Chapter 12
Napa, California
Her parents were just leaving the diner.
Surprised to see Ella getting out of a car with a strange man, her mother called out, “Ella, what are you doing here? I thought you were sick. Julia called and said you had the flu.” Walking over, she put her hand on Ella’s forehead.
“You don’t feel feverish.” Then she turned toward Ben.
She gave him the once over and asked, “Who are you?”
Instead of answering immediately, Ben jogged around to where Ella was and took her hand in his.
He had said they were a team now. Ella guessed he really meant it, and this was their first real test. Just as Ben was about to introduce himself, Ella’s dad put up a hand to stop him.
He looked down where Ben held Ella’s hand and then gave him a sneer, showing his disapproval of Ben freely touching his daughter.
Trying to salvage the moment, Ben reached out his other hand to Ella’s dad’s, saying “Ben Carrington, sir.” Her dad did not shake his hand or acknowledge the introduction.
At that, somewhat confused, Ben turned to Ella’s mother and offered her his free hand. He repeated his name, “Ben Carrington, ma’am.”
Sighing, her mother shrugged, then reached out and shook Ben’s hand. “Sandra Santiago.” Then added, “How do you know our Ella? And why are you here?” It was as if her mother sensed that Ben’s presence could only spell trouble. The whole time Ella’s father continued to stare at Ben.
After a moment, Ella found her voice and said, “We need to talk. As a family.”
At her words, Ben dropped Ella’s hand. Drawing her in closer, he placed his arm around her shoulder before adding, “Yes, we have some things to tell you. Can we all go inside and visit for a moment?”
Ella’s parents looked at each other and then back at Ella and the handsome stranger she had brought home with her. Her father nodded toward the house. Saying nothing, they all filed up the steps and into the living room of the large, two-story house that had been Ella’s home her whole life.
Ella introduced Ben to her parents and siblings. Together, they shared the news of their engagement and pregnancy. All of it went over about as well as the proverbial turd in a punch bowl. Ella’s parents did indeed freak out.
Everyone agreed that Ella must have the baby.
But her parents wanted her to leave the baby with them and for her go on to school in Michigan.
They promised to care for their grandchild, but only if Ella completely broke it off with Ben immediately.
They assured her that they did not blame her for getting pregnant before marriage.
She was an innocent girl who had gotten mixed up with the wrong kind.
Surely, it was all Ben’s fault. He had lured her into doing things she would never have done otherwise.
Even though her mother said she did not blame Ella directly, Ella could see the shame and disappointment in her eyes.
Ella’s parents assumed that she had gotten pregnant that weekend when Ben first came to town. Ella did not mention anything about meeting him in secret several times on her weekends in San Luis Obispo. She knew that would just be lighter fluid on the fire currently churning up her life.
When her parents tried to blame Ben for everything, Ella did her best to defend him.
She told them how much she loved and respected him.
She tried to share all the wonderful things about him.
However, in the end, they were not open to listening.
They were even more closed off to the idea of them marrying.
And as far as the idea about Ella returning to Malibu to live with Ben, forget it. Her father absolutely forbade it.
It was a long, miserable two hours that felt more like a criminal hearing than a family discussion.
Through it all, Ben never left Ella’s side.
He held her hand and reassured her. No matter what anyone said to or about him, he stood firm in his devotion to her.
Occasionally, he would look at her as if he was shocked at how hostile her family could be.
Ella was not. She had tried to warn him.
When Ella would look back on this day in the future, she would remember there had been a lot of yelling, tears, threats, and recriminations.
She would always wish the day had ended differently.
But it didn’t. It ended ugly, with Ella crying and Ben trying to help her calm down.
He was her rock after her father declared that if Ella left with Ben and went to Malibu to “live in sin,” she would be dead to him.
Ben rubbed Ella’s back, offering silent strength when her mother collapsed in a puddle of tears at the table, begging Ella to “please break it off with that boy and not tear the family apart.” He was calm and steady as he loaded the rental car with Ella’s two hastily packed suitcases.
All the while, her father stood in their front yard yelling some pretty awful things that Ella knew in her heart he did not mean.
At that moment, it felt like a crazy nightmare—one she would not have survived without Ben.
Even still, Ella cried all the way to Sacramento and the whole flight home.
Although Ben was acting strong for Ella, inside he had never felt more angry or at a loss of what to do in his entire life.
Her family was a lot, and he had never been around anything like what he just experienced.
For as awful as it had been, Ben could tell that Ella’s parents loved her very much.
They just had a very different life in mind for her than the one she was embarking on with him.
He could not imagine his parents talking to him the way Ella’s had talked to her.
He did not know how to fix those relationships for her.
But he could hold her hand. Tell her he loved her.
Promise never to leave. Tell her everything was going to be okay.
He was not sure he actually believed that, but he instinctively knew it was what Ella needed to hear. Or at least, he hoped it was.