Page 232 of My Real Love Affair

“I’m proud of you,” he said quietly.

I blinked. “What?”

“I’m proud of you, Austin.” He stood up and came around the desk, leaning against it in front of me. “I’ve been too hard on you. Too inflexible. I kept trying to force you into a mold that was never going to fit, and all I did was push you away.”

This wasn’t what I’d expected. At all.

“You’re right that you’re not like Cash or your other brothers,” he continued. “You never have been, and I’m sorry for trying to make you into something you’re not. You have your own strengths, which is what I expect in all of my sons. You have your own way of doing things, and I should have respected that instead of fighting it.”

“Dad—”

“Let me finish,” he said, echoing my words from earlier. “I owe you an apology too. When you left, I was devastated. I blamed myself for not being able to reach you, for not understanding you. Cash tried to tell me that you just needed space. He told me you weren’t motivated by the same things as the others, but I wouldn’t listen. I took it personally.”

He rubbed his jaw, looking older than I remembered. “I spent years angry at you for leaving, but I was really angry atmyself for failing you as a father. For not being able to give you what you needed to thrive here.”

“You didn’t fail me,” I said. “We just didn’t understand each other.”

“Maybe. But I should have tried harder.” He looked at me directly. “I’m proud of the man you’ve become, Austin. Especially the parts that don’t fit the Bancroft mold. You’re loyal, you’re brave, and you fight for what you believe in. Those are good qualities, even if they manifest differently than I expected.”

My throat felt tight. “Thanks, Dad.”

“And Melody,” he continued, and I saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. “She’s lucky to have you. Or maybe you’re lucky to have her. Probably both.”

I laughed despite myself. “Definitely both.”

“Does she know what she’s getting into? This whole mess with Summer Auburn was just a taste of what it’s like being connected to this family. The scrutiny, the expectations, the people who will try to use her or tear her down because of our name.”

I thought about Melody standing up to Summer. “She knows. She’s been through it already. And she’s not going anywhere.”

Dad nodded slowly. “Then I look forward to getting to know her better. Properly this time, without the tension of thinking it’s all a performance.”

“It was never a performance,” I said. “Not with her. That was real from the start, even when I tried to pretend it wasn’t.”

“I can tell.” He moved back to his chair and sat down. “The way you talk about her says as much. But more importantly it’s the way you’ve changed since meeting her. That’s not something you can fake. And frankly, I’d rather see you happy with a woman who challenges you than miserable trying to date someone who fits some arbitrary Bancroft standard.”

This was surreal. My father was sitting here telling me he was proud of my chaos.

“What changed?” I asked. “Why now?”

“Watching you handle the Summer situation,” he said simply. “You didn’t do it the way I would have. You trusted Melody, you worked with Cash instead of against him, and you found a creative solution instead of just throwing money at the problem. You showed me that your way works too, even if it’s different from mine.”

He leaned forward. “And more than that, I saw you fighting for something that mattered to you. You didn’t run away. You actually stood your ground. That’s growth, Austin. Real growth. And I’m proud to see it.”

I didn’t know what to say. I’d come here prepared for a fight, and instead I was getting acceptance. Understanding. Pride.

It felt like something fundamental was shifting between us.

“I want to do better,” Dad said. “Be a better father to you, even if that means accepting that your path won’t look like your brothers’. Can you give me that chance?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, I can do that.”

He smiled. “Good. Now, when am I meeting this woman properly? Not at a tense family dinner where everyone’s on their best behavior, but actually getting to know her?”

“How about Sunday brunch? Just you, Kathy, Melody, and me. Small, casual, no pressure.”

“That sounds perfect.”

We talked for another hour. It felt different than any conversation we ever had. It was all so honest and real. Like we were finally seeing each other as we actually were instead of as we wished the other would be.