Chapter 44 I Don’t Think He’ll Punch You #2
“For you to crush my head between your super bulged arms.”
Keaton states it as if it were obvious. Norma, his mom, scoots over towards Mom and me, both of them anchoring their arms with mine as Keaton faces down our dads.
“You want me to hit you?” Dad clarifies.
“Yes, sir.”
Chester and Dad have a silent conversation. Then Chester shrugs, as if to say ‘do what you have to do’, so he turns his attention back to Keaton.
“Will this make you feel better?”
Keaton lifts in a half shrug. “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s the least I deserve from you.”
“I see.” Dad rolls his head along his shoulders as he drops his arms and puffs his chest out. “Are you ready, then?”
Wait. He’s not really going to hit him, is he?
“Trust your father,” Mom whispers.
Keaton blows out a breath and stands taller. “I’m ready.”
My mouth drops open at how quick my father moves. Keaton doesn’t even flinch at how quickly he comes at him. He’s been expecting it to come to this since the moment he betrayed me.
Dad’s arm swings out, and I turn my head, unable to watch. Norma doesn’t let me, though.
“Like your mom said. Trust your father. Watch.”
Her voice is low enough that I know my Mom and I are the only ones who hear her.
Instead of Dad’s fist connecting with his cheek like I expect, he wraps his entire arm around the back of Keaton’s neck and pulls until he topples towards him. Then those big, burly arms of my dad wrap completely around Keaton in a bear hug.
But it’s not until I hear that quiet sob from Keaton that tears drip down my face.
Dad glances over to check on me, and I give him a soft smile to let him know I’m truly okay.
Keaton pulls away and uses his shirt to wipe away his tears. “Why?”
“Because my daughter is a grown adult, Keaton. She knows her own heart and mind. If she believes you’re worth another chance, we won’t stand in the way of that.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m still angry at you.
I’m hurt and disappointed. Those are emotions that will eventually fade the longer you make my daughter happy.
I need you to understand something, though.
And I mean really fucking hear me, son. You ever hurt her again, and my friendship with your parents will not stop me from laying your ass out. Understood?”
“I understand, sir. Believe me when I say I never plan to hurt her again. Not if I can help it.”
“There will always be some form of hurt in a relationship, son,” Chester says, placing his hand on Keaton’s shoulder.
“It’s inevitable. You just have to make sure it’s a hurt you can heal from.
It may be big or small. Miscommunications.
Misunderstandings. Little white lies. Things you don’t essentially think about will be there waiting for their moment.
You have to stay vigilant against them. Otherwise, as you’ve learned, they’ll be there to creep their way in to poison the heart and mind. ”
Keaton’s eyes flit between his parents and mine. “I’m sorry I let you all down. You raised me better than that.”
“You let us down, but I believe you let yourself down more,” my mom says.
Mom tries to stay tough, but it’s impossible not to soften in the face of his raw regret.
“I did,” Keaton agrees. “But I promise to do better.”
Mom nods with a gentle smile. “Okay.”
Each parent repeats the gesture when Keaton looks at him. There’s a humbleness on his face that I haven’t seen in such a long time. A gratefulness that he’s having a hard time putting into words.
“Okay?” Keaton chokes out. “That’s it?”
My mom shrugs. “If Charlie forgives you, then so do we. It wouldn’t be fair of us to continue holding something against you when she was the one directly affected by your betrayal.”
She wraps her arms around him, hugging him tightly, before pulling away.
When she looks at him this time, there’s a frightening, stern expression on her face.
“Know this, kiddo. It won’t be my husband you’ll have to fear if you break my daughter again.
You might have forgotten that I’m a crime scene investigator, but I have not. ”
Worried about how his parents will take her threat to their son, my eyes jerk toward them. I should have known better, though. Both of them stare at Keaton with faces just as stern as my parents.
Keaton’s shoulders deflate, and he nods. “I never forgot, ma’am. You have my permission to do what needs to be done if I break my promise.”
With the air finally cleared, I clap my hands and smile at my family. “Since that’s done and out of the way, can we go get something to eat? I’m starving.”
My dad glares at Keaton playfully. “Are you starving my daughter?”
“Ready to punch me now?” Keaton asks helpfully.
“He may not be, but I am if I don’t get some food in my belly,” I grumble.
Keaton walks over to me, his smile loving as his eyes roam over my face. When he reaches me, he cups my cheek in his palm. His thumb caresses my skin, a soothing gesture that has me melting into him.
“Then we should probably feed you. We don’t want a hangry Charlie on our hands,” he teases, brushing a kiss over my lips.
“Damn straight.”
The room fills with chuckles at my sassy response.
That sound tells me we’ll be all right. The road ahead won’t be smooth, but if we stick together, we’ll weather every bump with only a few scrapes.
Sometimes love wins.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
I’m just thankful that ours will survive.
Maybe our love is a little bent, not as shiny as it used to be. But it’s alive and thriving beneath our skin, humming in our veins, dancing with every heartbeat.