Adelaide

After my shift at work ends on Saturday evening, Mom and Aunty Elle drag me into the staff room to prepare me for my date. Though they've given me more than enough advice about first dates, such as the dos and don'ts, I'm almost regretting telling them. They're so prominent about making sure I have the perfect first date that I'm starting to worry they'll interfere. And that is just what I need.

So I don't smell like food and dish soap, I quickly change out of my uniform and into a soft and baby pink vintage one-shoulder long sleeve shirt, black skinny jeans, and my white Keds; the clothes that Mom brought me. When I'm dressed, I inspect my outfit in the mirror. I'm satisfied with it. It's casual, but also formal. And just to be sure I don't smell, I basically drench myself in the perfume I brought.

"What do you think?" I ask Mom and Aunty Elle as I step back into the staffroom.

"Your dad and Uncle Hart would approve," Aunty Elle jokes.

I snort. Yeah, they may approve of my outfit, but deep down, they are so those overprotective dads that don't want their daughters to have a romantic relationship until they're married.

Mom laughs and then says, "I like it – formal and casual and it shows a little bit of skin."

Feeling embarrassed, I try to adjust the drooping shoulder of my shirt. It stays up for a moment but eventually slides back down to give everyone a full-on view of my right shoulder.

Mom and Aunty Elle exchange a glance. "She looks beautiful?" Aunty Elle inquires.

"She looks beautiful," Mom concludes.

My blush deepens. I know they're not trying to make me feel embarrassed, but for some reason I do. Now I can understand why Sophia kept her and Zander's relationship a secret for so long. The attention is hard to deal with. It was never like this when Jake introduced us to Camilla.

Aunty Elle sits me down on one of the chairs and gets to work on my makeup, while Mom begins to style my hair. I feel like I've suddenly been transported from the restaurant to a salon.

After Aunty Elle has laid out her "tools", she inspects my face. "I think we're going to keep the makeup as natural-looking as possible, with a hint of rose-gold," she says. "Are you okay with that?"

I give her a thumbs-up instead of nodding my head – I don't want a trail of smoky eyeliner down the left side of my face.

Aunty Elle gets to work, honed in on my face and the techniques she uses with each makeup instrument. By the time she's finished, Mom has also tied my hair up into the perfect bun, leaving two wisps of hair to bracket my face.

When they're done, they step back and admire their work, passing a handheld mirror to me when they seem pleased with what they've done.

I almost burst into tears.

You'd never think I'd just spent the past hours slaving over food and acting like a sous chef for my dad or collecting dishes and washing them.

You'd think I literally went to a salon to get ready for an important work meeting or even my first date.

Aunty Elle's handiwork is just as beautiful as any professionals'; my cheekbones are defined, there's a light coating of blush to give my pale skin some colour, some mascara on my lashes to give them some oomph, and the eyeshadow I'm wearing is magnificent – rose-gold with a darker hue closer to my lashes.

Though Mom's work is much simpler than Aunty Elle's, her contribution is just as important. With the rose-scented dry shampoo she used, my hair doesn't have a greasy shine beneath the lighting and she's brushed out all the tangles. And the bun? It's simply perfect, almost elegant.

Setting the mirror down, I look up at them and shrug. "I love it. Thank you."

The words seem too simple, but what else can I say? It's the truth. I love what they've done for me. God knows I couldn't have done it. Yeah, I'm a girl, but I've never really cared about my hair and makeup as much as Sophia or my friends. It just never seemed that important to me.

They both smile and give each other a high-five. I roll my eyes even though their happiness makes me smile. It's times like these – these little moments where I can see their inner kid come out to play – that make my heart turn warm and fuzzy.

"It's no problem, honey," Mom smiles. "The first date always has to be perfect. I know both of mine were."

Aunty Elle and I smile.

"Of course they were," says a voice from behind.

We all turn around and see Dad. He's wearing an apron that's coated in flour and other ingredients that he's dealt with today. There's even a speck of what looks to be tomato sauce on his cheek. But none of that compares to the loving, sentimental smile on his face.

"You know what Uncle Hart would say if he were here," Aunty Elle mutters, winking at me.

I giggle. Oh, I definitely do. With the new, heated tension that's between my parents, Uncle Hart would probably tell them to find a room and screw each other already. Well...he'd say something other than screw, but the picture is clear.

Dad throws a cloth over his shoulder and walks over. "So," he says, sitting down beside me. "I've got the string quartet pencilled in for seven o'clock. Does that work?" Without breaking his poker face, he adds: "I also have the crab cakes in the fridge for your appetizer. You'll have to let me know what you want for dinner so I can have it out right away. Justin needs to know just how fast the service is here."

My face pales. Knowing my dad, what he's saying could possibly be true. "Dad!" I exclaim. "You don't need to do that!"

He looks at Mom and Aunty Elle, and then starts laughing. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he pulls me in for a hug and plants a quick kiss on my temple. "I'm just bugging you, Ads. Don't worry – we'll all act like the normal family members we are."

I groan into his shoulder. Knowing my family, we're far from normal. But that's why I love them so much. "Please don't do anything to embarrass me. Please."

Mom makes a pfft sound. "If anyone," she says, "you should be worried about Elle and Hart." She shoots Aunty Elle a glare that's nothing but playful. "Remember when you locked me out of the cabin that time in the freezing cold? I had no choice but to go to spend the night with Brett in his cabin."

Aunty Elle shrugs innocently. "Hart and I wanted you and Brett back together, so we put a plan into action."

"My sister: the genius," Dad sighs, getting to his feet. "Don't worry, Ads." He looks down at me. "Justin won't even know we're here."

"Thank you," I breathe, feeling relieved.

"But," Mom adds, "if you do need any help with anything at all, we're here."

I stare at the one stain I couldn't get out of my Keds and smile. "Thanks, Mom."

"Family," she winks.

A simple word that holds more than anyone could possibly fathom.

I get to my feet and smooth out my shirt. The butterflies have started beating their wings against the lining of my stomach, but I try not to think about them too much. I'm not the only one that's nervous about tonight, so no matter what happens, Justin and I are going to get through this.

Thanking everyone one more time, I head for the booth that's been reserved for Justin and I. It's in the back corner, near one of the many potted plants, and it has an excellent view of the lake. On top of that, it's my favourite seat. Especially in the summer when we open the windows and let the warm, lake-scented breeze come in from outside.

When the view can no longer satisfy my need for distraction, I begin playing with the small piece of twine that holds together the cutlery as I count down the minutes until Justin arrives.

All I can feel is nervous anticipation, but I kind of like it. I'm finally going on my first date and it's with a boy I'm extremely interested in.

I can't wait until he gets here.