Two months passed by pretty fast.  Troy and I packed our bags for the trip up north to Vermont to meet his parents.  I was nervous as all heck!  These people were to be my in-laws.  I hoped with all my heart that they would like me.  I hoped even harder that I would like them.  As I dragged my last bag out to the front door, I heard Troy laughing at me.

"Think you packed enough?  Geez, it's only one weekend.  I only packed my duffel bag for heaven's sake"!  

"Shut up!" I said, laughing back at him.  "I have to make a good impression Troy!  These are your parents, after all".  

"Don't forget to change the message on the answering machine" he reminded me.

I threw a couch pillow at him which he ducked before grabbing my bags and hauling them out to the car.

I turned to the counter and pushed the message record button on out answering machine.  It said "Pleawe record after the tone..."

"Hey, this is Becca and Troy and we're not home.  We'll be back Sunday but you can call my cell at 555-2150 if you really, really need to reach us before then".   BEEP..

With that said and done, I picked up my purse and keys and headed out the door.  In the car, Troy tossed a case of CD's at me and instructed me to be in charge of the road music.  We were both smiling as we headed off down the road, humming a Garth Brooks tune.

The trip to Vermont took almost a whole day.  By the time we reached Troy's parent's home, twilight had fallen.  The driveway up to the main house was a long, winding gravel road.  The family name of "Reilly" adorned a plaque on the fenceline.  I was just happy to be getting out the car soon.  

Troy's parents', Ted and Liv Reilly, came out the front door of their two story Victorian with wide smiles. They were a good looking couple in their late fifties.  Liv had graying blonde hair and brown eyes like her son.  Ted had lost most of his hair so the color was indistinguishable but his green eyes crinkled at the corners from years of smiling.  His gray mustache twittered when he spoke.

"About time you two got here!" he said as he wrapped his son in a big bear hug.  Liv and I embraced and said our hellos.  

Troy hugged his mom before taking my hand and pulling me to his side.  "Mom, Dad, this is Becca, my future wife".  

Mr. Reilly engulfed me with his arms, smothering me in a welcoming hug.  I like him immediately, and I liked Liv too.  Right away, they called me "daughter" and my heart soared with the realization that I had been welcomed into the fold.

We spent the next two days laughing, getting to know, and making lists for the wedding.  Liv was in her element and just seemed to fall right into the role of a mom for me.  She asked if it was alright for her to assume the role my own mother would have taken had she lived.  

"I would really like that" I said.  She had tears in her eyes that were reflected in the puddles that had become my own eyes.  The warm feeling made me sniffle and cling to Troy.  It had been a long time since I felt the love of a mother.  Troy's dad called us both softies but patted both Liv and I on the back anyway.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend or a better outcome in meeting my future in-laws.  I was ecstatic.  The best was yet to come, I just knew it!  I slept like a baby that last night there.  

On Sunday, we said our goodbyes with promises to return soon to continue the plans for the wedding.  Liv and I cried in each others arms and Mr. Reilly, who insisted I call him dad, kissed me on the cheek and patted my shoulder.  

Father and son shook hands and we were off down the road heading back home and to school.  The drive home seemed shorter than the ride up.  All the way home, me and Troy talked, laughed, sang along with the radio, and counted our blessings that we had found each other.

When we got home, we unloaded the car and dragged our dirty laundry inside.  We began to unpack and then headed to the kitchen when we were through and had started a load of laundry.

As I passed the answering machine, I saw that the message light was blinking.  Troy was in the kitchen, pulling out some lunchmeat and bread for sandwhiches.  I pushed play and waited.

"Miss Landon, this is Henry Weston calling.  I recieved some information back from a fertility clinic in New Hampshire.  They had your mother's name listed and the timing was nine months before your birth.  Give me a call on Monday.  Listen, I'll have all the details for you but if you get this before Monday, the least I can do is give you the name of the law student listed as the sperm donor.  The name in the records as the biological father is.....Reilly, Theadore Reilly....."