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“Dad.” I cut him off from going any further. I have this ring in my pocket, and I’m going to fucking lose it if I don’t tell someone. Gabrielle is the first person I tell anything. The person I confide in the most, and the biggest secret I’ve had to keep I can’t even share with her yet. “It’s Gabrielle.”
He stares at me confused. “What’s Gabrielle?”
“The woman I’m seeing.” I pull the box out of my pocket and open it revealing a three carat round diamond ring. “We’ve been seeing each other for months. Coming up on a year actually in December.”
His eyes widen in shock and what I believe to be horror as his eyes flit from me to the ring box sitting between us. “You’re fucking with me.”
I shake my head. “No.”
“ARE YOU INSANE?” He bellows as he gets up from his chair so aggressively it falls over and bangs against the floor. “Your sister? Your nineteen year old sister?” he shouts before slamming his palm down on the table. “Before I ring your fucking neck, how did this happen?” My father rarely shouts and I don’t think he’s yelled at me since I was a teenager.
“I know how it looks, but you seemed to understand the feelings she had—”
“A harmless crush behind closed doors is way different than this!” He points at the box. “Not the fucking same!” It’s just the shock, give him a second to calm down, I think to myself. Sure enough, he takes a deep breath and his next words are calm. “How are we going to explain this?”
I shrug, not exactly giving a fuck about what a bunch of random people think. “I care what you and Mom and Monica think. Maybe some extended relatives but certainly not anyone else. And as far as you and Mom and Monica, I care, but there’s a limit to that. Not being with Gab isn’t an option.”
He’s staring out my window and for a moment he doesn’t say anything before he turns towards me, a scowl covering his features. “Did you…” he winces, “before she was eighteen?”
I know this is a question that I’m going to have to keep answering but it’s tough to hear nonetheless. “No. Dad, this is me and Gabrielle. Think about the last seventeen years.”
He picks up the overturned chair and slams it back in place before sitting down again. “Not helping your case, James.”
“It started right before Christmas last year.” I let out a sigh. “It just happened one night and I think it shocked us both how much we wanted to do it again. It was never a ‘this was a mistake thing.’ It was a ‘this feels so fucking right thing.’”
“I cannot believe what I’m hearing.” He says as he drops his head into his hands.
“When have I ever not looked out for her? When have I ever done anything but be there for her and do right by her?”
He runs a hand through his hair and lets out a deep sigh. “That’s exactly my point. You’ve been everything short of a parent to her and now you’re her partner?” My father knows how to be calm in even the most intense situations so I’m not surprised that he’s so collected despite his first outburst.
“I love her.”
He rubs a hand over his head. “It’s Gab, Son. You…you can’t have her like that.”
Watch me. I think immediately. “You think I went looking for this? That I wanted to make either of our lives this hard? Monica is just now talking to us after she found out.”
“Your sister knows?”
“Yes, and be happy you didn’t find out the same way she did.”
He puts a hand up. “I do not want to know; that’s my daughter you’re talking about. And right now, it’s hard to see you like my son and not the asshole defiling my little girl.”
“First off, Gabrielle is not little. Secondly, you and I both know that her hardest sell when she brought someone home was going to be me, not you.” If he can act like I’m not his son, then I can pretend he’s my woman’s dad and not my own.
“Watch it, James.”
“I taught her to drive. I taught her to drink.” I chuckle. “I taught her how to use the Subway here. I went to her college orientation with you and mom. I tutored her in math because quite frankly, she sucks.” I recall even more of her firsts that I’ve been a part of. “I was her second word after Mama. And I know that’s weird to think about but…she’s always been the love of my life. Even before it blossomed into this. When it was innocent. When I’d sit by her bed every night in case she woke up and needed someone. When I held her in my arms through the worst day of her life. And it took me a really long time to realize that nothing ever worked with other women because there was no room in my heart for anyone but her. I know our relationship is complicated and I’ve been her brother and protector and guided her through so many things and now I’m taking on a new role in her life, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop taking care of her, Dad. It just means…I’ll take care of her like a husband.”
“Son… if you were talking about anyone else in the world, I’d be so goddamn happy for you. I’ve never heard you talk about anyone that way. You’ve never even been remotely close to proposing. But this is Gabrielle; your baby sister that you’ve known for over half of your life.” He cocks his head to the side and shakes his head. “I can’t believe this is happening. I believe that this is real between you two but I can’t say I support this.”
“And that’s…well, it’s not fine and Gabrielle is going to be hurt. But I value and respect you as my father and her father. I just ask that you take some time to think about it and give me a chance to tell Gabrielle that you know. And don’t tell Mom yet?”
“Are you kidding? I’m not telling your mother this. This is your news and quite frankly I do not want to be the bearer of it.” He shakes his head. “I won’t say anything to Gab yet.”
“You and Gabrielle.” He crosses his arms and lets out a breath before looking down at the box. “Is this you asking for her hand in marriage or something?”
“Do I need it?”
