I was a lot more nervous than I let on. Meeting new people was always a little nerve-racking, but meeting Alex’s family was in a whole different universe. If they didn’t like me or I didn’t like them, it would be disastrous for our relationship. I’d like to say that our families didn’t have any say in our lives, but I was a realist. Our families were really important to us. Their opinions mattered.

Checking in at the airport was relatively simple, and we made it to our gate with time to spare. Alex was the best person to people watch with. He pointed out things I’d never have noticed, like the woman who was looking at a crying toddler in horror but was holding a parenting magazine.

“I’d bet money that she was pregnant,” he told me jokingly as we filed onto the plane and found our seats.

“No way. She probably has kids at home who are perfect angels,” I replied, sitting down while Alex put our bags in the overhead bins.

“She had that deer-in-the-headlights look,” he murmured, sitting down next to me. “Like Oh shit, what have I gotten myself into?”

I stared at him incredulously.

“Plus, her coat opened a little and I saw the belly,” he said, laughing.

I scoffed and swatted his arm. As we settled into our seats, Alex said, “I hate flying.”

“Really?” I reached out and laced my fingers through his.

“Just the landing and takeoff,” he muttered. “Those are the most dangerous times.”

“Shh,” I whispered as a woman sat down on Alex’s other side. “Don’t start freaking people out.”

“It’s a widely known fact,” he said, leaning his head back against the headrest.

“That doesn’t mean people want to hear about it,” I said, smiling at our row mate.

Watching Alex try to stay calm while the airplane taxied made me like him more. I felt a kind of tenderness toward him in those few moments. I gripped his hand tightly, rubbing my thumb soothingly over the skin. He was unnaturally quiet until we were safely in the air, then as if a switch had flipped, he opened his eyes and grinned at me.

“I can’t wait to be home,” he said with a happy sigh.

“Are we renting a car when we get there?” I asked, smiling when his eyes lit up and he shook his head.

“Nope. My brother’s going to pick us up.”

“Abraham?” I asked. I was nervous to meet his twin, but I was pretty curious about him, too. I couldn’t imagine two Alexes running around in the world.

“Yeah, Bram. He hates driving in Portland, so I made sure to ask him specifically,” Alex joked.

“You two are identical, right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Though it’s pretty easy to tell us apart, I think. I’m the one smiling, and Abraham’s the one scowling.”