Page 87 of The Valentines Day Proposal

Arm-in-arm, Brennon and Katy walked up onto the porch. They looked at one another one last time before Katy pulled her key out and they stepped inside. In the foyer, they took their coats and scarfs off then Katy yelled out, “Mom! Dad! We’re here.”

The sound of dishes and pots clanking together came from the kitchen. Katy told Brennon to hold on for just a second and she made her way around to the kitchen. There, she found her mother Linda putting dishes away; steam billowed up to the ceiling from a couple of pots on the stove. Linda paused and looked at her daughter. The two then met in the middle of the kitchen and hugged.

“I missed you, Katy,” Linda said.

Katy looked into her mother’s eyes. “Yeah, I missed you too.”

“Is Brennon here?” Linda asked, looking passed Katy.

Katy nodded. “Yeah, he’s waiting up by the front door. Where is Dad?”

Linda swallowed. “He’s up in his office. He just went up there to send an email, but he should be coming back down any second now. I’ll go ahead and get things set up if you and Brennon want to go ahead and sit at the dining room table.”

“Okay, Mom,” Katy said, still with her guard up. She then walked around to the foyer. Just as she’d been about to cross over the threshold from the living room into the foyer, she heard her father talking...talking to Brennon.

Katy stopped before she would’ve stepped in front of the doorway. She listened as her father greeted Brennon.

“Hey, Mister Richard,” Brennon said, shaking his hand. “How are you?”

“Hello Brennon,” Richard said. “I’m doing well, I’m doing well. Um, thank you for coming.”

“Oh, no, thank you for inviting me,” Brennon said. There was then a long, awkward pause. “How have you been doing with work and everything?”

After Richard explained some challenges he’d been dealing with regards to a major product, Katy stepped out into the foyer. Her father stopped mid-sentence and turned to his daughter. He smiled. Katy approached him, hugging her father. “Hey, Dad. How are you?”

Richar

d chuckled, clearly happy to have his little girl in her arms once again. “I’m doing well, Katy. How have you been?”

Katy quickly caught up with her father, mentioning how the semester had come to an end. Her mother Linda set the table then brought the food into the dining room and placed them in the middle of the grand table. Soon enough, everyone hustled into the dining room and took their seats. Brennon and Katy sat side-by-side on one side of the table; Richard and Linda sat next to each other on the other side. After a short prayer, the four of them helped themselves. Compliments about Linda’s food flew across the table.

Conversation flowed better than Katy imagined while heading down the interstate. She wasn’t going to forget her mother’s harsh words upon first finding out about her relationship with Brennon, but it was oh so nice to see her parents’ at least acting as if they were accepting. Brennon talked about some changed the university was making to the curriculum, to which Katy’s father Richard chimed in, which was to be expected. Linda talked about how she was becoming a bit discontent working at the firm, but since she was getting closer to retirement, she would just grin and bear it until the end. Katy smiled, noticing how her parents seemed to have truly put their feelings to the side.

By 8 o’clock, dinner was wrapping up. Linda, being the domestic woman that she was, got up to start putting the food away. “Mom, I’ll help you with that,” Katy said. What she really wanted was to talk to her mother in private for a moment. Katy left Brennon at the table with her father then headed to the kitchen with her mother.

“Thank you for helping me, Katy,” Linda said.

“No problem, Mom,” Katy said. Katy glanced into the dining room. Her father and Brennon were still carrying on with their conversation, almost the way they did for years before her love affair with Brennon blossomed. She then pulled her mother’s arm and pulled her to the side, out of sight of the dining room. “Mom, let me ask you something.” She looked at her mother’s curious face. “Is Dad really okay with this?”

Linda forced a smile then glanced away, raising her eyebrows. “Katy, you’re going to have to understand some things. I can see the love in your eyes...I could hear it in your voice. I’m a woman and that’s what made me change, somewhat, my feelings toward you seeing Brennon. Even though I’m not totally sure about it, I can accept it. But you asked about your father?” She glanced away again. “I talked to him and, um, well, he’s coming around to it, you could say. But to answer your question if your father is really okay with it, I think he’s trying to be. I told him that even though you’re his little girl in his eyes, you’re a grown woman now. And then I also had to talk to him about how even though we’ve always seen Brennon as a part of our family...heck, I remember when I was pregnant with you and he was in middle school about to go to high school...that you two still aren’t related. And you do have a lot in common, which just so you know your father did admit he always noticed as well. So, that helps, if that means anything to you.”

Katy nodded as she took it all in, appreciating her mother’s honestly. She leaned back to glance into the dining room. Things still looked alright; her father Richard was keeping his cool. Regardless of what her mother said, Katy was still a bit hesitant about believing her father had changed his hard so soon. Regardless, Katy knew just how strong her love for Brennon. The age difference was only on paper; their history as being loosely related seemed to have only set a stronger foundation than probably some of the greatest romances in history.

Katy finished up her quiet, chit-chatty conversation with her mother then returned to the dining room. Her mother quickly finished up in the kitchen then joined everyone at the table. For the rest of the evening, until about 9 o’clock or so, the four of them sat at the table. With time, Brennon loosed up; Katy started smiling a little more, and a little easier. Her father even laughed at something Brennon said. When Katy opened up and admitted they’d gone on a trip to the Smokey Mountains, her mother acted excited to see any photos.

“Come on and show them to your mother, Katy,” Linda said, motioning for her daughter to come over to her side of the table. “I know you took some… Probably of yourself, I’m sure. Brennon, do you find her taking pictures of herself a lot? I’m sure you do.”

Katy squinted at her mother then looked to Brennon. She was curious to see what his answer would be. Brennon was clearly hesitant.

“Um,” Brennon said, feeling the heat. “I can’t really say.”

“I know that feeling,” Richard chimed in.

Linda looked up from a picture of Gatlinburg and looked at her husband with cold eyes.

As the later hours approached, the conversation started dwindling down. Richard then stood up, suggesting his daughter and Brennon get going because he thought the news said it might snow again tonight.

“Yes, of course,” Brennon said. He then grabbed Katy’s coat and helped her into it.

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