Page 92 of Scoreless Nights

1 year later

Cruz

After knocking on the old wood, I stepped back and nervously ran a hand over my mouth. A million different scenarios were racing through my mind, none of them good, but it didn’t change what I was there to do.

“Cruz?” My dad answered, with confusion in his tone and on his face.

“Can I come in?”

Dad laughed and opened the door wider, making room for me to enter, then closed the door behind me.

“It's your house, son. Should I be worried?” He asked nervously.

“Maybe. Is Gloria here?”

“Is Lillian okay?” His voice had changed from humored confusion, to stern and demanding.

“Of course,” I whipped around. “She stayed home.”

Gloria came walking down the stairs and saw me, looking around to see if her daughter was with me. “Cruz? Where’s Lillian?”

“She had to work,” I explained, motioning for them to join me in the living room. “I made a quick trip without her.”

In the past year, Gloria and Dad had done a better job of letting me be the one to worry about Lil. Except when I wasn’t with her, because they occasionally forgot she was a grown woman.

They accepted the decisions Lil and I had made with our relationship, but I felt like they were always waiting for the moment I fucked everything up. No doubt, that’s why they thought I was there.

“I only have a couple of hours. We are double-dating with Rhys and Ash tonight once the girls get off work so I need to get home.”

Dad sat down and furrowed his brow, before Gloria felt around for the chair behind her and sat as well. Taking their cues, I chose the couch and leaned my elbows on my knees, trying to think of how I wanted to go about talking to them.

“The suspense is killing me,” my dad huffed sarcastically.

“I wanted to thank you both for supporting Lil and me this past year.” I turned to Gloria and focused my words on her. “I know I’m not the one you pictured her being with, but it means a lot to me that you gave us a chance.”

Gloria laughed a little, feeling uncomfortable. “It’s been…interesting…but she’s happy, and that is all I want.”

That was going to make the next part of my speech easier.

“I love her,” I told Gloria. “I think I’ve loved her since I met her. This past year has been more than I ever expected to have in my life. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like I deserve her, but I’m not going to let her go. Ever. Can I have your blessing to marry her?”

Gloria let out a cry, tears coming down her face, while Dad smiled knowingly. “Once we sat down, I figured that was why you were here.”

“Oh Cruz.”

“I promise, Gloria, no one will ever love her as much as I do.”

“I know,” she whispered, then stood up. Her arms reached out so I stood as well, and accepted her embrace. “When are you wanting to ask her?”

“Soon. Maybe after my last game. I want it to be a time when you are all in town and can be there. I want her to see she has the love and support from everyone.”

“We wouldn’t miss it,” Dad clapped my back. Letting go of Gloria, I turned to him and gave him a hug as well.

“Does this mean I have your blessing, too?”

Dad leaned back and tilted his head. “You don’t need mine.”

“You’ve been the only dad she’s known. She will want to know you’re okay with giving her away.”

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