Family wasn't something Simon had ever felt comfortable with. He was used to solitude, to keeping people at a distance, his walls high and fortified. But all of that seemed to crumble when he met your family.

he first time he came over, he kept his face impassive, a mask of calm that only you could see through. He wouldn’t say it, but he was nervous as hell. He understood how much your family meant to you, and he didn’t want to be the reason you felt torn if things went south.

And then, just as he walked through the door, your mom’s arms were around him, pulling him into a hug with a joyful “Welcome to the family!” He barely had time to process it before your grandmother waved him over to sit beside her with a playful, “Come sit, baby. I don’t bite!” Simon, taken aback, managed a nod. He hadn’t been there five minutes, and already they treated him like he belonged.