It was around 5am in Toronto when our flight landed and I could see that the want to meet their families was overpowering the tiredness right now. Everyone wanted to just lie down on the cold airport floor and sleep but we somehow managed to go through the security and baggage and headed to the pick up and exit area.

Dave and I didn't talk much on the flight. We were both nervous but in a sense we were also looking forward to meet the parents.

I didn't get up to meet Roya or Jordan either. I needed the space to prepare myself and to think about what all could happen.

Once we reached the waiting lounge where outsiders were allowed to enter, they all started looking for a familiar face.

Roya told us her dad will be picking us up. Soon Roya and Anna ran up to 2 men coming our way in khaki shorts and polos. One looked older that the other.

Roya nearly jumped in the arms of the older looking one. They were pretty near, so we could hear their chuckles. We all startes moving towards them with our bags too.

Anna was still squeezing the life out of the other man. I'm pretty sure they are their dads judging from the familiar features they had.

Roya's dad pulled away from her and shook Dave's hand since he was the first in line.

"Hello Mr. Anderson," he greeted him with a smile but a tired face.

Mr. Anderson waved a hand in front of his face making a sour expression, "Call me Joe, Mr. Anderson sounds old," he smiled at the end. Roya was still by his side.

"You are old Joe," the other man raised a brow at Joe and we all laughed.

"Thank you for having us Joe," I shook his hand next.

"You're like our kids now," he smiled at both of us. He had short black hair and brown eyes that matches Roya's. His eyes had wrinkles on the corners. He looked like he's in his early fifties.

But what caught my attention was the warmth in his eyes. The warmth that I'm sure Dave noticed too because it's the warmth we never received. The warmth of a parent for their kid.

I smiled at him and he went on to meet Jordan, Ian and Anna next to me. They all hugged him together causing him to chuckle.

"Look at you all, can't live without uncle Joe for long," he smiled.

Anna's dad met us too and just like Joe he asked us to call him by his name, Mark. He had the warmth too and it made me think if this was the normal me and Dave never got.

They divided us into 2 cars. Mark taking Anna, Ian and Jordan home while Joe taking Dave, Roya and me. Roya as always called shotgun and we all took our seats after placing our bags in the trunk.

Joe put on a news station on the radio and I realized that I'm so used to listening to Roya's playlist by now that news just feels..abnormal.

"It's a 40 minute drive kids, take a nap if you want to," Joe suggested.

"Dad, are we all staying together?" Roya questions, looking at him.

"Well we were thinking ro leave it to you kids if you want to mix up or take one house while the parents take the other?" He replied, focusing on the road.

Maybe he caught to look of confusion on my face because he explained further, "ours and the William's house is next to each other so we usually divide whenever we all stay together."

Me and Dave only managed to say an 'oh' in reply. We weren't used to kids and their families staying together and enjoying. All we had seen were rich kids throwing parties in their big houses when the folks were away. This was new.

"Yup," Roya grins turning around to look at us, "Jordan's and our family have been neighbours for so long that when we changed houses, we purposely bought the ones next to each other. So whenever the four fams get together, our houses are used."

I nodded with a smile that I'm not sure was real or not. I looked at Dave to see him already looking at me. He was looking at me with gentle eyes and a soft smile. He nods once, giving me assurance that I didn't know I needed and I know everything will be good.

Roya and her Dad caught up to things. No one mentioned the divorce once and I was glad for that. They probably know that they need to talk it out alone. When we reached their homes, I smiled at the view.

It wasn't a flashy house like ours with the latest in style looks. It was actually a home. Both the houses were European style and two storied. The one we were parked in front of had grey stone with the one on it's left had cream stone. They were similar in some ways but not exactly the same. Both of them shared the driveway and there were trees all around the properties.

"Leave the bags and head in kids," Joe told us and Roya jumped out of the car rushing towards the huge dark brown main door. She pushed it open and we all headed in. The house was modern from the inside but not fake.

It had an open setting to it, a large living room with grey couches as soon as we entered and an open kitchen to the right. The island of the kitchen separating it from the living. A grey and black dining table on the left side of the sitting and right in front of us were huge glass windows, making the pool behind the house visible. A black staircase was on the right of the windows leading upstairs.

Before I could focus on anything else, four women and two men came into view. Entering inside from the backyard through the glass door.

"Our babies!" One said and Jordan stepped up, hugging her.

His mom.

Soon we exchanged hellos and just like Joe and Mark, they gave us their names which we tried our best to remember. Jordan's parent's are Bob and Amy, Ian's are Trevor and Jenna, Anna's are Mark and Marissa, and Roya's are Joe and Rianna. Jordan also has a little sister, Sarah. Rest of them are all single childs.

"So how are we staying?" Roya asks looking at us kids.

"Let's keep this house for us and the parents can move to our house?" Jordan suggests looking at his mom and dad.

They smile at him, "already knew you guys would do this, you guys can now take out your bags," Bob says to the adults.

"We'll keep your bags down here too, you guys can check out the rooms till then and sleep if you want to," Roya's mom, Rianna kisses her forehead and walks to the kitchen.

"Alright, let's go," Ian says and starts towards the staircase.

"Hey! My house, I'll take them," Roya rushes to move in front of him.

"Anderson, I have my own room here, it's my house too," Ian shoves her a little and we all laugh at these two acting like siblings.

We go upstairs and all the rooms are here, the first one on the left being Joe and Rianna's, and then two more rooms on their side while three others facing them. We didn't feel like going for a tour at 6 in the morning.

"So Anna and I, obviously will take the furthest one from all of you, plus that's my room so no one can argue," Ian says taking the last room in the hallway on the right.

"Dave and Den? You gonna share?" Jordan asks.

"Yeah, we're cool with sharing," I shrug.

"Take the second one on the left," he points and we nod.

"Roya and I will be in the first one on the right and since the parents won't be here, no sound restrictions," he informs in the same tone but the glint in his eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"Luggage!" Someone shouts from downstairs.

"I'll help you guys with your bags, I already have my stuff here," Jordan offers and we go down to bring our bags up.

Once we're inside the room, that has a large bed in the middle and a screen facing it along with glass windows on the other side, we change and sink in the grey themed sheets.

I sigh, looking up.

"They're good people," Dave is the first one to speak up.

"They are," I agree. My eyes fixed on nothing.

"Is this how normal families are supposed to be?" I ask him a question maybe even he doesn't know the answer to.

"I don't know," he frowns, "but we're here now," he smiles softly, "and we can finally see what being taken care of by an elder feel."

"Yeah," is all I say before we drift off.