Page 84 of Where We Met

"I'm…sad. I miss him. It's been really hard to be in class and pretend like we don't know each other. It's hard to think back to how humiliating it was to have Dad storm into his house and demand I leave like I was a child."

She cringes. "I told him not to do it. He was so worried you were being taken advantage of, that this was some professor who does this to all of his students, that he couldn't see reason."

"Luke is nothing like that. Even if he was, it would've been my decision. But I would like to think that my own father knows me better than that. I'm not that the type of person. Luke isn't a full-time professor. He volunteered for one semester unpaid while the university finds a permanent replacement. So, no, Luke doesn't make a habit of this."

Her shoulders seem to drop in relief, letting go of her uncertainty.

"I'm happy to hear that. So, you two aren't talking right now?"

"No. We weren't even doing anything with each other when Dad stormed in. We made an agreement to wait until after the semester. Now that Dad scared the crap out of Luke, he said we shouldn't haveanycontact until the semester is over."

Veronica smiles. "He sounds like a good man."

"He is."

"Your father misses you," she says with sadness etched in her voice.

"I just need some time. Does he see how wrong his actions were?" I ask.

She seems to ponder my question. "Yes and no. He still is so protective of you. He's so angry with you and himself that you didn't tell him you needed help financially. I know you’ve had more heartache in your life than most people have to endure, but I think it made you go into some kind of survival mode. You walk around like you don’t want to burden the world, when you need to open up to the love the world can offer you.”

Her words hit so much, tears threaten to surface.

I do close myself off to the world when things get difficult. I guess it’s the only coping technique I have. Dad did the best he could, but he was grieving his own loss when my mother passed. I had to learn how to deal with things on my own.

“I know. I could've lost a lot of amazing people in my life simply because I was too scared to open myself up and be vulnerable. This whole thing has definitely been a huge eye-opener for me. But I do need him to see how he handled it was wrong. He pushed away the most important person in my life.”

“You love him.” A statement, not a question.

I shake my head as a single tear falls down my cheek. I wipe it quickly so nobody around us can see.

“I do,” I whisper, then pull my sunglasses down to cover the embarrassment I feel.

She smiles. “I can tell.”

“How?” I ask curiously.

“Well, a woman knows when another woman is hurting over a man. I can tell from the brief time we’ve spent together that you’re different now. I would say a bit sadder on the surface, but also, there’s something else. Meeting him has changed you. You seem more grounded in life.”

I’m surprised by her words. I do feel different now, like meeting him put a different perspective on life. He opened my eyes to what love is. I’m a changed person.

"I'm gonna work on your father. He'll get there, just give it some time. But your graduation is coming up next week. I do think you should put this aside temporarily so you two can enjoy the moment together. You don't want to look back and feel like there was a rift between you guys during a huge moment in your life."

She's right. He's the reason I'm here today, getting ready to accept my diploma. He never let my mother's sudden death steal any love from my life.

"I'll call him," I tell her.

She smiles. "Good. And it doesn't mean you have to forgive him right now, it just means you put it aside for right now."

I nod my head in agreement.

"Thank you for driving all the way up here for me."

"Of course, honey. You're my family now, too. I know we don't know each other that well yet, but I do look forward to growing our relationship."

Her words make my eyes water with such emotion. Can it be that at the age of twenty-two, I finally have a mother figure in my life? It's something I've desperately wanted all my life. I used to pray for it every night in bed when I was younger.

We spend the rest of breakfast just getting to know each other and enjoying our time together. I didn't realize how much I just needed some kind of unconditional love and support until now. She's made me feel heard and it's such a gift. I feel stronger and more confident in my own life decisions.

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