I put 4 plates on the dining table and matched them with spoons and forks.
                          
"Add 3 more plates, honey." my mom said.
                          
"Why?"
                          
"I invited the Chambers' for dinner." 
                          
"You what?!?!?!"
                          
"Oh, shit." I heard Blake mutter.
                          
"Blake Bradley, language!" my mother nagged.
                          
My head spun. I haven't seen Aiden Chambers since the day I stole his car. Which, by the way, he took back when he came to the house attempting to talk to me but I kept myself locked away in my room.
                          
I had finally forgotten him when my father arrived. I was too busy and too excited about the fact that he was home that Aiden left my mind. But of course, who was I kidding? Aiden Chambers would never fully disappear from my head. No matter how angry I would get, I know that my heart will always belong to the brown haired, gray-blue eyed little boy who took my first kiss. 
                          
"I'm sorry, honey. I completely forgot about your little brawl and thought it'd be nice if your father saw his old friends." my mom said.
                          
"It's not a 'little brawl', mother." I stated but then I sighed. "But for dad, I'll act civil."
                          
"Has something happened?" my father asked.
                          
Before I could make up an excuse for this awkwardness, Blake spoke: "Well you see, father dear---" the doorbell cut off his sentence and I sighed in relief from the saved embarrassment. "I'll get it!" he said.
                          
We followed Blake towards the foyer and watched as he opened the front door.
                          
"Robert!" Ellen Chambers exclaimed. I saw her run towards my father, slowing down as she got closer and hugged him. She was clearly in tears and I could also see Aaron Chambers' eyes watering as he followed his wife, joining into the hug. 
                          
"Ellen, Aaron, old friends. It's so nice to see you two." my dad said.
                          
As their reunion carried on, I noticed a movement in the corner of my eye. Blake was still holding the front door open as he welcomed non other than Aiden Chambers into our home. Our eyes instantly met and I felt the familiar flutter of butterfly wings in my stomach. But then I also felt the clenching pain in my chest from the memory of the betrayal he had brought to me.
                          
Aiden kept his hands together behind his back as he approached my father and his parents. When my dad noticed him, he stepped away from Ellen and Aaron. He put his hands on his shoulders and held Aiden in arms length.
                          
"Little Aiden Chambers, is that you? Damn, you have grown up just as much as my little Blake did." he laughed while Blake whined at the way our dad called him 'little'. 
                          
"Hello, sir. It's really nice to see you." Aiden said, giving in and hugged the man.
                          
"Sir? I think we've past that, Aiden. Call me Robert." my father patted his back in a manly hug.
                          
"Robert it is then." 
                          
When they parted, Aiden's eyes once again met mine. He gave me a weak smile and a quick nod of his head. I nodded my head in return then turned and headed toward the dining room.
                          
My dad sat on one end of the rectangle dining table while my mom sat on the other. I awkwardly sat between Aiden and Blake on one side while Aiden's parents sat across from us.
                          
The adults were chatting it up, catching up on the missing years. Blake would put in his two cents in the conversation sometimes but Aiden and I just kept quiet. His closeness was making me nervous. His scent surrounded me and I was aware of his knee brushing against mine.
                          
"So, Aiden. Have you made a move on my daughter yet?" my father suddenly asked.
                          
I wasn't chewing on anything but I started choking and coughing like there was something lodged in my throat. After a few hard pats on the back from my brother, I got air back in my lungs and I looked at my dad with wide eyes.
                          
"Dad." I warned.
                          
His eyes innocently widened and I could see him trying to hide a smile. "What, B? We're not oblivious. Everyone here knew about you two's interest for each other ever since that day Aiden broke his leg and you kissed him." Everyone laughed as my face heated up. "We had to ground Blake for a week for punching him."
                          
"Yeah, that's a nice trip back to memory lane." Aiden laughed.
                          
"So, what is it? Have you two got together? Are you two together?" dad carried on.
                          
"Robert." my mom said sternly, darting her eyes from her husband to me but I could also see a smile twitching at her lips. Even Aiden's parents were also trying to stifle a smile.
                          
Blake broke the awkward silence with an even awkward moment by laughing loudly. "They're together, Dad."
                          
"Oh! That's great!" my Dad said, everyone finally giving in and breaking into big grins. "I remember... Oh, how old were you, Aiden? 8 or 9 years old. Blake and his mother were at his Karate tournament and I was at Blair's ballet recital. Blair was crying because she trip in her Nutcracker solo and Aiden had carried her into my car. When we got home, he carried the sleeping Blair to her room. I was in shock at how this little kid can be strong enough to carry a little girl up the stairs. But when he got done, he walked into my office and said he needed to talk to me."
                          
"Robert..." Aiden started to say.
                          
"No, I want to hear this." I said, surprising myself.
                          
I remembered that day. This little bitch Karen had stuck her foot out and I tripped over it, falling on my ass in front of the whole 3rd grade class. I thought that Aiden was at Blake's tournament and was surprised to see him come back stage to see how I was doing. Nothing was broken but I couldn't bring myself to walk since I was crying too hard from the embarrassment and so Aiden had to carry me. I don't remember falling asleep, I just remembered waking up tucked in my bed and thought my Dad had carried me.
                          
Everyone was now in silence as we listened to this story, our curiosity level was high. My Dad smiled and continued. "He sat down in front of me with the most serious expression on his face. I asked him what I could help him with and he said... Do you remember what you said, Aiden?"
                          
"I asked for permission to ask Blair on a date." he muttered under his breath but everyone heard him. His cheeks were deep red and from the heat I felt on my own, I know my cheeks were the same color.
                          
"Yeah." my Dad laughed. "I was about to tell him of course he could but then my son here marched into the room and interrupted."
                          
Blake's face awakened in realization and he laughed along with the parents. "Oh yeah! I asked what was going on and you told me. I showed Aiden my new black belt and his eyes widened, he was so scared."
                          
"No, I wasn't!" Aiden defended. "I could've kicked your ass, Blake." he said half joking.
                          
"Language, Aiden." his mother warned.
                          
"Yeah, right!" Blake said. "I told you that if you even looked at Blair that I would show you how I got my black belt. And that's when I got grounded for another week." 
                          
The corners of my dad's smile reached his twinkling eyes. "Yeah but after you left, I gave Aiden my blessing anyways." 
                          
At this new found information, I looked up at Aiden. His eyes were so filled with so much love that I felt a smile appear on my face. God, I loved this boy. Even when I was little, I knew. Ever since I laid eyes on this blue-eyed handsome boy, I knew there was no one else. 
                          
We will talk later on, I told myself. Right now, all I knew was that I missed him so much. Fuck it, I said. As everyone else carried on with a new topic, I slowly lifted my left hand under the table and grabbed his right one.
                          
I felt him tense up in surprise for a moment then he interlaced our fingers and gave my hand a little squeeze. When I looked at him again, he was also smiling. 
                          
Through all this, I didn't notice my dad watching us with a small knowing smile on his face.