.” She noticed how close Idirian held her, and how relaxed he was with her. Her eyes fell to Noa’s stomach and her smile widened. “I admit, I am very excited to meet my grand-niece or -nephew!”
Noa beamed at Selena, placing her hand over Idri’s. “Grand-nephew~ we decided to name him Haji.” She did sit up just a bit, but happily leaned her head on Idri’s shoulder for support. Her feet weren’t hurting enough to have her request to carry her to the car, but that didn't mean it couldn't change later on. It was a smart thing to wear boots since it left her feet no room to expand, meaning she could walk if she needed to.
Idri couldn’t help it, he turned to smile at Noa and kissed her head lightly. “We’re excited, too.” The nursery was all but finished, he couldn’t stop himself from buying things he thought might be helpful for them or something Haji might like. Not to mention the little things Ainsley kept adding. Like a plush soccer ball. He turned back to his aunt, wondering how she felt about them having a baby before they were married. Her expression didn’t give anything away, if she disapproved.
Not that he wasn’t already planning to marry her, they just…hadn’t talked about that yet. Hell, he still hadn’t told her how he felt about her. She hadn’t said anything either, though he swore he could see it in her eyes sometimes when she looked at him. He rubbed his face with a hand, making sure to brush his hair back into place before his scar became visible.
“A beautiful name for what is certain to be a beautiful baby, with parents like you two,” she said as she watched Idirian fix the hair that covered one eye. How could he see like that? Selena clucked her tongue at him and moved closer with her hands up toward Idirian's face. “Ay, sobrino, why do you cover your handsome face?” she asked, tucking the long hair back away from his eyes. “Oh…” What had given her poor nephew that scar?
Idirian froze when she pushed his hair out of his face and immediately leaned back and shook his head to replace it, brushing his fingers through it. “I have my reasons,” he answered sharply. Some scars could still feel fresh, and that one had always made him self-conscious.
So Noa was naturally curious about most things and usually liked to do her research and figure out everything she could about said curiosity (she was nosy like that) but when it came to Idri’s scar, she respected the fact that he probably did not want to talk about it, and that was okay. Not every scar had a tale that wasn't traumatizing to recall. So when Selena brushed back his hair, she actually saw his scar fully for the first time, sighing about the spoiler she had received. Noa looked up at her boyfriend, automatically trying to calm him by clasping his hand in hers, running her thumb gently along the outside. A small frown began to mar her features a bit. Sure, she knew Idri could be ... .Sensitive about some things, but she was sure Selena meant no harm and she knew that sometimes aunts could be just as concerned as a mother.
Idirian cut a look at Noa as she tried to calm him, his free hand still smoothing down the hair covering his eye. He knew she was curious about it, and he appreciated that she hadn’t asked. He would tell her at some point, he was sure, but he hadn’t planned on doing so yet. And he definitely hadn’t planned on telling his aunt. “It’s fine,” he murmured. It wasn’t, but he knew it wasn’t Selena’s fault and she hadn’t meant anything by it. If anyone else had done that, it likely would have ended with Idri’s fist in their face.
Selena apologized in both English and Spanish. She certainly hadn’t meant to bring up bad memories, and hoped Idirian could forgive her. And yet the curiosity still plagued her. How had he gotten that scar? But she wouldn’t push for answers. She relaxed a fraction when Idirian said it was fine. She could tell it wasn’t, but she would let his pretty girlfriend help him relax further.
“Could we set another meeting soon? Perhaps with your sister as well? If you’d like to meet your uncle and cousins, you could have dinner at my house. All of you would be welcome,” she said with a small smile. “I’m not sure how far along you are, but I would love to see all of you soon.”
His shoulders were still tense, but he nodded. “I think we could do that,” he said. But they would need to coordinate schedules. “I’ll call you in a day or so, when we’ve had a chance to see when we’re all available.” He watched as Selena nodded and held her arms out for a hug. He squeezed Noa’s hand before letting go and taking a step toward Selena to accept her hug.
It felt…good. It reminded him of the hugs he would get from his mom when he was little. Her hugs always made him feel better, regardless of what had happened to make him upset. He let go, only feeling a little awkward when she kissed his cheek before letting him go fully.
“I will see you again soon, then,” she said and smiled before moving to hug Noa as well.
Well she was going to have her work cut out for her…
Maybe she should joke about that happy ending massage?
Noa smiled and hugged Selena immediately. “See you soon~ It was awesome meeting you Selena!” At least this day went pretty well. Noa watched as Selena walked back to her car, looking up at Idirian, “You did good, big guy~” She brought his hand up to place a kiss on top. “Let’s go home? I think I have a free massage waiting for you~”
Dragon Berri
