~

At least his mother stopped insisting on the babies topic and soon, they were chatting about something else entirely. It was really nice to see the interactions between mother and son and Beth wished she had been able to experience that sooner, but at least, she was glad that it had happened now. And she was even more excited now to introduce Noah to her family at Andrew’s wedding… assuming her brother would invite them, but… hopefully he would? Otherwise, she would have to either travel to them or ask them to come and visit, which, she didn’t see happening soon. Slowly enough dinner reached its end, and after they had taken care of the bill, they went outside to say their goodbyes, Beth being the one to take the lead and hug Noah’s mom first. “It was really nice meeting you. I’m looking forward to seeing you again. And I promise to try and make him show up more often.” She smiled as she pulled away and let Noah say goodbye while she called an Uber for them. Once his mother was safely in their car, Beth motioned her head towards their Uber. “Did you enjoy tonight?”

Noah was really glad the night was over, not like he had a bad time or anything, but he just felt relieved that his mother liked Beth and that included them in their family plans. It felt nice, to have her approval, even when he was a grown up man who didn’t need it, it was nice to know they got along. “I did, it was better than I expected, you know, thought there would be more teasing and making fun of me but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be” Maybe it would have been worse if Tom was there, but thankfully, his younger brother had other plans and Noah had insisted this to be a small gathering between the three. “What did you think of her? Did you feel comfortable?”

“Why don’t we take the twins to your mom one of these days?” Beth suggested even though she shouldn’t be making those suggestions without talking to Amelia first, but she knew how close Noah and Jaehyun was, so it was more of an innocent suggestion made out of the blue rather than anything else. “I mean… we could ask Jaehyun and Amelia, of course. I don’t think they would mind the break.” If they did, then Beth would refrain from making those suggestions again. But she was really happy with Noah’s mom’s acceptance of her and the future plans they were making with the family. She was actually glad that Noah wanted to skip church because she would go if he wanted to, but she wasn’t a religious person, so she would rather not get involved in religious activities? “Yes, we’ll be more than happy to join.” As far as she knew, Beth didn’t have plans for next Sunday, but she didn’t know about Noah. And—was it weird that she was extremely happy for being accepted into the family? It made her want to go home and kiss the hell out of Noah, but for now, she would settle with just dinner.

“I’m sure Jae and Amelia would love a day off” Noah agreed to Beth’s suggestion “Those two babies are adorable I’d love to have them visit us soon” His mom seemed to be on board too so that was a good thing, and maybe by then she would focus so much on his friend’s baby that she wouldn’t insist on him having children soon, or maybe not, it could go both ways. “Great, then we’ll go” He would still need to check if neither of them had plans but it would be a good opportunity for Beth to meet the family and Noah really wanted that to happen. “Great, I’ll make sure to cook my best recipes for you” Noah smiled as the dinner continued, his mom seemed to love Beth and he was very relieved, not like it would have changed anything because he loved Beth, but having his mom’s approval was a very good feeling.

Beth couldn’t help but chuckle as she took the phone from the other woman’s hands. “I think it’s too soon for any of us to be thinking about babies.” She knew that Noah would agree with that. Besides, she also knew how traditional he was, so he would probably want to get married first. Not that Beth was opposed to it, but thinking about it would make her anxious, so she would rather focus on her own life plans and just be happy to be included in his. “I’m sure that when the time comes, your boys will give you some grandchildren to spoil.” Whether they were Beth and Dal’s or not. “I know that Dal’s schedules were very rough these last few months, but I’m sure he is dying to introduce her to you.” She smiled happily when the woman mentioned being happy for tonight. “I’m really happy too. I’ve always been nervous around parents, but… Noah talks so many good things about you and your husband, I was dying to meet you. And I know how important you are to him, so just wanted tonight to be perfect.” Beth looked from the woman to her son and then settled in eating her dinner. “If there is a next family dinner, I’ll check with Dal to see if she’s free. Dessert will be on her. She’s the best.”

“Precisely, when the time comes, let life surprise you mom, focus on your current grandchildren” Noah suggested, gaining a small slap on the arm from her mother who was actually laughing. “You know I love those kids, but I want babies in the family again, but you two are right, the time will come, I’m just happy to have hope again” And Noah rolled his eyes because that was directed at him and everyone knew it. “Yeah, her boss became a dad, that’s the baby we were talking about, so she’s been having a lot of work lately, maybe she’ll take a vacation soon” He commented because he was sure his mom would demand to meet her in person soon. “Oh no reason to be nervous about, the only reason my husband didn’t come it’s because it’s baseball night and I can never take him out of the house on baseball night. But family lunch, you should come by next Sunday, we can go to church together and then have a meal, you’ll get to meet everyone!” She said excited and Noah sighed. “We’ll check if we can go, I’d rather skip church if you don’t mind, and if Dal and Thomas can make it I’m sure they will be happy to join”

“I’ll make sure to bring a copy of the poetry book the next time I see you.” Which, shouldn’t take long if they really exchanged numbers. Beth was usually free on the weekends or whenever she wasn’t swamped with school work, so it’s not like she would oppose to see Noah’s mother soon. When Noah mentioned babies, it took her a split second to understand why he was saying that… one look at his mother’s expressions and Beth understood where this was coming from. “I agree, I think Thomas is still your best option at the moment. We’re not ready for kids yet, and I want to make sure I have a stable career before thinking about kids.” But it was nice to hear how naturally those words had come out of Noah’s lips. Like those were actual plans that they were making, which made Beth smile and finally lean in to kiss Noah’s cheek. SHe could only hold back for so long with the whole PDA. “Have you met Thomas’s girlfriend?” Beth asked instead, deflecting the subject from them for a minute. “Isn’t she the most precious cupcake ever? She’s my roommate, so I can assure you that these two would make the cutest babies.”

His mom was thrilled when Beth agreed to lend her a copy of her book and she showed excitement by giving her back her phone and asking for her number. “You know Thomas says the same when I call him? That I should bother Noah to have kids first? And I still haven’t met his Dal!! Do you really think they could be thinking of babies?” His mother asked and Noah sighed, chuckling. “Mom, I think you need to stop expecting grandchildren, they’ll come when they come, stop pressuring me or Thomas, plus, you already have my sister’s babies anyways” He reminded her “But none of my boys!” She replied back, making Noah smile. “I’ve seen her through the phone when we Facetime but we haven’t had time to properly meet. She’s very sweet indeed, Thomas said she bakes too which of course lead us to bond and share some recipes. I hope the boy introduces me to her, formally, soon you know? Just like Noah decided to do, I’m really happy for tonight and for you two”

Beth lowered her head, smiling shyly when Noah started complimenting her. She had never been good at accepting compliments, even when they came from someone she loves so much. “I–am still waiting on responses from publishing agencies, but hopefully, soon? I do have a few poems that were published, so I can give you that book instead?” Funny to think how poems were what got her here? Writing them, inviting Noah to an open mic event, kissing him and making a fool out of herself, then traveling all the way to Scotland to find herself. And her story. Not that everything had been his doing, but she didn’t know if she would have gone there if she didn’t have anything to run away from. “But I’m very proud of it and the characters I created. I’m almost done writing book two, so I’m excited.” And it was noticeable, so she toned it down a little. “Good. Meeting behind his back it is. That way he remains in the dark and I’m let into all of the little secrets.” Beth giggled as she took the phone from the other woman’s hands and almost pouted at how cute little Noah was. “I’m sorry, but your cheeks were adorable. What are you talking about?” She looked at Noah and it was too damn hard not to kiss him right then and there. “I can’t… it’s too much cuteness for me. I was not ready.” She teased, giving the phone back to its owner. Luckily, it was around the same time that their food and wine arrived at the table. “Babies and toddlers cheeks are my weakness. My friend has recently adopted a little girl and I’m pretty sure I’ve kissed her cheeks more than I was supposed to. She’s loves her grumpy uncle Noah, so we’re always around.”

“She’s going to be in the best seller list soon, I’m telling you” Noah said confidently because he honestly believed in Beth’s work and effort. “I’d love to read your poems, I think it’s such a personal and emotion way to express yourself. I’ve never been good at writing but I love reading as much as I can” His mother shared and it was also true, she would be a good judge with a caring heart and she was going to love everything Beth did, probably understand her poetry better than Noah could. When Beth mentioned his cheeks and the fact that they had been babysitting he had to thank that food was a good distractor, but of course, he saw his mother’s eyes light up and he was quick to stop her. “Not like we are thinking of babies any time soon, mom, if you want to be a grandma I would insist on Thomas, ours will take some time” He said with a naturality that he wasn’t sure he had. But now he could definitely see babies in their future, eventually, not now, and it didn’t scare him.

“It really is… but I think he’s getting better at accepting that he’s a good one.” Beth had let her fingers brush against his skin, drawing circles on his hand to show him affection. She raised their hands to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss upon his knuckles because even if it was still hard for him, Noah was getting better… she could see it. And she could understand how trauma would ruin one’s self-esteem. They had experienced different things in life, but they both still struggled to see their worth, so maybe that was how Beth could understand how he felt and why it was so hard for him, because it was hard for her too. “I could compliment him all day, but he would just clam up and I’m hoping he has some fun tonight.” Plus, she also wanted the night to be about Noah and his mother? She knew how much he cared about her and well… hopefully now that he didn’t have excuses to run from her, he would be able to visit more often. “He really does have a lot of work, but I’ll try my best to make him show up more often.” Families were important. Very important. “Alright, in that case… I take it back. I do not love his dogs more than I love him. Hmm… maybe Lola? No, no… I definitely love him more.” She teased again, trying to keep the conversation light. “Oh, don’t worry! We can exchange phone numbers and meet up behind his back because I’m dying for those little secrets.” At the mention of those pictures, Beth’s heart fluttered as she turned to him. “She has pictures… can I?” Not that she was actually asking for permission, but she didn’t want Noah to feel embarrassed or she didn’t want to overstep any boundaries between them.

Noah smiled at Beth’s display of affection, getting lost for a second in her eyes because damn, he was a lucky man after all. “So we agree I’m getting better, good, we can move on” He joked, trying to stop the conversation about him, even when it was expected since tonight was about them meeting and what they had in common was him. “I would rather compliment her instead, she wrote this amazing book mom, I think you’d really enjoy it. She’s not only beautiful but smart as hell as well” He said, since he really wanted his mom to know how talented Beth was. “I love books! When am I getting a signed copy? I’d love to read if if you’re okay with that” His mom told Beth, and Noah knew she was being honest about wanting to read it. “Lola is very lovable” He agreed, because who didn’t love Lola? “I’d love meeting behind his back, I can already tell he’s a little nervous so maybe without him we can feel mor comfortable speaking about him” She commented, smiling like they shared a secret. “Of course you can” He said as his mom already had her phone out ready to show her. “But I don’t want any comments about my cheeks”

“Please… you do not want to hear about my struggles with this one.” Beth said in a teasingly tone as she pointed to Noah. Now that she had met his mother and seen that the woman did not seem like one of those crazy mothers from the movies or the Korean dramas she would watch with Dal, it was easier to feel comfortable enough to relax and crack some jokes here and there. Suffice to say, she was very happy with the way the night was going so far. Noah’s mother was–a sweetheart and she could definitely see how much that woman cared for Noah. She appreciated her boyfriend ordering wine for them because it would definitely help with any residual nerves that she might still have and then, Beth ordered her dinner before going back to the conversation with his mom. “I’m glad he was still a little hermit, then. I can’t even begin to think about the competition… I mean, have you seen him?” She then mouthed the words so handsome and smart, before giggling as she squeezed Noah’s hand. “But on the other hand, I sort of feel like parading around with him because—I caught the hardest fish…” Hopefully, Noah mother would hear in her tone that she was joking (hopefully Noah would too), because parading around with him was definitely not in her to-do list. “Oh, I do know he loves his dogs more than he loves me. It’s okay though… I love his dogs more than I love him anyways.” Again, she teased, scrunching her nose at him and making a cute face. And he was right, he wasn’t the easiest man to be around… they were both very different from one another, but they had found ways to make those differences work for them. “It’s okay… she’s just happy you’re happy.” Beth smiled at her boyfriend, before returning her attention to his mother. “And… you know… whenever you feel like it, I’m ready for embarrassing stories of this one. Thomas is a great entertainer, but sometimes I feel like he makes things up to poke fun at Noah? I would trust your words more.”

“I’m quite sure we don’t want to spend the whole night talking about my issues” Noah chuckled although he knew he was one of his mother’s favorite topics to talk about. “Nonsense, you’re perfect just as you are and I’m so glad you found someone who sees that in you. Isn’t really difficult for him to admit his good qualities? I swear the man doesn’t know how to use a mirror or how to compliment himself, good thing he has both of us now to speak wonders about him” Alright, it seemed like his mom was totally on Beth’s side and he couldn’t be happier about it. “You should parade around him! God, someone’s finally looking at you how I’ve looked at you all my life. Dear Beth, please don’t ever let him not take you to our family dinners, he’s so good with excuses” She claimed, ordering her dish and making Noah blush. “They’re not excuses, I do have a lot of work” He defended himself but he was sure no one really bought it. “And I love you both more than my dogs why are you even comparing yourself to my dogs?” He asked, laughing slightly. “I have tons of stories but I’m afraid he won’t ever invite me for dinner again if I start spilling all the little secrets, I do have pictures of his young years on my phone though” No baby pics because he was adopted when he was a little older. 

Although Noah had warned her, Beth was slightly taken aback by the woman’s embrace, but she quickly wrapped her arms around Noah’s mom and hugged her back. It kind of made her miss her own mother, but this was good too. “Well… I did say he should make up a girlfriend, but that was before he accepted my bugging and we started going out.” She chuckled as she pulled away, her hands finding his mom’s and squeezing them gently. Beth couldn’t help but smile at how her boyfriend treated his mother. Her mom had always told her: you want to see if a man is worth your time? Pay attention to how he treats his mother and sisters. “As long as they are happy tears, we’ll make sure to keep your secret.” Her hand fell on Noah’s leg again, like it was before his mother arrived and she squeezed it gently, before sliding her hand under his and lacing their fingers together. “I guess it’s a good thing we took an Uber, right?” She smiled while looking at him and at that moment, Beth wished more than nothing to be back at his home, just so he would be comfortable with her kissing his cheek. “Well… we met a while ago?” Beth glanced from his mom back to Noah and then bit her lip. “I was his dogsitter for a while… which made me develop a huge crush on the loner next door.” She then shook her head. “It um… took a while to get us here. Some awkward turns here and there… your son’s a hard fish to catch.” Beth leaned forward, as if to tell the other woman a secret. “But it was worth it.” She looked at Noah as she leaned back. “…Right?”

“My son, as handsome and intelligent as he is, can be a real pain in the ass when he wants, so I can totally imagine your struggle” His mother laughed and Noah started wondering if tonight would be about talking shit about him in front of his face, maybe he deserved it. “Yeap, no driving tonight for us” He said as he ordered some wine to the waiter and waited for everyone to pick what they wanted to eat tonight. “The hardest fish, I set him up with all my friends’ daughters and it never worked out, you don’t know how many excuses I had to invent just so he would leave his house! But getting closer to his dogs was a great idea darling, sometimes I believe he loves them more than he loves his mom” And to embarrass him even more, his mom squeezed his cheeks right there. “Mom, I don’t love my dogs more than I love you” He complained, but he was smiling since he knew his mom liked to be dramatic at times. “Totally worth it” He smiled at Beth. “I’m not the easiest man to be around but Beth makes life easier, love easier” He assured his mom and he could swear she was gonna start crying. “Oh my God mom, come on, don’t cry!”

Beth chuckled softly. Her fingers gently brushed his hair behind his ear and she thought about kissing his cheek, but she didn’t need to make Noah more nervous or uncomfortable than he already was. “Just know that no matter what your mom says, we’re us… We’re not getting married or having babies anytime soon.” They had talked about it. Beth, as much as she wanted to be with Noah, also didn’t want to get married soon, much less to become a mother. They both knew what they wanted and they were both okay with that. Beth stood up from her chair when Noah mentioned his mother being there and smiled as she greeted the other woman. “Mrs. Parker… it’s really nice to finally meet you.“ She offered her hand, trying to hide how nervous she was, but at the same time, she was ready to hear some cute stories about Noah. “I hope the drive from LA wasn’t so bad.”

“Dear God I never thought I’d see this day, for months I’ve been suspecting he was even making you up so I would stop bugging him!” Of course his mother immediately hugged Beth, he had told her she was a hugger so he hoped she wouldn’t be so surprised, and yes, it wasn’t surprising that his own mother doubted his word, after all, it had been more than a decade since he last introduced anyone to her. “Mom, how could you not believe me?” He pretended to be hurt as he moved her chair so she could sit, the waiter immediately handling her the menu “I had to check with Tom, he would never lie to me, he promised you were real and adorable and now I can see it with my own eyes, I might cry tonight, just don’t tell your dad” She laughed, and Noah tried not to take her comments personal, ha, like Thomas wouldn’t keep anything from her. “Well, she’s very real and she’s my girlfriend so you can start talking to each other and embarrass me, I might need some alcohol to survive the night though” He said and his mom only smiled “the trip was definitely worth it my dear, tell me everything, how did you two meet?”

Was she nervous? Beth thought about it the whole way to the restaurant as she looked outside that Uber window. This was it… it was everything she’d been wanting to happen and now it was happening. They were on their way to a restaurant because Noah had finally decided to let her in completely and introduce her to the person he loved the most: his mom. And of course she was thrilled, of course she was happy, but—what if his mother didn’t like her? Beth was so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized they were out of the car and into the restaurant. Of course, she knew what she was doing, but her mind had a hard time processing it. Kind of as if she were drunk. “I think this place is nice.” She added, after his voice broke through her thought process and she was able to shift her attention back to the present. “Public places gives us a chance not to get caught up in our own thoughts.” Or at least it helped her. Beth reached under the table and gently squeezed his good knee as a sign of support. “I am.” She then nodded, offering him a sweet smile. “I’ve been dying for you to finally introduce me to your family, it’s just… parents make me nervous. It’s not like I’ve had that much experience with them. Are you okay?”

Noah chuckled, he usually hated public spaced but he thought this would be the best for the night, especially because it meant his mom could take the lead with the conversation or Beth, so he wouldn’t have to be filling awkward silences and he was sure the two of them would get along so well they would end up forgetting all about him in a matter of seconds. “Parents make me nervous too, you know, as much as I love my mom she makes me nervous too with all her girlfriend and wife talk so I’m actually excited because tonight she finally gets what she wants?” He joked, attempting to make her less nervous and confident. After all, Beth was everything his mom wanted but more important, she was everything he wanted. “I’m okay, look, she’s here” He greeted at his mom, pointing at their table, standing up for the proper hug that he knew his mom would give to him “Hey mom, good to see you. She’s Beth, my girlfriend”

Even though Beth had gotten significantly better at seeking for other’s approval of her actions, hearing that Noah was proud of her made her heart flutter. It was adorable how, unlike most men, Noah tended to get sort of shy whenever she said something sexy or complimented his sex skills, especially in public. “Okay, fine. I’ll leave the compliments for when we’re alone.” She teased, giggling while shaking her head as they entered the club. Before looking for Sean or even Hyunjin, she suggested hitting the bar so they could get something to drink. “What I mean, my dearest boyfriend, is that we would rather gush about our boyfriends. While you and Jackson make fun of each other, Shawn and I are going to compliment each other and gush about how cute you and Jackson look.” Beth winked at him as she reached up and poked the tip of his nose. “Oh, don’t worry. What you don’t know, can’t hurt you.” The brunette teased as she gently patted on his back.

“Please and thank you” Noah knew some other guys would love to brag and hear these comments but in all honesty, he just got awkward and self conscious so he appreciated Beth’s effort not to tease him in public. At home things were different, he did have a sense of humor after all, but he still had a lot to work on. “That doesn’t sound like a fun conversation” He chuckled, ordering a beer and a drink for Beth, whatever she wanted to drink tonight. “I just need to see Jackson and take a picture, frame it and send it to my soldiers, maybe add it to my family Christmas card or something. Maybe print it and leave it in his car without him noticing” Because yes, he acted like a kid at times, specially with Jack. “Just don’t share too much”

“Right? Look at me! All grown up, making friends and all.” Beth joined in in the joke because if she couldn’t laugh at herself, who would, right? At the mention of them not getting together in the near future, Beth almost rolled her eyes. Not because she didn’t agree or anything, but because she thought they had clarified everything that needed clarification, so Noah’s words sort of made her feel like he was setting up an unnecessary barrier between them for nothing. “Yep. I got it, Noah, don’t worry… I’m not in a rush.” Still, she planted a kiss on his cheek and offered him a smile. Eventually to her meant some time in the future… and the future was too much of an ‘open to interpretation’ kind of word, but it definitely didn’t mean right away. Noah knew where her heart was and that’s what mattered to her. At least he seemed to be in a good mood despite not being too big on parties… cracking jokes here and there. “He is really handsome. And the sex? Oof!” Beth fanned herself teasingly, before getting into the club. “Alright, alright, fine… just know that Shawn and I are going to brag about our man, so you two can tease each other all you want… he and I have better content to share.”

“I’m proud of you” And he really was, because he knew how difficult it was to open up and make new friends so he was very happy that Beth was doing it. “I didn’t mean it like that” He apologized, holding her hand tightly because he didn’t want to sound like he was against it or thought she was on a rush or anything. To him, there was no one else but Beth in his life plans and he just didn’t find the right words to express that. “Shhhh, don’t talk like that in public!” He was embarrassed if anyone heard her talk about their sex life because Noah had always been more reserved, so of course he would not like anyone to know what she meant.  “What do you mean better content? There are things Shawn shouldn’t know about me and things you shouldn’t know about Jackson, and things I don’t want to know about Jackson either” He shivered, pretending to freak out a little.

“No… just men-children in general. Also this one guy in my Shakespeare class.” Beth couldn’t help but to roll her eyes. She knew that going back to college would be a challenge… both social and educational, but goddamn some people in some of her classes were uptight freshly out of high school stupid teenagers that made her want to scream. “At least Kevin is also there and he’s nice. I told you about him, right? The friend I made?” He was one of the few people she liked that shared most classes with her, so they partnered often. Again, the talk of them having a future together made her heart flutter, even if those weren’t immediate plans… but it always made her think that a year ago she was sad about developing feelings for someone who didn’t care about her, and now she was in a healthy relationship with that person… “Eventually sounds nice. I’ll keep eventually in mind.” She told him with a smile as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. At least they were talking about it and they weren’t being weird at all. They were talking like adults and that was the most important part for her. “Why should I introduce you to him? So you can steal him from me? Nah. He’s all mine… you find your own boyfriend!” She giggled, teasing him as they made their way to the entrance to show their IDs. “Aww poor Jack! Please don’t make fun of him. He’s too precious to be made fun of!”

“Oh, I was wondering if you were throwing daggers at someone” He chuckled, glad to know there wasn’t anyone in her mind but even if she did think of a classmate, at least it wasn’t someone very important in her life, right? “No, not really, but look at you, befriending people and all” He was proud of her, especially because to Noah, making new friends was a real challenge. “Good, but eventually in the long term” He clarified because he was not ready to live with her yet and he thought they needed more time before taking the next step.  “I like girls though, so I don’t even care how handsome and perfect he is, not interested at all” Oh this whole talk was silly but he did like being silly with Beth, it was refreshing. “But I must make fun of him, it’s in the friendship code, and he’s gonna make fun of me too, so I just need to make sure to find him unprepared, take some pictures and I’ll have enough material for months”

“Good. The last thing we need is another grown up man acting like a teenager… which I know is not Thomas’ case. I was just saying.” Especially when Dal was involved with him. Beth was only looking out for her best friend, right? Right. Noah’s answer to her question about kids though, stole a chuckle from the brunette’s lips, who looked up at him for a moment, trying not to be so obnoxious with her staring and then shrugged innocently. “Well, good thing you’re not thinking about kids of your own… because I wasn’t either.” She clarified, still chuckling. Sure Beth had told him about her plans on becoming Hyunjin’s and Alex’s surrogate, but after updating Noah on the fact that the couple had decided to adopt, the whole baby talk hadn’t surfaced until now. “Kids are not in my plans for at least the next four years, so you can breathe easily.” And even though she didn’t know whether they’d still be together in the next five years or not, maybe this was something that Noah needed to listen. Beth did smile when he mentioned her dating life. “Right? And my boyfriend is… wow… amazing. I still don’t know how did I get so lucky. I mean… he’s smart, supportive and hot and he has three puppies that I love so much, so I’d say I hit the jackpot.” She added, before waiting for Noah to step out of the car and then taking his hand to go inside with him. “You know the drill. Anytime you wanna go home, let me know, okay?” They didn’t go out much, but whenever they did, Beth would always remind him of that, in case he needed to hear.

“Who are you talking about? Someone specific?” He asked with a chuckle because her words seemed to be directed at someone but he didn’t feel identified at all, so he wondered if she had someone in mind or not. “Oh, I didn’t think it that way, but you know, it’s good to know that, well, eventually, maybe... lots of things should happen first, you know, like, living together before even thinking of having kids together” Because living with a person was a big step and they might work as a couple but maybe living together wouldn’t be easy. “I’m not saying we should move in together, but like, you know... eventually” He could see that happening, but not yet, he was still dealing with a lot of insecurities and the privacy of his home was like a shelter whenever he felt in the middle of a crisis. “You should introduce him to me then” He chuckled slightly, still not sure how to receive compliments like that. He followed her, nodding at her words. “I’ve been preparing psychologically for this party for a long time, plus, Jackson is supposed to be there dressed as some silly character, he’s wearing a onesie, I can’t miss that”

Noah had always given her the idea that he had a very interesting family, but she only knew Thomas, and the more he spoke about his mother or his sisters, the more she enjoyed hearing about them and hoped she would meet them someday soon. “It’s kind of hard not to baby Tom. Have you seen his baby face?” Not that Beth babied him, but he had such a baby face that it made her wonder how many people have done that. It was probably annoying to Thomas, she guessed. “Of course you love him… he’s your brother. And he’s very lovable. I want to put him and Dal in a little jar and carry them everywhere. My little rays of sunshine.” This talk about family made Beth miss hers. She’d talked to Andrew earlier in the week, but Henry was–more difficult to reach, and she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

“But–do you like babies? Or–kids in general?” Because… like she’d said, she wanted to be a mother… just not right now. And being close to her 30s meant that her time was sort of running out. Maybe she could make a plan to try and have her shit together by 35 so she could become a mother by then. And she wanted to be with Noah for the long run, so if he didn’t like children, that could be a problem as well. Not one she should be thinking about when going to a party, but still… “Right? I’m mostly amused by Jin… because we were both struggling with our feelings in the summer and now look at him! Living with his boyfriend, becoming a dad… that’s huge.” They had decided to settle for adoption, which was kind bittersweet to Beth since she was sort of looking forward for the surrogate experience, but as long as she could be auntie Beth, she’d be fine. “Should we pay Amelia and Jaehyun a visit before the babies arrive? I don’t know… get them something? Ah… We’re here!”

“Well, I do try not to baby him all the time, at least not to his face, I think it’s important for him to feel like a grown up” Because his brother had gone through a lot and yes, Noah loved him to death, but he never wanted him to feel like Noah didn’t validate him, like he didn’t believe he could take things on his own hands. “I do like babies, I mean, you got to understand me, for ten years I never thought I’d kiss a girl again so thinking of my own babies it’s still a little far, but I do like babies” He  was just bad with them because he didn’t have much experience being surrounded by babies, but that would change soon thanks to Jae’s kids. “And look at yourself, dating and all” Noah knew that the fact that it took them so long was his fault, but he was trying to take it lightly and stop blaming himself for everything that happened. “We should, but I’ll text him first, I don’t know how the last days of pregnancy are, maybe they’re sick of visitors and just want time for themselves” He smiled, opening the door and taking a deep breath. He wasn’t big on parties but he was decided to give it a try.