Fiancé's Family Holiday Gathering

[Alyssa1146]

Sorry if I write in the style of a story rather than an observation.  I'm very observant and often describe my perception as well in detail.  This is nonfiction, and 100% true, though from my point of view.  I hope that makes sense!  It may take more than one post because I'm long-winded and am telling about several different parts of the trip.

So I haven't told my fiancé about my fetish.  I've actually never told anyone!  This past week, we traveled back to his hometown.  His parents are a bit on the critical side, if you ask me, so he seems to be a bit reluctant to be open and himself with them.  It's an odd dynamic.  

My fiancé, Dylan, is about 5'8", medium build, dark hair, blue eyes, and gorgeous lashes.  His nose is strong and masculine, if I had to describe it, but not really prominent.  It fits his face.  I'd say it's an average nose for a hot looking dude, but I'm madly in love with him, so average seems like a horrible description.  

When we arrived in the area, I noticed that he was sniffling a lot more.  I asked him if he was coming down with anything since the flu seems to be rampant lately.  He said no, that he had always had allergies growing up in the area.  When I came to this area once before with him, I noticed it then, but thought it was a cold at the time and didn't know him quite well enough to feel comfortable talking about that kind of thing yet.

The day after we arrived, the whole family is at his parents' house for a holiday party.  I notice that when everyone is mingling, he is a bit sneezy.  I am trying not to stick to him like glue and be social with the rest of the family, though this is difficult because I'm introverted and none of them seem to be!  I see him turning to the side and holding up a fist to sneeze quietly and discreetly, looking a bit embarrassed and sheepish.  This really isn't how he is back at home.  I couple of times, he even partially stifles, which I haven't seen him do before.  His sneezes are simply a quiet "TChhh" or "Shhh" sound with only a brief pre-sneeze face, with a pause for good measure afterward to ensure there is only one.   After awhile, I notice he is approaching a double but seems to be able to keep the second one at bay.  When I look across the room and see him with his gorgeous pre-sneeze face coupled with, what I perceive to be an attempt to not sneeze at all, I cannot stay away from him.  I want to be there to hold his hand or subtly scratch or rub his back, bless him, and at least once, ask if he's okay.  As I get to his side, he fight the sneeze and says he was hoping I'd come over.  I smile and ask him if he's okay because he's still looking like it's just right there, being held back.  He says yes, but he's feeling like his allergies are bothering him a little.  I smile sweetly (and die on the inside) and rub his back.  He is talking to his brother-in-law, so they continue their conversation. In the middle of it, he says, "Excuse me a second," grabs my shoulder with one hand gently, and leans over it and sneezes into his fist.  I wrap my arm around his waist and give him a pat on his back as I bless him sincerely as his brother-in-law drone on about his job.  He squeezes my arm and thanks me under his breath with a wink and sneezy-looking smile.   Overall, in about an hour, he sneezes 1-2 times about every 5 minutes.  No one mentions that he seems sneezy, so I am guessing that his allergies are not catching anyone's attention.

When we finally sit down for dinner, his mom asks her brother, a pastor at a large local church, to offer the blessing.  As he goes about blessing everything about our gathering, I hear my Dylan's breath start to gently hitch.  I reach over and hold his arm, trying to offer reassurance in my own way.  He stifles 3 almost silent sneezes, holding his nose.  I'm about to burst.....seriously.  I've never known him to do this at all.   I look up to notice him furiously wiping his eyes, which are teary from the stifled sneeze.  He glances at me, almost apologetically, and the prayer ends.  No one seems to have even noticed his sneezes except me.  He kisses my hand.  I melt.

As dinner goes, he is quiet and listens more than he speaks.  I do notice that, as he is eating, the sneezy look seems to increase with some quiet sniffles starting.  At some point, he leans to the side (toward me, but not at me) and sneezes into his napkin Hh-TCh.....HH-TCHH...TCHHH.  The last one was a double, and while not his usual sneeze volume, it's a bit hard to ignore.  I bless him quietly, knowing that he seems to be trying to avoid drawing attention, but that it wasn't quiet enough to ignore.  He seems strangely uncomfortable in his own skin.  About a minute later, he repeats the pattern from before, but with a pause....then another double.  Hh-TCh.....HH-TCHH...TCHHH..........pause......noticeable quieting of  voices at the table......HH-TCHH...TCHH.  I feel major tension in the air.  I touch his shoulder after blessing him and ask if he's okay, desperate to break the tension I can feel from him.  He smiles, but it's an uncomfortable smile, and says simply and quietly,  "Yes, thank you."  

Then I know why.  His mom says, "If you're going to continue sneezing like that, maybe you should go to the other room."  He excuses himself and tells her he is fine.  "My allergies are just kicking back in after not being in the area for a few months."  

"Nonsense!"  she replies.  "You're not allergic to anything around here.  This is where you grew up.  Maybe Alyssa wore perfume that you can't tolerate."

Mike drop, people.

Now I am sensing the tension from everyone, and my face feels hot.  I'm not wearing perfume at all because he had previously told me  that his mom hates perfume.  I made a point of not wearing it.  As I look back, I realize that her in-laws (daughter-in-laws and son-in-laws) are giving me empathetic looks.  I honestly was taken aback as she has no reason to dislike me.  I just kept on eating.  Dylan looked at her and said, "Alyssa doesn't wear perfume, Mom.  You know I have allergies to some of the trees that grow in this area."  His mom just rolled her eyes and looked annoyed.  For the rest of the meal, everyone else seemed to enjoy the meal except for Dylan.  He seemed quiet.  Under the table, I held his hand, trying to convey my silent support for whatever was going on.  I felt his discomfort more than I did my own, to be honest.  I just wanted to hug Dylan and make him feel comfortable being himself.  I wasn't sure how I would convey that to him as I didn't want to sound critical.  

I'll have to post about the rest of the evening later.

[rockbell]

awww I'm so sorry that you two were in that kind of situation, but I really enjoyed your obs especially how you wrote it in a story form, also happy new year to you and your fiancé! 

[Snz.]

Good obs. Sounds like his mother is a barrel of laughs.

[Smokey]

Your writing is incredible. I’m sorry you had such an awkward moment thanks to his mother. I hope the rest of the trip was better?

And I can totally relate to the whole introverted thing/feeling awkward in the big gathering 😊

[Alyssa1146]

On 1/1/2018 at 11:57 AM, MisterSneeze said:

Good obs. Sounds like his mother is a barrel of laughs.

She really has nothing nice to say to anyone, though she obviously favors certain children/grandchildren.  It's so odd because they tend to be the ones who are either unmotivated in life overall or have little to do with her.  She's a gem.  

 

1 hour ago, James86 said:

Your writing is incredible. I’m sorry you had such an awkward moment thanks to his mother. I hope the rest of the trip was better?

And I can totally relate to the whole introverted thing/feeling awkward in the big gathering 😊

It's even more fun when you feel a weird dynamic and want to make a good impression.  His mom is one who likes to poke at people to try to get a reaction.  I just don't give one and continue to be unobtrusive but friendly.  Underneath, I was seething.  I can tell that my fiancé has put up with her his whole life and chooses to keep his distance.  He's respectful, but she was really pushing it when she had a big audience.  

I'll try to post more later.

[Snz.]

1 hour ago, Alyssa1146 said:

the

 

1 hour ago, Alyssa1146 said:

On 1/1/2018 at 0:57 PM, MisterSneeze said:

laughs.

She really has nothing nice to say to anyone, though she obviously favors certain children/grandchildren.  It's so odd because they tend to be the ones who are either unmotivated in life overall or have little to do with her.  She's a gem.  

I feel your pain for both of you having to deal with her. Sounds like my own mother. Hopefully it didn't spoil your holidays.

[Always]

What a great obs! Sorry the dinner got a bit awkward, it's rough when there's tension between in-laws. Hope the rest of the night wasn't as uncomfortable! 

[Privatedancer]

Oh wow- sounds like she can be awful

[Alyssa1146]

On 1/2/2018 at 3:11 PM, MisterSneeze said:

 

I feel your pain for both of you having to deal with her. Sounds like my own mother. Hopefully it didn't spoil your holidays.

I didn't have a great home life growing up....AT ALL..... but this was the kind of thing that would have driven me MAD.  I guess it just goes to show that you can have crappy parents and turn out fine in spite of them.

 

3 hours ago, Privatedancer said:

Oh wow- sounds like she can be awful

It seems that way, and it also seems that no one is at all surprised by her behavior.  The good thing is that I do not feel like anyone is going to listen to her criticisms because they are stick of hearing it.  That means when she openly criticizes everything about our wedding, I'll be laughing knowing that my new brother and sister-in-laws have all already been there, done that and seem to internally roll their eyes.  Somehow knowing you're the last in a long line of people who have been there, done that makes it easier.  For me, I get a bit amused by it.  She just makes herself look worse and worse.

 

On 1/2/2018 at 3:43 PM, Always said:

What a great obs! Sorry the dinner got a bit awkward, it's rough when there's tension between in-laws. Hope the rest of the night wasn't as uncomfortable! 

It did.  I posted part 2 but will have to wait for validation to post part 3.  I probably need the time anyway to figure out how to word things.  I'm not terribly experienced with posting those kinds of personal things.