AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shrugged, trying to play it off as if I was as unbothered as she seemed. “Okay, sounds good to me,” I said.
She nodded, then grabbed my hand; my heart leapt into my throat. “Let’s go introduce you to Dad,” she said firmly.
ChapterNine
CIARA
Everything’s going to be fine. You just have to get through this one thing.
I kept repeating that to myself, from the moment I found out about the animation program, to the moment I saw Nathan pull into the driveway. It didn’t matter that my chest felt about ready to split open, or that my throat burned. Everything would be fine. It had to be.
I repeated my mantra to myself one last time before I opened the door and called out to my dad. “Nathan’s here!”
“I’m in the kitchen,” Dad called back. “Come on in.”
I exchanged a look with Nathan, and we walked to the kitchen. I tried to see my house through Nathan’s eyes, wondering what he thought about the mess in the living room that Dad and I never got around to cleaning, or the photos of Mom that we never took down. Would he find it weird that we practically lived in a museum dedicated to my mom, never changing anything for fear of losing her memory?
I took another breath.Everything will be fine. You just have to get through this one thing.
When we reached the kitchen, Dad turned around, a spatula in his hand and a smile on his face. I relaxed; Dad’s smiles were few and far between, so if he was smiling, it was a good day.
“Hey…Nathan, right?” Dad said. He dropped the spatula on the counter and wiped off his hands on his jeans. “Charles Payne. Pleasure to meet you.”
The two shook hands, meeting eye-to-eye. I felt myself settle, my emotions firmly locked away.
Nathan seemed at ease, which was a relief. My dad was an intimidating man at six feet, seven inches and almost three hundred pounds. Many people, upon first meeting him, asked him if he played football, because the sheer size of him made them cower. It was because of this that he often kept his deep voice quiet and calm. Even at the height of his depressive episodes, he’d been more internal than external, choosing to withdraw as opposed to fight or be angry. My mom used to call him her teddy bear.
When they let each other’s hands go, my dad gestured toward the kitchen table. “Sit,” he encouraged. “I was just making lunch for us. Do you like stir-fry?”
“Love it,” Nathan responded, grinning as we sat down.
I hid a smile; I suspected that even if my dad had said we were eating liver and onions for lunch, Nathan would have had the same reaction.Prince Charming, in full force.
“Good.” My dad nodded. “I’ll make you a plate. So what brings you? Ciara, apparently, has been keeping you a secret; I didn’t even know she was dating anyone, let alone dating someone exclusively.”
Nathan looked at me as if asking for permission; I inclined my head, a signal for him to go on. Nathan turned back to my dad.
“Well, sir, that’s actually why I wanted to stop by.” He cleared his throat, straightened in his chair. “I stopped by to see you.”
Dad tilted his head, dropping into an empty chair on my left. “To see me?” he repeated. “Why?”
Though Nathan appeared calm on the outside—neutral with a friendly look, with a slightly bashful half-smile—I saw his Adam’s apple move up and down as if he gulped. I reached for his hand, squeezing it for reassurance. He squeezed back.
“Sir,” he said. “We plan to get married, and we would like your blessing.”
The room was quiet for what could have been seconds or days. I held my breath, waiting for my dad’s reaction, not sure how he would respond.
Finally, my dad sat back in his chair. “Oh.”
“I know it’s sudden,” I jumped in. “And I know it seems to be coming out of nowhere—”
“No, it’s not that,” Dad said, scratching his head. “It’s just…well, I thought we had more time before you left home.”
Oh.
He laughed sheepishly, running a meaty hand over his short, tight curls. “I know you’re twenty-five,” he said to me. “And I know I’ve been threatening to kick you out of the nest for months now. But I wasn’t prepared.”
He stood up suddenly, and we stood up with him. “Will you two excuse me a minute?” Dad said. “I’ll be back.” And then, he walked out of the kitchen through the back door.
