John, however, smiled as if her father hadn’t all but said he didn’t want this stranger at his table. “Yes, she did. Since we’ve been dating for a while now, we both thought it was time I met her parents.”
“How long is a while?” Judith asked. “Our daughter isn’t exactly forthcoming with information these days.”
Here we go, Caroline thought. “Mom, I told you about John after our second date.”
“And you’ve barely said a word about him since,” Judith stated.
Caroline returned her hard stare. “I wonder why.”
“Don’t get sassy,” Dennis warned.
“Stop being impolite,” Caroline volleyed back. Her heart thumped against her chest as fear sent a surge of adrenaline through her. She could count on one hand the times she’d spoken up to her father.
Dennis tilted his head back, looking down his sharp nose at her with his steely gray eyes before focusing on his dinner. The tension grew, and Caroline felt like she was dying with every minute that dragged on.
John did his best to win her parents over. He asked questions about her father’s company and complimented her mother on their home. He was met with curt answers and forced smiles every time.
They were about ten minutes into the awkward meal when Dennis said, “Caroline says you’re a police officer.”
“Yes, sir,” John said, still smiling as if he were unaware of the thunderstorm brewing around him. “I’ve been protecting the great city of Dayton for a little over five years now.”
“Five… How old are you?” Judith demanded.
“I applied to the police academy right out of high school, ma’am.”
“That doesn’t answer her question,” Dennis stated.
For the first time, John seemed a bit shaken. “I’m twenty-four.”
“Caroline is only nineteen,” her father boomed. His pale cheeks turned red and his eyes narrowed. “She’s a child.”
“No, sir,” John answered, calm and collected with the experience of an officer trying to defuse a situation before it started. “She’s an adult.”
Dennis threw his cloth napkin on the table as he glared at John. “Nineteen is hardly adulthood.”
“I’m in college.” Caroline couldn’t think of any other way to validate her age and maturity but felt that should be enough.
“That doesn’t make you grown.” Dennis focused on John. “What are your intentions with our daughter?”
“Dad!”
John put his hand on Caroline’s. “I love your daughter, Mr. Stewart.”
“What do you know of love?” Judith asked with that exasperation she used when she was exhausted from trying to talk sense into Caroline.
John looked at Judith. “I know that I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I know that Caroline is the kindest, most supportive woman I’ve ever known. I know that someday, when she’s ready, we’ll start planning a future together.”
John had said all those things to Caroline before, but for some reason, she hadn’t really believed them until he’d shared his plan with her parents.
“Caroline isn’t ready for that,” Judith offered. “She isn’t as mature as other girls.”
Caroline jerked her face toward her mother. “What?”
“You’re not. You’re…shy and emotionally underdeveloped. You’re not prepared for the things he might be prepared for.”
The heat of humiliation rushed to Caroline’s cheeks. Sex. Her mother was saying, in front of John, that Caroline wasn’t ready for sex. “I’m in college,” she said again.
“You’re still a child,” her father stated.
Caroline wanted to cry. Her parents had humiliated her plenty in her life, but this was worse. Way worse. They were intentionally undermining her in front of John. “Thank you for dinner, but I think we should go,” she said as she stood.
“Caroline,” her mother called, but she didn’t stop.
“It was nice meeting you,” John said from behind her.
By the time they reached the front door, hot tears had filled Caroline’s eyes. John slipped his shoes on in silence and opened the door for her, as he always did. She was outside before she was able to inhale again. When she did, her intake was a gasping hiccup.
“Hey.” John’s voice came out so soft and soothing, Caroline nearly crumbled. He pulled her against him and enveloped her in one of his big bear hugs, reminding her that even if her parents rejected everything about her, he wanted her. He accepted her.
“I’m sorry.”
He hugged her closer. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I told you it would be terrible.”
“They’ll come around,” he said. “They’re trying to protect you.”
She pulled away from him. “No, John. They’re trying to keep me locked in a box. They always have. I’m not stupid.”
He used his thumbs to wipe her cheeks. “No, you’re not, baby. I promise. You’re great. Perfect. They’re overprotective, that’s all.”
“No, John, they’re autocrats.”
That adorable lopsided grin curved his lips. “I don’t know what that means.”
She laughed slightly. “They’re bossy.”
“So say they’re bossy, smarty pants.”
The way he smiled made her believe he’d known all along what she was saying. He was trying to make her feel better. In that moment, she knew what she had already suspected: she was head over heels in love with this man, and nothing her parents did could change that.
“Mom,” Carol said, keeping her voice soft and steady so her mother didn’t feel attacked, “lunch is ready. Would you join us, please?” She was met with silence and had to remind herself not to play into the passive-aggressive behavior. They were too early into this visit to start hurling grenades at each other. “I would like for you to join us. Please.”
Several more seconds passed before Judith turned her face up, acknowledging Carol’s presence. “I tried to make you see that he was no good. I tried to protect you from him.” Her voice was a mix of accusation and hurt, as if it pained her to bring up the past.
Carol knew, however, nothing brought her mother more pleasure than throwing Carol’s mistakes into her face. “I was young and inexperienced and completely infatuated with John. You couldn’t have convinced me to break up with him.”
“If he hadn’t gotten you pregnant—”
“But I did get pregnant,” she said firmly. “And never once, in all these years, have I regretted having a child with him. I loved my daughter.”
Judith frowned but softened her tone the slightest bit. “I know that.”
Carol let her defenses slip as well. “We had Katie for six beautiful years. It’s taken me a long time, but I’m learning to focus on that instead of on what might have been. I’d love if you could too.”
“He took her from us.”
Carol took several steps, closing the distance between them. Where she wouldn’t have hesitated in taking her aunt’s hands, she looked at her mother’s, debating, before finally sitting next to her and grasping her hands. She waited for Judith to meet her eyes before saying, “Blaming John tore me up inside for years. I’m not doing it anymore. I can’t make you forgive him, but I did, and I need you to respect that.”