34. Sarah
Ididn’t think dinner would be easy, especially given how upset Dad had been with my choices over the past few months, but so far, things were civil. I sat across from Nev, Emily to her right between her and Dad. And Michael sat to my left, a bit too close to my father for my liking. Mom sat opposite Dad with her head hung and her fork in her hand, pushing the Brussels sprouts around her plate.
No one said a word after we were seated, and when Michael arrived, Dad and disappeared to his workbench in the garage for a while. My assumption was that he was avoiding a conversation that might turn sour. I didn’t mind Dad being avoidant. It was better than his being nosy or putting Michael through an interrogation. Now, though, it was just painful how avoidant everyone was being.
Emily jabbered happily to anyone who would listen to her, but I felt the tension in the room increasing with each bite. I knew just how awkward it felt to be in similar situations and I felt bad for Michael. He hadn’t done anything wrong at all. All of this was my doing, but my mom was too timid to really say much, and Dad acted like Michael was the bad guy. I had to say something because it was bothering me.
When I’d had enough of the clinking of silverware and nonsense chatter from my four-year-old, I broke the silence. “It’s awfully quiet tonight, more so than normal.” I looked up at Mom, who kept her head down. I hadn’t even heard her true feelings on the matter, only the tidbits she shared that night in my room. Nev smirked at me and continued chewing her bite, and I knew she was eating this up. It was like a soap opera to her.
“I don’t mind a nice, peaceful dinner,” Michael chimed in. I knew he thought he was being helpful, but he didn’t understand my family. Silence meant one of two things. Either things were about to blow up or?—
“I’m sorry,” Dad said, setting his fork down.
Or Dad was trying to decide what to say.
Everyone at the table looked up at his words, even Emily. She patted his arm and said, “It okay, Pop. I fogive you. It be awight.” Her little hand rubbed up and down his forearm and made Nev chuckle, then Mom. Then I smiled and tried not to snicker, and Dad shook his head with a grin on his face.
“Thank you, baby.” He took her hand and bent down to kiss it, and when he straightened, he looked up at Michael, not me. “I’m sorry for blowing up at you. I didn’t know all the facts and I went off half-cocked. I should have understood the situation better before making those assumptions and snapping at you.”
It was the most heartfelt apology I thought I’d ever heard my father give, and it brought tears to my eyes. Dad was a hothead, and his temper got the best of him sometimes, but even with all of his controlling and micromanaging of my life and my choices, he still showed he loved me and Emily. He was a good man with a good heart, the type of man I wanted Michael to be in our lives too.
“It’s okay, Mr. Bennett. We’re all human. I’d expect nothing less from you. You love your daughter and you just wanted to protect her.” Michael set his fork aside and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He thought accepting my father’s apology was all he had to do and we’d finish our meal in happiness and laughter, but I knew what was coming next.
It happened when Nev brought someone home, and it happened the one time I was dumb enough to introduce a man I was dating to my father. Dad’s idea of approving of our paramours included a thorough interview and lighthearted threats, the way a dad of a teenage daughter might act. Except we were well into adulthood and didn’t need the protection. Still, it made him happy, so I sat back with my hands folded and my chin rested on them as I watched.
“Mr. Lawson, I need to ask you what your intentions are with my daughter.” Dad’s eyes narrowed on Michael, and I saw the flicker of annoyance on my loving boyfriend’s face as Dad disregarded his title of Doctor.
“Well, sir, I intend to get to know her thoroughly and perhaps someday have a family with her. I want to?—”
“And my granddaughter?” he asked, unaware that I hadn’t even told Emily about who Michael really was. But Michael handled it expertly, and I felt my heart swell with pride and admiration.
“Well, Emily is the most fantastic four-year-old I’ve ever met. I hope to be around her life for a very long time and take the absolute best care of her that I can. She’s going to need strong, honorable men to support and encourage her, and I think I’m up for that task.” Michael sat back and folded his hands in his lap. I loved this diplomatic side of him. I had never seen him so calm and collected.
Dad looked frustrated that Michael seemed to be answering every question wisely and with such tact. The entire point of these little interrogations was to catch him in a slip-up and make him stumble over his words. It made me snicker quietly, and Mom had a smile on her face now.
“What about your career? You can obviously take care of the material needs my daughter and granddaughter have, but will you have time to be the type of man you should be?” Dad, now also speaking very diplomatically, raised his eyebrows. He must’ve caught on to the fact that we hadn’t said much to Emily.
Nev busied herself with helping Emily with her meal now that adult conversation had overridden her babbling. Emily chewed her food quietly, but she’d pushed all of her Brussels sprouts off the plate onto the tablecloth.
“Sir, I assure you I have more than enough time in my day to day to be a proper partner to Sarah. Why all these questions?” Michael leaned forward now, elbows on the table, hands folded together over his plate. He looked thoughtful but calm, though I saw the stormy way his eyebrows knit closer together.
“I can’t be careful enough with my family. It’s not every day a father has to let go of his daughter.” Dad’s face refused to admit what his heart was feeling, but I saw a tear in the corner of his eye.
Michael nodded knowingly and took my hand under the table as he relaxed back into his seat again. I laced my fingers through his and felt content that his answers had satisfied Dad’s curiosity and nosiness. Emily, however, didn’t think enough questions were asked because she took over talking again.
“I has question.” She tilted her head slightly, her round cheeks covered in butter from the roll she was eating.
“A question for who, baby?” Nev asked, helping her cut her sprouts in half.
“Nana… I has question. Do I have to eat the green ball?” Emily scrunched her nose up, and everyone chuckled. “Not waff at me.” Her second comment only made us laugh more.
When the laughter died down, Dad asked Michael a question that I wasn’t expecting. One I wasn’t sure Michael wanted to answer.
“Do you intend to marry my daughter?” Dad’s expression was stern. He stared at Michael as he leaned over his plate.
“How was your day at the park?” Mom interjected, looking right at me. It was a mood breaker I was thankful for as a blush crept across my cheeks.
“So fun! So fun!” Emily clapped and interrupted the whole conversation again. “Mommy say we can go to park again ’nother day. I like park. Mommy new friend came to park too and go on slide and swing. And it a nice day.”
I was so in love with her chubby little face, I could pinch her cheeks. She picked up a half of a Brussels sprout and put it onto my dad’s plate, and he raised an eyebrow and scowled. “You can has.”
I chuckled. “Baby, you need to eat your vegetables.” I was thankful for the break in the conversation. Dad was purposely putting Michael on the spot, and I didn’t like that, but I didn’t dare call him out right now.
“I am most definitely going to visit you one day soon to ask for your blessing.” I heard Michael’s whisper even though he seemed he didn’t want anyone else to hear, and it made me smile. Nev batted her eyelashes at me and grinned, and I knew she heard him too.
“Next question! Who want dessert?” Emily’s face scrunched into a sullen scowl, mirroring my father’s, and I smiled.
“That sounds delicious.” I turned to Michael. “Want to help me?” I asked, and he eagerly nodded his agreement.
We stood and slipped out of the dining room, leaving Mom to deal with Dad’s overly pushy questioning, and I held Michael’s hand as we stepped into the kitchen to get the ice cream. He acted surprised when I twirled around and pulled him against my body, pressing my lips to his in an impromptu kiss. When he pulled away, he was all smiles.
“What was that for?” he asked, letting his arms hook around behind my back. He pulled me close and swayed his hips against mine.
“Oh, nothing. I just think you’re pretty much the most amazing man I’ve ever met.” When Michael turned down the job, I knew he was staying here. I also knew he was very good at romancing me with compliments said in my presence to strangers. It was touching, but it was nothing compared to this moment. Hearing him tell my father he intended to marry me one day set my heart on fire. It gave me confidence that everything would work out.
“Oh, yeah? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Wait until you see my mom’s reaction to Emily. She’s gonna have a coronary, and I’m gonna save her life right then and there.” His doctor humor was so over the top, I had to laugh.
“Hey, no hanky-panky in there!” Nev called after hearing my giggles, and Emily scolded us too.
“No panky-panky!”
Her cute voice only made the moment sweeter. I leaned in for another lingering kiss, wishing we were alone for this moment but savoring the sweet time we had together.
“I love you, Dr. Michael Lawson, and I think we’re going to be just fine.” I nuzzled his nose with mine, and he reached out and bit my lip.
“I love you too, Nurse Bennett. Now get my ice cream and feed it to me because if we keep standing here smooching like this, I’m gonna want to make Emily a baby brother or sister for real.” As he said the words, he ground his pelvis into mine and nipped at my lip again.
“Later…” I hissed, pressing a finger to his lips.
We scooped the ice cream into six bowls and returned with chocolate sauce and sprinkles and lots of love and laughter. My nightmare of a life had come around to be more than I even imagined. All my trepidation and worry about Michael’s reaction and his dreams for his future ended up being wasted energy on my part. In all of the storm of thoughts and fears, I had imagined Michael as being someone he wasn’t—intimidating, controlling, or punitive.
In reality, he was the kindest, most caring man I’d ever met. And with him by my side, I knew we could get through anything. And I felt like my father believed that too. Life was working out just the way it was supposed to in just the right timing.