The drive to the main house took forever. We drove silently, wondering if we were doing the right thing. Max was not the only one who was nervous. I had not seen the extended family since my parents' funeral, and I was not looking forward to explaining my choices over the last eight years.
As we pulled up, all eyes turned to look at us. The group smiled and frowned and looked at us with curiosity. I hopped off the 4x4, walked to Max's side, and helped him stand and get on the crutches.
He must had felt my nervous and he kiss my cheek softly and whisper in my ear "Stop stressing and enjoy yourself and remember if someone is not happy with you they can fuck off."
That made me laugh, and I felt the tension rise slightly. I turned to everyone and said, "I'm so happy you could all come today and spend time with us. I want to tell everyone that I'm deeply sorry for ghosting most of you for the last eight years."
I continued telling everyone I missed my family and wanted to return to Oklahoma. I told everyone I hoped you would forgive me. Then I smiled at everyone and said, "Yes, I'm pregnant, and this is my baby daddy, Max Knight."
Not wanting to waste any time, I tell them he is here with me as he goes through rehab for his injuries and to be here for the birth of our daughter.
By this time, I see more smiles on faces than when we first drove up. I tell everyone that Max's being here is a secret except for the family because Max does not want the paparazzi camping outside the gate and trying to get a photo.
Please do not take photos or upload them to social media. I explained that we would soon announce our relationship to the public, but we are focusing on his recovery and the birth of our daughter.
The silence was awful and Max stepped in and said "I'm so excited to be here today, I've never a large extended family and seeing everyone here is so overwhelming but I'm excited to get to know everyone" and "I just want to make it clear to all that I love Mia with all my heart and I look forward to being a family together and we are starting to build our forever home here in Oklahoma because I've fallen in love with country life."
Max sways on his feet. I look for a chair for him to sit in. I see an opening at one of the tables. I point to it and lead him over to sit down.
My dad's brother, Mike, is sitting at the table. He extends his hand for Max to shake and introduces himself. The other four men at the table do the same thing, and I can finally take a deep breath.
I kissed Max on the cheek and told him I would walk around and talk to his family, asking them to let me know when he needed more medication.
I start walking, looking for my Aunt Glenda, and find her at a table with a couple of my elderly great aunts.
This, I realize, will be the hardest one that I have to face because she had always been there for me, and I pushed her away after I was attacked due to being ashamed of what happened to me.
As I approach the table, I can feel the tears streaming down my face, and she looks at me and pats at the chair next to her.
I sit down, and she grabs my hand. I look at her weathered hands and realize how much older she looks now.
Glenda tells me, "To stop crying, there is nothing to cry over. She doesn't have any hard feelings about me leaving. She tells me that she and her uncle always exchanged cards and gifts on their birthdays and Christmases."
She is so happy that I feel strong enough to come home and start a family. She says my parents would be proud of the woman I've become.
I try to stop crying and tell Aunt Glenda "How much I missed her and how much I love her."
Getting this out made me feel lighter, and all the ladies started talking and asking me questions. My favorite topic was the fine-looking man I'm having a baby with.
The aunts asked about the names of the babies and the houses we were building. Then they asked about his football career, and I told them he is planning on one more year and then retiring. I told them that during the season, we would live in LA and that I would be taking a break from my career to be a mom, and I was so happy about that.
I made the rounds, talking to family I had not spoken to in a long time while keeping a watch on Max. I could tell the people at the table had changed, and he was now talking to a younger group of my cousins and two other nephews.
The guys were talking about fantasy football, and the boys were asking him questions about his years of playing.
Seeing Max fit in with my family made my heart burst with happiness. My Uncle Mike walked up and gave me a huge hug, telling me that he liked Max.
I told him I would take him to the barn to meet the baby goats. He laughed and asked how that went. I said, "He wants to bring a baby goat into the house because he loves her."
Mike tells me that my dad would have loved Max for me, and he asks that I please let him know if I need anything,
The next couple of hours were spent talking and getting to know everyone. My brother Jessie stood and got everyone's attention.
He tells everyone how happy they could be here today, and then he tells everyone to bow their heads for the blessing of the food.
Once our food is blessed, everyone starts to move towards the table. I look at Max and tell him I will make him a plate and get him a drink.
I return with a plate full of brisket, chicken, ribs, beans, potato salad, a roll, and a glass of lemonade. Max smiles and says, "Thanks, babe, it all looks so good."
I remind him to take his meds; we don't want him to start feeling pain. While he takes his medicine, I head and get myself a plate of food.
When I returned, Max was tearing up the food on his plate. He looked up and said, "This is the best food I've ever had."
I smiled and told him to tell Jessie since he had cooked all the meat and Heather and Maria had cooked all the sides.
We all sit silently as we eat until our stomachs are full. I finish before him, watch his happy face, and feel relief.
Having never brought a man home to meet my family was a new experience, and I'm so glad it worked out well for us.
Max leans back in his chair, pats his stomach, and says, "I'm so full I made myself pass out."
His statement made the others at the table laugh. He then leaped over, kissed my cheek, and touched my stomach.
I tell Max I need to go to the bathroom, and he says he does. I grab the plates to put in the trash as we head inside to use the bathroom.
Once we get into the bathroom, I lean against the counter and let him go first, and then I go. Once we are both done and our hands and faces are clean.
Max looked at me and asked if everything went okay, and I told him everything was good. We just stood there in each other's embraces for a few moments.
He said we should head back outside before a search party starts. We started walking outside, and I told him we needed to return in two hours. He nodded his head in agreement.
When we returned to our table, new people were sitting there. For the next hour, people came and went, wanting to spend time with us.
Max is talking football with some of the guys, and I tell him I will see if I can do anything to help clean up.
I found Heather, who told me it would be helpful if I could help load the dishwashers. Once inside, I saw Maria in the kitchen and told her I'd do the dishes while she put away the food Heather was bringing.
We worked and chatted as we did it, and Maria told me how much she liked my boyfriend. She told me he told her her food was excellent and that she loved the enchiladas.
Once everything is loaded, I notice no pod for the dishwasher and Mari, butlls me there is more in the storage room.
I head out to the garage and find the pods.. As I start to exit the mudroom, I hear voices. I recognize the voices, and the one doing the most talking is a cousin named Madison.
Madison and I have never really gotten along. She always wanted to make people feel less than her, and she was a bully. Growing up, she hated me and never let me forget it.
I can hear Madison saying that I'm a dumb bitch that lied about being attacked to make people feel sorry for me and now I'm back unwed and dating a rich NFL player. She then tells the others that she will get Max for herself and then show everyone who is the best in the family.
The old me would not have made a scene, but Mia is long gone. As I walk out, the girls turn to me and look surprised.
I tell them, "Please don't stop talking about me since you have nothing better to do."
Then I look straight at Madison and say, "I guess you are still a whining, petty bully at 34 years old, and that is sad."
I continued berating her and made a point that she has been married four times, does not have a job, and lives off her alimony and parents.
With the weakest laugh, I say, "Furthermore, you are not Max's taste. You are so plastic, and you look more like you are 46 than 34. He also dates women with careers and money, so you are not that girl."
But I will be fair; We can go outside now and ask him which of us he prefers. If he says yes, I will move aside.
I look at the other younger cousins and tell them to grow the fuck up and don't be a sad older woman alone because you've burnt all the bridges in your life.
I turn and tell Madison, "Let's go." I walk past the kitchen and tell Maria, "Here are the pods. We are heading outside, where Max can choose between Madison and me."
When I get outside, I stand next to Max at the table and ask everyone to stop what they are doing because I have an announcement to make.
All eyes turn to me, and I look at Madison as she stands there with a smug smile. She believes he will pick her.
I told everyone I had encountered Madison and the others discussing me. I explained that Madison felt my attack was fake and that I was doing it to get attention.
Looking around at my family, I tell them the attack was actual and if they want to see the photos from the hospital, then I would share them.
It took me years to get over the damage, and I'm not that girl who never stood up for herself.
Then I tell everyone that Madison was telling everyone that she was going to get Max to cheat on me with her because she is better than me and then she will make my life hell.
I look at Max and say, " Babe, would you like to be with me or Madison, or do you want to stay with me?"
Madison moves closer to Max as if she believes he will choose her. He stands and looks at her ."I have no urge to cheat on Mia and choose you, and what kind of family member are you to talk about someone's death experience and then talk about destroying her life?"
And just for a little more clarification, he says, "I would not touch you if you were the last woman on earth because I can't be with someone who is such an awful person."
By this time, everyone was talking, so I told everyone we were leaving. I loved seeing everyone again.
Max and I hopped in the 4x4 and headed back to the house. Once we were in the house and the door was locked, I had to go to the bathroom, take off my clothes, and shower.
He must have noticed that I needed time alone, so he told me he would turn on the TV and give me some privacy.
I wash and scrub my skin in the shower, trying to erase the emotions following me. I stay in the shower until the water runs cold, then I get out and move on autopilot.
I don't even dry my hair; I wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt and climb into bed. Before I knew it, I had cried myself to sleep.
When I wake up, the sun has gone down. I go to the bathroom to relieve myself and wash my face.
I walk into the living room and see Max reading a pregnancy book on the sofa. He looks up, smiles, and pats the seat next to him.
He told me that my brothers and sister-in-law had come and said to him that Uncle Mike and Aunt Glenda had gone postal on Madison, and she had run out of her car crying.
Max asked if there was anything he could do. I told him I was much better after the nap. He smiled and said, " You brought more food over, and he has been waiting on me for you to try the banana pudding."
I tell him, "Hmm, that sounds so good." I get up and give each of us a bowl, and we sit in front of the TV, watching a movie and eating the pudding.
He turns and looks at me and says, "I would choose you anyday over any woman in the world, because to me you are the whole package wrapped neatly is a fucking mind blowing body."
Thank you, Babe. I had no doubt Babe would choose me; I just wanted to humiliate her for once. Max told me that he fully supported my actions.
I curled up against and we watched the remaining part of the movie before we headed to bed.
As I lay there, I knew my life partner was next to me, and no one would change that.