Aria didn't realize how tired she was until she stepped through the front door.
The house greeted her the way it always did with familiar silence layered beneath quiet sounds. The low hum of the ceiling fan. The faint clink of cutlery from the kitchen. The smell of something warm and slow-cooked drifting through the hallway.
Home.
She slipped off her shoes near the door and leaned her back against the wall for a moment, closing her eyes. School had been… full. Not overwhelming. Not bad. Just full lectures, conversations, passing glances, moments that demanded more emotional energy than she realized she'd been spending.
Julian's face flickered briefly through her mind.
The way he'd walked beside her earlier that day. The way his hand had brushed hers without thinking. The way he'd smiled when she laughed, like it was instinctive.
She pushed off the wall and headed toward the kitchen.
Her mother was standing by the stove, stirring something slowly, unhurried. Her father sat at the small dining table nearby, glasses perched low on his nose as he flipped through his phone.
"You're home," her mother said, glancing over her shoulder with a soft smile.
"Yeah," Aria replied, dropping her bag on the chair. "Just got back."
Her father looked up. "How was school?"
Aria shrugged lightly. "Normal. Busy."
Her mother turned off the stove and wiped her hands on a towel. "Dinner's almost ready. Go wash up."
Aria nodded and headed down the hall, splashing water on her face in the bathroom. She studied her reflection for a second longer than usual. She looked… calm. Different from the version of herself she'd been months ago more settled, maybe. Or maybe just more honest.
When she returned to the dining table, plates were already being set. Dinner was simple rice, vegetables, something familiar and comforting. They ate the way they always did: slowly, conversationally, with pauses that didn't feel awkward.
Her father asked about classes. Her mother commented on how thin she looked and reminded her to eat properly. Aria responded easily, comfortably.
Then her mother said, casually, "So. How's Julian?"
The question wasn't intrusive. It wasn't sharp. It was gentle, almost curious.
Aria paused mid-bite.
"He's good," she said after a second. "Why?"
Her parents exchanged a look not conspiratorial, just knowing.
"You talk about him," her mother said lightly. "Not all the time. But enough."
Her father nodded. "You smile when his name comes up."
Aria felt warmth creep up her neck. "Do I?"
"Yes," her mother said simply.
There was a small silence not uncomfortable, just thoughtful.
"Is he treating you well?" her father asked.
"Yes," Aria said immediately. No hesitation. No doubt. "He is."
Her mother smiled. "Good."
They continued eating for a moment, the conversation drifting elsewhere, until her mother spoke again.
"You should invite him over sometime."
Aria blinked. "Invite him… here?"
"Yes," her mother said. "We'd like to meet him."
Her heart gave a small, unexpected flutter. Not fear. Just awareness.
"I mean," her father added calmly, "you're not a child. If he's important to you, then he's someone we should know."
Aria rested her fork against the plate. She hadn't realized how much that statement mattered to her until it was said.
Julian wasn't just someone she dated on campus. He wasn't a secret tucked into a corner of her life.
He was… becoming part of it.
"I can ask him," she said slowly.
Her mother's smile widened. "Good."
That night, after dinner was cleared and dishes washed, Aria retreated to her room. She changed into something comfortable and sat on her bed, phone resting in her hands.
She stared at Julian's name on her screen longer than necessary.
Then she typed.
Aria: My parents asked about you today.
The reply came quickly.
Julian: That sounds serious
She smiled.
Aria: Not like that. They want to meet you.
Aria: They asked if I could invite you over sometime.
There was a pause.
Long enough that she wondered if she'd misjudged things. Long enough for doubt to brush against her confidence.
Then
Julian: I'd like that.
Julian: Whenever you're ready.
Her chest softened.
Aria: Maybe this weekend?
Aria: I'll let you know the day.
Julian: Take your time. I'm not going anywhere.
She set the phone down and leaned back against her pillows, staring at the ceiling.
This was different.
Not dramatic. Not overwhelming. Just… real.
The next few days passed quietly, but with an undercurrent of anticipation Aria couldn't ignore.
Julian didn't push. He didn't bring it up repeatedly. He didn't act like meeting her parents was some milestone he needed to rush toward.
And that, somehow, made her want it more.
On campus, people noticed them in ways they hadn't before.
Not because they were loud or performative but because they moved like a unit now. Walking together without looking for each other. Sharing looks that didn't need explanation. Sitting close without realizing it.
Chloe noticed everything.
"You've got that look," she said one afternoon as they sat under a tree near the library.
"What look?" Aria asked, scrolling through her notes.
"The 'I'm secretly planning something important' look."
Aria glanced up. "I don't have a look."
Chloe smiled knowingly. "You do. And it's cute."
Aria sighed. "My parents want to meet Julian."
Chloe's eyes widened. "Oh. That's big."
"It's not that big," Aria said quickly.
"It is," Chloe insisted. "Not in a scary way. In a serious way."
Aria considered that.
"I think they already know," she admitted. "They see it before I say it."
Chloe grinned. "Parents always do."
Later that day, Julian walked her to the parking lot. The sun was dipping low, casting everything in warm orange light.
"You're quiet," he said.
"Just thinking."
"Good thoughts?"
She nodded. "Mostly."
He stopped walking and turned to face her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
She hesitated, then smiled softly. "I told my parents about you."
His expression didn't change dramatically but his eyes softened.
"And?" he asked.
"They want to meet you."
Julian let out a slow breath, not nervous, just thoughtful. "I'd be honored."
The word settled warmly in her chest.
"Really?"
"Yeah," he said. "Meeting your parents means something to me."
She believed him.
That evening, at home again, Aria helped her mother prepare dinner.
"So," her mother said casually, "what day is Julian coming?"
Aria smiled. "Probably this weekend."
Her mother nodded approvingly. "Good. I'll make something nice."
As Aria chopped vegetables, she felt something unfamiliar but welcome bloom quietly inside her.
This wasn't pressure.
It wasn't expectation.
It was inclusion.
And for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like she was balancing different versions of herself school Aria, home Aria, girlfriend Aria.
They were starting to merge.
Later that night, as she lay in bed, Julian's earlier words replayed in her mind.
I'm not going anywhere.
She didn't know what the future held. She didn't pretend this meant everything would be easy or perfect.
But she knew this:
She was choosing him.
And she was choosing to let him step closervnot just into her space, but into her life.
Slowly.
Intentionally.
Ready to be seen.