Luckily, it’s just the three of us, and once our food arrives, I get right to the point.
“I need to talk to you guys about something,” I say as casually as I can.
My mom knows me too well, and her eyes narrow suspiciously. “Please tell me she’s not pregnant.”
I roll my eyes. “Really? That’s the first thing that comes to mind?”
“Honey, let him talk,” Dad says when Mom starts to answer me.
She huffs but nods, watching my face intently.
“I know you guys have a lot of opinions about Victoria,” I say carefully, “but I need you to know that we’re seeing each other again. And before you say anything that’s going to start an argument,” I say, holding up a hand to stop my mother. “Please let me tell you all the things we didn’t know about four years ago.”
My mother purses her lips but nods.
“You’re a grown man now, Jordan,” Dad says. “Definitely not the kid you were four years ago.”
“And she’s not the same either.” I pause, trying to decide how far back to go. Probably best to start at the beginning. “My buddy and I were out at a club, and I saw her. I was going to leave but then this guy started hassling her. He put his hands on her and I couldn’t just let it happen.”
“Of course not,” my father murmurs. “That’s not who we raised you to be.”
I tell them about the guys following her to the bathroom, how I drove her home, and then when I saw Charlie.
“I had to know if he was mine. Even though we were told she had a miscarriage, it felt like too big of a coincidence. So, I sought her out and took her to breakfast.” I pause again, opting to skip over some of the minutiae and do my best to summarize everything that happened. “Once we had a chance to talk things out, it was obvious we had unfinished business.”
Mom sighs. “Do you trust her, Jordan?”
“I have to,” I admit quietly. “She’s the only one I’ve ever loved. I tried so hard to move on but nothing ever felt right. And the more we talk and spend time together, the more I realize I still have the kind of feelings I can’t ignore. I don’t know where it’s going but I won’t ever be able to move on until we see what there is to see.”
“And what do her parents have to say about this?” Mom asks.
“They don’t know. Not yet. Her father is as difficult as ever, and she just needs a few more months to graduate from college. Besides, I don’t want to blow up her life if this turns out to be nothing.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?” Dad asks, frowning.
I chuckle. “No. But we’re truly trying to take things slow, get to know each other again. We’re trying really hard not to fuck things up again.”
“Oh, Jordan.” Mom looks so disappointed, but I don’t know what to do about that.
“I’m not asking for permission,” I say after a moment. “I just didn’t want to be dishonest. Lying to you last night felt shitty, so I decided I’m not going to do that anymore.”
“I respect that,” Dad says. “We both do. It’s just a tough pill to swallow, knowing how much she hurt you last time.”
“Not to mention getting you sent down to the minors,” Mom grumbles.
“Technically, that wasn’t her fault. I was spiraling, lashing out because I didn’t know how to handle all those feelings. The breakup. The car accident. Her father threatening to bring charges… some of it was because of her, but ultimately, I’m the one who got into fights and started going off the deep end. Coach sent me down because he knew that was probably the only way to get through to me. And he was right. But that’s not on Victoria.”
“How do you know her father won’t try to cause trouble for you again?” Mom demands.
“Well, first of all, we’re both a lot older so there isn’t much he can do to me. Second, the only thing he can do to her is kick her out and she can live with me if that happens. She has a job, her own car, so she’s only dependent on her parents for a roof over her head.”
“I think family drama is a lot more nuanced than just kicking her out,” Dad says thoughtfully. “There’s shared history and guilt and a lot of details you may not be taking into consideration.”
“Believe me, I know. That’s why we’re taking things slow.”
“If you’re taking things that slow, why tell us about it?” Mom questions.
“Because I want Victoria to know that I have her back this time. That I’m not playing games. I need her to see that the only thing that’s going to come between us this time is us. Meaning, if we mutually decide to end things. And since her parents are far more controlling, I wanted to start with you.”
