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Max’s cabin on the other hand…
The knock turns into a pounding, followed by the voice we both knew we’d have to deal with at some point, just not while we were still on our cruise.
“Charlene… Charlie? Open up… Charlene!”
Max wants to go, but I tell him not to. “I’ll go.”
I knew it was coming and I only hope dad won’t get too crazy if I’m here with Max.
But what in the hell is he doing here?
Max fills the doorway between my cabin and his, not trying to hide anything. Ready to support me whatever happens.
Taking a deep breath, I notice how much I’m shaking, wishing I’d let Max come to the door with me after all. Needing his big strong arms around me more than ever right now.
Dad’s red-lidded eyes, damp with tears are the first thing I notice, then the Captain standing behind him with the maid, who mouths the word ‘sorry’ before slinking away.
“I’ll take it from here,” my dad says to the Captain, and with a stiff nod, he turns his attention back to me, shaking his head as he steps inside.
“I was going to surprise you. I finished up the Taiwan deal early, had a big celebration planned… huge contract…” he says absently, sounding broken. Not even registering Max in the doorway a few feet away.
“You did surprise me, dad,” I tell him truthfully, lightly hugging him and pecking his cheek, drawing a creased smile from him.
“And me,” Max finally says, stepping forward and I hear my dad’s sharp inhalation as his eyes narrow on Max.
“You… How… Dare you!” he roars, and I step back, feeling frightened all of a sudden. My dad’s never so much as raised his voice to anyone my whole life. His voice is deep, thick and filled with nothing but anger, hatred even. Not something I can associate with him.
It doesn’t sound like my dad.
Both his hands are fists and he waves them in the air in front of himself, trying to move over to Max, but only looking weaker with every step as he’s overcome with emotion.
“How could you, Max? I told you, I trusted you… I asked you to look after the only thing that matters to me,” he sobs.
By the time he reaches Max, whose hands are at his sides, he’s almost bent over with defeat.
I wince as dad throws a punch, but it’s wide. Max doesn’t flinch but his own eyes soften for his friend. After a second, equally lame swing at him, Max opens his arms wide, motioning for my dad with his hands and holds him. Holds him tight while he lets out all his pain.
I join them both, the three of us holding each other until my dad calms himself enough to realize that there’s nothing bad happening between Max and me, it’s not what he thought, it’s the opposite.
“I did tell you I’d take care of Charlene, Mark… and I’m going to, for the rest of her life. But I’ll need your blessing,” Max says, his voice deep, powerful and clear. His eyes bright and true.
I feel my own tears coming, but they’re tears of joy, hearing Max speaking like this, it’s too much.
“I love you Max,” I say. For the first time I hear myself say it out loud and I’m not surprised at how strong I sound.
“I love you,” Max says firmly, and taking my dad under one of his arms, he pulls me closer to him with the other.
“How long…?” my dad asks, as if in a dream. “How long has this been going on? I have a right to know.”
“I’ve loved both of you like family as long as I’ve known you Mark,” Max says. “But it was at Charlene’s graduation, once I saw the beautiful, smart, grown up you helped her become that I realized I loved her in a different way. In a way that a man loves his wife.”
A gasp escapes me and my dad groans, but he’s smiling through his tears now, reaching his hand out to mine and squeezing it, telling me softly that he loves me.
“It’s not because you want to get back at me?” My dad asks hesitantly, and Max shakes his head.
“Never. You’re a corporate player, Mark. I’m not. I know what I want in this life and I’m looking at it. I’d like to share our life with you, as my friend… just say the word… dad.”
“I never could stay mad at you, Max… you’re so damned…”
“Perfect,” I chime in, and we all hug tighter, Max’s huge arm around me, pulling me in close as he whispers into my ear, “Now, that’s a proposal… will you marry me?”
Before I can even answer, my dad’s speaking for all of us, sobbing the words ‘yes, yes… Yes!’
Looking Max in the eye, I tell him myself, “Yes. I will marry you, Max and I love you more than you’ll know, with all my heart.”
