“Shut the door behind you,” my dad says.
Once the door is shut, Paul and I sit in the seat across the large oak desk. It’s a beautiful, regal office with stained wood paneling and a floor-to-ceiling library that houses mostly non-fiction about American wars and biographies about generals and world leaders.
My parents didn’t come from money but they have plenty of it now. My dad had to work his way from carpet cleaner to owning his own trucking company. All of that while raising a family of his own at the age of seventeen. He could’ve walked away and not too many people would’ve blamed him for doing so. But he didn’t do that. He’d stayed and worked hard and sacrificed to give me and my mom everything we could want or need.
Knowing I’ve probably broken his heart is more than I can bear. I don’t know what I would do if he looked at me any differently than he always has. I’m his little girl. I don’t want that to change.
He sits behind his imposing desk in a leather high-backed chair. On the desk is a photo of him and Paul at a Giants game. Next to it is a photo of me and mom. Three of the people he loves the most and two of those people have betrayed him.
He stands and walks around the desk, sitting on the edge beside me. He lets out a long sigh and shrugs his lips.
I apologize before he gets the chance to spew venom at me. “I’m so sorry I went behind your back,” I say. “Please don’t hate Paul. I don’t think I can stand it if you two weren’t friends because of me.”
He drops his shoulders and glances at Paul before looking back at me. “I can never hate Paul. He loves you. He’s going to be the father of my grandchild and he’s family. But I want to make sure this is what you want. You’re still young. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. You have options.”
My heart rises into my throat, and I swallow back tears. “I want this, Dad. I love Paul and I want to have a family with him.”
“And what about school? You have to promise me you won’t give up your dreams.”
“I have no intention of giving up anything. I can have it all with Paul’s help.”
He kisses my forehead. “Paul, can you go get my wife? We’re going out to celebrate.”
Paul hesitates. I can tell he doesn’t want to leave me alone, afraid my dad will say something to upset me. “It’s okay. I’ll be right out.”
Paul nods and leaves the room. Once he’s gone my dad says, “I know I seem like a hardass sometimes, and it’s hard to be affectionate, but I really do love you.”
I swallow back tears, my voice thick with emotion when I say, “I know. I love you, too.”
Three Months Later.
I’m finally walking down the aisle.
Not that aisle; I’m graduating. Friends and family pile into the university theater. The air conditioning is broken; people are sweaty and uncomfortable crammed inside the narrow seats. It’s a long ceremony and I was fairly certain if the valedictorian didn’t wrap things up he’d be heckled off stage.
Despite the grumpy atmosphere, I’m relieved. It’s been a long four years and a lot of hard work, but I’ve finally made it. The ceremony wraps up and the crowd roars as my graduating class throws our caps into the air.
In the mayhem I find Paul, my parents, and the rest of my family sitting near the back toward the exit. Once we finally make it out of the cluster-fuck of a parking lot, we meet up with Emily and her family at an Indian restaurant. Everyone in my family is giving me gifts. Paul just smirks, empty handed.
“What is that look for?” I ask him.
“You’ll see.”
I pick at my food. I’m not sure exactly what I ordered but I think the meat is goat. There’s also something with curry and yogurt. Every element on the plate has a mush consistency, and the smell is definitely not working for me. The one and only time I tried Indian food in the past, I enjoyed it—I didn’t know what I was eating then either, but it tasted good. Pregnancy has changed my sense of smell and taste. So far this baby inside of me seems to only like candy bars. That’s all I crave, and I’m his/her powerless servant. Luckily I have Paul around to make sure I have a balanced diet or it would be all sugar all the time.
“What do you mean, I’ll see?” I ask. “What will I see?”
My mom leans over and with an exaggerated *wink, wink* says, “He means you’ll see later tonight.”
“Ew, Mom, stop,” I said.
My dad is not amused. Though he seems happy for me and Paul and he didn’t protest when I moved into Paul’s gorgeous apartment, I don’t know if he’s fully on board yet with us as a couple. That will take time. Years maybe. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to see my child dating my best friend.