Page 50 of More Than Enough

She opened the door and led him into the house.

Her parents were sitting in the sunroom, and both stood up when they entered. Elizabeth could see them looking over Brady. She was sure her father was making a judgment, and she hoped he judged well.

Brady stuck his hand out toward Elizabeth’s dad. “Hi, Mr. Parks. I’m Brady Warren. It’s nice to meet you.”

Elizabeth’s father just stared at the boy standing in front of him and nodded his head.

“Mrs. Parks. Nice to meet you also.”

Mrs. Parks shot her husband a “be good” look and returned Brady’s handshake smiling at him. “Brady, it’s nice to meet you. Please take a seat.” She pointed him to one of the single chairs sitting in front of the window. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine for now.” He took the seat she offered, with Elizabeth next to him. She looked over at Brady smiling encouragingly even though her nerves were on fire.

A few seconds passed, and the room was becoming uncomfortable, or maybe that was just Elizabeth.

Mr. Parks broke into the uncomfortable silence with questioning that would make a detective cringe. “So, Brady, tell me how you and Elizabeth met?”

Brady took a deep breath ready to do his best. “At school, on the quad during Freshman Roundup. Then she showed up later at my fraternity house when we had a rush party.”

“Did you both date at school?”

“Well, on and off. We could never decide if we really wanted to be serious.”

“You were serious enough to have sex with her. Or was it just a one-night stand?”

Elizabeth was shocked. “Dad!”

Mr. Parks didn’t take his eyes off the boy sitting across from him. “Elizabeth, it’s an important question. Well, Brady?”

Brady looked over at Elizabeth. Her eyes were wide with embarrassment and apology. Reaching out he grabbed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile, then turned to her father.

“Mr. Parks, I understand your questioning, and I’ll be honest with you. I remember when I first saw Elizabeth. Like I said earlier, it was on the quad. She and I were put in the same group during Freshman Roundup. We didn’t talk much then, but she caught my eye. She was unforgettable. Then later that night, she walked into the backyard of the fraternity house with some friends. I noticed her immediately, she looked amazing, and her smile took my breath away. Some of the guys I was standing with noticed the group of girls, and a couple commented on the pretty brunette. Since she was the only brunette in the group, I knew it was her they were talking about, so I made sure to make the first move. The girls got in line at the keg, and I walked over to them, and pulled them to the front of the line, filled Elizabeth’s cup, handed it to her, and introduced myself.”

Turning to Elizabeth, he finished. “The first thing I noticed was that she was even more breathtaking up close.”

Elizabeth looked at him with shock, as she searched his face trying to figure out if he was serious, or just making it all up for her father’s sake. She could feel herself blushing and gave him a shy smile. “I remember that night clearly, but never knew you thought that.”

“Well, it’s all true. We danced later, and after that it was an unwritten rule that Elizabeth and I were an item. We never talked about it, until this year, but that’s how it was.”

He tore his eyes slowly away from Elizabeth, turning back to her parents.

“Did we make some poor choices, Mr. and Mrs. Parks? Yes, you would probably say so. But it was never a one-night stand, and looking back, we should have made our relationship more serious than it was. I think we were both so focused on completing our degrees that a relationship was nothing either one of us thought about at the time. It was easier just being together when we could, and no one stressed if we couldn’t. Maybe that’s not what you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth.” Brady stopped talking and looked at Elizabeth’s parents, hoping they noticed the sincerity in his words.

Not getting any response, he continued. “Honestly, sir, when I saw Elizabeth’s text and we talked about meeting, I was excited and realized I missed seeing her. This…”

Brady reached over and placed his hand on Elizabeth’s pregnant belly, rubbing it softly, “was a bit of a surprise I wasn’t expecting, but…” Brady shrugged, again looking at her. “It is what it is, and I’m here now.”

Elizabeth smiled at him and placed her hand over his.

Mr. Parks looked between the two young adults in front of him,

“Well, it is what it is. I guess we will see.” He stood up with finality, and Brady did the same. Mr. Parks reached his hand out, Brady grasped it.

“Brady, thank you for stepping up and being willing to do your part. Remember, she is my only child, so she’s our favorite and our world. I want to make sure you understand that.” Mr. Parks looked sternly into Brady’s eyes.

“Of course, sir. She is an amazing person.” Brady shook his hand back with assurance.

Mrs. Parks stood up and put her hands on both men. “Now that we have that worked out, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

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