"Alright, the emergency kit is packed and I got us some snacks for the trip," Jacob said as he slid into the driver's seat, gently patting Joyce's thigh as she blankly stared out the window, "anything else, Joyce?  Joyce?"

"Oh!"  Joyce shook her head in slight confusion before looking sheepishly at Jacob, "Um, no.  I don't think so."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"It's nothing," she looked down at her lap and wrung her hands before looking back at him and forcing a smile.  "It's nothing," she repeated, hoping Jacob wouldn't press the issue but unable to muster the conviction in her voice.  She awkwardly pulled her hair behind her ear and turned to face the window again.  "C'mon, let's get on the road."

Jacob remained motionless in the drivers seat, his hands unmoving as an uncomfortable silence filled the car with tense, deafening nothingness for several seconds.  "It's okay to be nervous.  I'm your first real boyfriend and meeting your parents is a big deal for both of us.  I know I'm not exactly quality dating material what with my classic good looks, 4.0 GPA, muscular physique, and regular church attendance." The side of his mouth curled up into a wry smile as he glanced over at Joyce, "but I think with a little razzle-dazzle I can impress your parents.  I even wore my extra-preppy polo shirt."

Joyce remained silent, looking at her hands.  A croaking whisper, barely audible, died in her throat.  "You know what I'm worried about."

Letting out a long sigh as his shoulders slumped, Jacob's smile melted into a grimace.  He glanced around the parking lot at the people passing by as he collected his thoughts, his mouth opening and closing with false starts.  Closing his eyes, he sighed again and put his hands on top of Joyce's.  "I know."

"I'm sorry, I'm ruining this..."

"No, you're not.  It's not like I've never had to deal with this before."

"You have?"

For a brief second Jacob's countenance shifted, a shadow of anger and sadness creeping across so quickly Joyce could barely process it happened, and he smiled at her.  His mouth smiled, his eyes did not.  "You've told them about us, right?  Do you really think they'd have a problem with me because I'm black?"

"I'm not sure about a lot of things with my parents these days..." her voice dropped and she looked like she was about to cry.  "I just don't know anymore."

Reaching over, Jacob put his arm over Joyce's shoulder and she nestled up to him.  Together they sat as the world moved on around them; the occasional sniffle from Joyce the only intrusion and each one met with a kiss from Jacob on the top of her head.  She closed her eyes and lost herself in the metronome of his heartbeat, imagining each beat carrying away one of her worries.  She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight, wrapping her fingers around it like it was the most precious thing in the world.  "I'm being stupid, aren't I?"  She broke their embrace and looked him right in the eye.  "It's just me being dumb and ruining everything, right?"

"No," Jacob said flatly.  "But..." he started as Joyce looked away sadly, "Come what may, the only member of the Brown family whose opinion is worth a damn is sitting in this car with me."

Joyce looked back it him, her eyes still shimmering with tears ready to fall, and smiled, truly smiled.  "We don't use that kind of language around here, mister."

With a chuckle, Jacob tapped the tip of her nose with his finger.  "On the way back I'll buy you a swear jar and put a quarter in it."  He started the car and began backing out of the parking space, "How do your parents feel about being fashionably late?"

"Well, my mom usually finishes getting ready about twenty minutes after she says she'll be ready."  Inhaling deeply, she wiped eyes and put her hand on his knee, "Thank you, Jacob, for being so...you...about all this."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, pulling it up to his face so that he could her fingers.  "I really don't know how to be anything else.  Also I took half a Xanax before you got in the car."

"...you wouldn't happen to have-"

"The other half is in the glovebox, red pill bottle."

"Thanks."