S: Well...that's over

Well…that’s over.

I have been anxious about it happening for weeks, and it has happened. I am on the other side of it now. There’s no going back.

I met Guy’s parents.

Had you scared, didn’t I?

Even if you weren’t frightened, I was. (The sadist in me thought it would be fun if we were all scared for a moment.) I wanted so badly to make a good impression. Rumor has it that his mom thinks he hung the moon, meaning it is quite likely that no woman is good enough for her son. And she was quite upset (maybe still is) over his divorce and having trusted his ex-wife, so she isn’t likely to get too close to anyone new without a lot of coaxing. And I can’t work against those odds. I’ve been worried about this for weeks.

Of course, I know that he wouldn’t let his parents’ feelings about me change his feelings about me, but even so, life is more complicated in the long term if you are not accepted by the family of your significant other. And I really hate it if someone doesn’t like me. It’s one of my many character flaws.

The good news is, I feel like it went well. I actually met his entire immediate family, including sisters and brothers-in-law and nieces. Lots of chaos. Lots of laughing and not a lot of focus on me. It was actually a good way to be introduced into the family, because it was a holiday gathering and the spotlight was on the kids. I was just there as a minor subplot and was not subjected to any kind of third degree.

Not that they would have applied that severe degree. They were all very kind and welcoming and polite. I got only good vibes. No weirdness or uneasiness or cold protectiveness because Guy is in a new relationship. Just family. And really yummy food.

I have to go off the tracks here...his mom makes the best dessert in the entire world. I can see into the future and eventually it appears that I do not to even fit into the crystal ball. But I have a huge chocolaty smile on my face.

Anyway, conversation was easy with so many people around and I never felt like I was on the spot. It helped that I had been doing some particularly philanthropic things that day, so I had the opportunity to make myself seem all awesome and generous and stuff.

Phew.

I don’t think I said anything in the foot-in-mouth milieu and, in an unusual turn of events, I didn’t spill anything. I did show up late, because I’m a bonehead, but everyone was cool about it and even apologized for having already begun eating (I think they all wanted to get to the dessert...and I couldn't blame them...have I mentioned the dessert?).

Later, after the excitement died down Guy and I had a chance to sit and chat with his parents and that was great. I found that his mom and I actually have quite a few things in common. Not big stuff, but the kind of little stuff that Guy seems to give her a hard time for but I could totally sympathize with. It felt like we bonded.

This isn’t the end of the testing. Not by a long shot. I’m sure the scrutiny will get more rigorous as it becomes clear that I am going to be in the picture for a while and not just a passer-by. There will be more trials.

For example, both Guy and I are concerned about what will happen when the cat is let out of the bag in regard to my religious views. He says it’s not a deal breaker for him, and his are not a deal breaker for me, but he knows his mom will not be comfortable with the situation and he doesn’t want her to have any reasons not to like me. Nor do I.

Buuuut, that’s a bridge I’d rather not contemplate at this time.

For now, I feel like I successfully passed the first test and anxiously await the report from Guy once he’s heard from his parents (or his sisters, who will likely do recon) about what they thought.

Big sigh.