Page 75 of Rules Of Engagement: St. Louis
I watched my father lift my mother’s hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. It was such a small gesture, but it held devotion, respect, and affection. Even now with his struggles with the wheelchair and her worries about his health, they still looked at each other like they were young lovers.
When I walked back into the kitchen, my mother immediately stood to pull me into a hug.
“I’m so sorry, baby. We should have just told him to leave.”
“It’s not your fault,”I said, resting momentarily in her comfort. “He’s manipulative. It’s what he does.”
“You don’t have to deal with him alone,”my father said firmly. “Next time he shows up here, I’ll handle it.”
“There won’t be a next time. I’ve re-blocked him, and I made sure he understands to never contact you all again.”
We returned to our seats, but the mood was sour. The comfort of family lunch had been disrupted by Gerald’s intrusion.
“Tell us about your week,”my mother said, clearly trying to steer the conversation to safer ground. “How’s the business?”
“Busy. I had to handle a situation with one of my employees, but it worked out.”I didn’t mention the police report or the blacklisting because it would surely worry them.
“Good for you,”my father said. “You know, parents’ main objective for their kids is to protect them. I hate that you’ve gone through so many battles in life and I couldn’t protect you from them. But still, you shine bright like a diamond, letting no feat pull you under.”
My brows rose. “You can’t protect me from everything. So it’s not your fault. Just know you raised me well enough to protect myself.”
“That does a father’s heart good,” he smiled, and I smiled back at him. My mother nodded. “I’m grateful because for a while I couldn’t think outside of myself. I learned so much from your mothers patience,” my father said, squeezing her hand. “When I came back from my last tour, I was angry at everybody. The government, the doctors, the whole world. Your mother could have walked away. It was too much to for any one person to handle and I couldn’t have fault her for leaving.”
“But I didn’t,”my mother said softly. “Because that’s not what you do when you love someone. You fight for them, with them, even when it’s hard.”
“Even when they’re too stubborn to ask for help,”my father added, giving her a look full of gratitude.
I watched this exchange between them, and an ache deep in my chest almost made tears burst from my eyes. This was what I thought I’d have with Gerald. This was what I’d been trying to create with someone who was fundamentally incapable of this kind of love.
“Are you seeing anyone?”my mother asked gently.
I frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you look different lately. Happier. More... I don’t know, settle in yourself when you first arrived.”
I thought about Christian, and our weekend in Tuscany.
“I’m focusing on myself right now,”I said, which wasn’t entirely a lie.
“That’s wise,”my father said. “After Gerald, you need time to remember who you are when you’re not trying to fix someone else’s problems.”
“But,”my mother added, “don’t close yourself off to love. There are good men out there who know how to love a woman properly.”
“Like your father,”she continued, reaching over to smooth down a strand of his gray hair. “He still brings me coffee in bed every morning after all these years.”
“Because you’re worth it,”my father said.
“Even when I’m grumpy and haven’t had my coffee yet?”
“That’s when you need it most.”
They shared a look that made me feel like I was intruding on something private and beautiful.
“How do you do it?”I asked. “How do you make it look so easy?”
“It’s not easy,”my mother said. “Marriage is work. Every single day, you have to choose to love the person you’re with and everything that comes with them—their flaws, their dreams, and their battles. At times you may become exhausted from it all, but if you’ve got a good partner, they’ll pour back into you, fill your cup, give you the strength you need to go on.”
My father nodded. “And it’s not a choice, you must have someone who’s making the same decisions for you.”
