A Family Gathering

Maya stood outside her family's home, taking a deep breath as she steeled herself for the introduction. She had been putting this off for weeks, but she knew it was inevitable. Eric, sensing her hesitation, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be okay," he said, his voice low and soothing. "I'm a great first impression, I promise." Maya smiled, feeling a little better. She had told Eric all about her family, and he had been eager to meet them. Now, as they stood on the porch, she could hear the sound of laughter and music coming from inside. "Ready?" she asked, taking a deep breath. Eric nodded, and together they walked into the house. Maya's family was gathered in the living room, surrounded by the familiar scent of cooking and fresh flowers. Her adoptive mother, Jocelyn, was busy in the kitchen, while her father, Luke, was sitting on the couch, watching TV with Maya's sister, Clary. Clary, who was also Maya's parabatai, looked up as they entered, her eyes widening in surprise. "Maya, who's the guy?" she asked, her voice curious. Maya smiled, feeling a little nervous. "This is Eric," she said, gesturing to him. "We've been...hanging out." Jocelyn, who had been watching the exchange, walked over to them, a warm smile on her face. "Well, hello there, Eric," she said, extending her hand. "Welcome to our home." Eric shook her hand, his eyes sparkling with charm. "Thanks for having me," he said, his voice smooth. Luke, who had been watching the exchange, stood up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in Eric's appearance. "So, Eric, what do you do for a living?" he asked, his voice a little gruff. Eric launched into a story about his studies, and Maya's family listened intently, asking questions and making jokes. Clary, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, her voice teasing. "So, Eric, what makes you think you can handle Maya?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Eric grinned, his eyes locked onto Maya's. "I think I can handle her just fine," he said, his voice confident. Maya felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she realized that Eric was flirting with her, in front of her family. She tried to play it cool, but she couldn't help feeling a little excited. As the evening wore on, Maya's family continued to question Eric, but they seemed to be warming up to him. By the time they sat down to dinner, Maya felt like she was in trouble. Eric was charming and funny, and her family was eating him up. As they finished dinner and began to clear the table, Maya realized that she had a problem. She was falling for Eric, hard. And she had a feeling that her family was going to make it a lot harder for her to resist him.