I sat across from my brother Shane, fidgeting with a loose string from my white shirt. My brother sat calmly in his chair with a plate of peanut butter pancakes and a few stripes of bacon in front of him. He took a piece of bacon and bit a large piece of it off. I flinched.

Shane raised an eyebrow, and said while chewing the bacon. “What’s the matter Thia? You okay?”

I shrugged, butterflies in my stomach. “Nothing, everything’s fine. I’m just worried that my brother might kill my first boyfriend the moment he walks through the door. Other than that I’m absolutely fine”

He laughed and took another bite of bacon.

“You don’t have to worry; I’m not going to kill your boyfriend. I just want to meet him. But if he does break your heart, than I will kill him and I will get Zach to help”

I laughed at the thought of Shane getting our cousin Zach all the way back from China just to beat up my boyfriend. But it was nice to know that my family cared about me and wouldn’t let me date just anyone.

After a few more minutes of awkward silence coming from both me and Shane, the doorbell rang. I jumped up from my chair and he followed me to the front door.
“Please Shane” I whispered before I opened the door. “Don’t do anything that might embarrass me in front of Erik”

Shane grinned at me and chuckled. “Sorry but I’m not making any promises”