“And what did AJ do? Sit back and let his father talk bad about you?” Daddy asked, obviously expecting to hear that AJ hadn’t defended me at all.
“No! Of course not! He stood up to him and demanded that he respect me.” My father’s eyes widened slightly and I could see from his expression that he was beginning to question whether he’d misjudged AJ. “He’d never let anyone talk about me that way. Not even his parents,” I added “So, is that when you two decided to leave?” He asked.
“No, I stayed through dinner for AJ, but while his mom and I were in the kitchen cleaning up, he and his dad got into it again in the living room.” I stopped there not wanting to mention the part about Charleston.
“They were still arguing about you?” He inquired.
“Yeah……kind of,” I replied.
He stared at me curiously. “What’s ‘kind of’ mean?”
Disclosing my and AJ’s plan to my father was not on my agenda for tonight, but he seemed to be opening up to the idea of AJ and I being together. I fully believed that he would be receptive, so I blurted it out. “He told his father that he was coming to Charleston with me.” Daddy’s eyes bucked. “He was accepted to Westwood and passed on it to be with me.”
He stared at me for a long time and then my phone rang in my pocket. Without taking my eyes off my father, I pulled it out and answered it. “Hello?”
“Can you come outside?” AJ asked. I hadn’t even realized it was him.
“Yeah. When? Now?” I asked excitedly. I was on my feet with my hand on the door knob by this time.
“I’m already out front,” he replied.
I snapped my phone shut and opened the door, turning to look back at Daddy to explain why I was in such a rush. But before I could, he spoke. “Is he outside?” He asked.
“Yeah, and I don’t know how long he has because his dad grounded him. I don’t even know how he managed to get out of the house at all,” I explained.
He deliberated for a few seconds and I became more anxious to get to AJ as I waited. “Why don’t you call him back and invite him in.”
Before daddy had a chance to change his mind I called AJ back on Karl’s phone and relayed Daddy’s message. He was hesitant, but he gave in. Half a minute later he was in view and I ran out onto the porch to meet him. Daddy stood behind me in the doorway, but I didn’t care. I threw my arms around AJ and squeezed him close to me. Neither the freezing cold nor the falling snow mattered to me at that moment. All of that faded away as we embraced. Daddy cleared his throat from behind me causing me to back up from AJ a little. I held his hand and led him the rest of the way to the door and closed it behind us. I was more nervous about this than I cared to admit. Their eyes were locked on one another.
“AJ, I’d like you to meet my father.” He was hesitant, but then extended his hand toward Daddy.
I held my breath and waited. Mom was standing in the doorway to the kitchen in absolute shock. After a few seconds my father reached out and took AJ’s hand and spoke. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” I couldn’t believe that I’d gotten my wish. The two men who meant the most to me in the world were no longer enemies.
Mom smiled and moved toward my father and placed her hand on his back. “Alright. Well, we know you two have some things to discuss.” She looked up at my father cautiously before continuing. “It’s fine if you want to go to your room for some privacy.”
“But leave the door open.” My father amended quickly.
I smiled at Daddy and nearly dragged AJ up the stairs. Once in my room I had to hug him again. I couldn’t stop staring and smiling at him. He seemed like he felt the same sense of relief that I felt. When we were finally able to separate ourselves my knees felt like they’d give out. I sat on the edge of my bed and exhaled sharply. AJ pulled out the desk chair and sat across from me, still watching me intently.