Meeting the Parents Version 3.0

Him: My mom said, Invite Daniel over for Easter, we would love to meet him.
Me: Gulp.

Jaw dropped to the floor, was I really ready to meet the parents? Seriously, we have been seeing each other for about a month now. Mostly me staying over the nights at his place in Huntington Beach. After a great first date, nights of watching movies at his place, awkward getting to know each other's body sex, he wanted me to meet his parents. Ok, correction, even he was weary about me meeting his parents and voiced his opinion to his mother that maybe I, Daniel, didn't want to meet them just yet.

Honestly, I was flattered. After best friends, parents are the next and final step to being a serious relationship, besides buying matching towels together at Ikea and figuring out what kind of scent our house should be. The parents are the entry way to the whole family. They set the tone to the introduction, they have the final say about their baby boy. Are they ready to accept this crazy love monster blogger?

In my short lifetime, I have met two sets of parent's from my past relationships. One was my ex-girlfriend's parents. Single mother who wanted us to stay together through the high school romance, get married, and have children. Oops, I like guys. The other parents, parent I should say, I met was my ex-boyrfriend's/partner/lover. We met accidently. At the time my my partner and I were living together in an apartment. His mom, sister, niece, and nephew were down from Texas to visit. Oh and it is true, the only thing that does come from Texas are steers and queers. I digress. During this visit, I had to leave the apartment and stay with my parents...surprise my partner at the time wasn't out. To my parent's I went were the living room was now my room.

One day after school, I had to go over and feed our cat at the apartment. My ex and his family were out  at the beach, sans me. There I am grabbing the cat food, pouring it into the plate, when the door opens. My heart stops and through my mind runs the idea, do I look too gay today? Shirt not too tight. Check. Boy pants not girl pants. Check. Rainbow belt not on. Check. Perfect, I looked normal. He walks through the door with his mom. They were both smiling. I never seen him with his mom, and as a gay man who is very close with his mom, I saw the love they shared. It was beautiful. Despite the awkwardness he introduced me to his family as his good friend.

As everyone was unwinding from a long day at the beach, my ex began to cook. His mom took a seat and began folding his underwear while she asked me questions about myself. She also proceeded to tell her son that he should invite me over for dinner. Ever the southern belle, his mom was gracious, honest, and welcoming.

Ten years later, here I am being asked to meet the parents of the new guy I am dating. No awkward moment, no expectations, a simple bar-b-que where my presence was requested. Maybe it is this simple...