“More than anything in this fucking world. You’re all that matters.”
I love it, but it also scares me. My father loved my mom like that, too. It’s a fear of mine, and I voice it out loud. “My dad loved my mom more than anything in this whole world too, Ren.”
“No, babe. I’m not sure I believe that.”
“You saw him. He wasn’t always like that. He wasn’t the best dad, but he wasn’t like that before she died.”
“Lily, if you left this earth and left me behind, I’d be miserable. I probably wouldn't want to live. But you know what? If you left me with our baby girl, I’d spend my whole life raising her the best I could. Making sure I did right by her and by you. Making sure that everything I did would make you happy and proud of me. You’d leave this earth knowing that I would give our children everything. You would have no doubt about that. Not doing that, not taking care of the babies we made together, would mean that I didn’t love you, that you didn’t mean the world to me. Because if something means that much to you, then it means that much to me. If I were him, I’d grab hold of anything that reminded me of the woman I loved.”
That makes me cry even harder. Ren pulls me close, holding me while I sob into him, taking it all for me.
“You going to come home with me? Make it your home, too?” he finally asks into my hair.
“I am home,” I tell him. It’s the truth. Anywhere this man is, is my home.
He slowly moves me back over to my side of the car, pulling my seat belt over me, then wiping my face of any remaining tears. He gives me a soft kiss.
“You think your parents will be okay with this?” I ask, unsure how this will go down. I don’t want to upset them. Over the short time I’ve gotten to know them, they’ve come to mean a lot to me. They’ve done so much for me that I don’t want to overstep or intrude on their lives.
“Even if they weren't—which they will be—we’d get our own place. I’ve saved up a good amount of money working, but they will be okay with it. In fact, my mom will probably be overly happy about it,” he says with a smile.
That makes me smile. I love his mom.
“Only fight we might have is you sleeping in my room. Our room,” he corrects.
“Ren! I can’t sleep in your room.” I know they have a guest room. I just thought that’s where I’d be staying.
“See? The fight’s already started,” he says as he pulls the Jeep away from the curb. “Babe, you’ll be sleeping in my bed, and that's final.”
23
Ren
My dad and I sit facing one another in the living room as we look over at Lily and my mom in the kitchen. Lily was quiet through our talk, and my mom said she wanted to make her some tea. She took Lily’s hand and led her in there, mostly to give my dad and me time to talk, I think.
“I’d like to ask Lily to report this, Ren. I know she may not agree, but I think it would be good to document this in case he tries to come back around.”
I nod, thinking that me kicking the shit out of her dad probably wasn’t the brightest idea, but I’d go back and do it all over again. That fucker deserved it. But I want Lily to be safe, and I know he’s right. Having this reported to the police would be better than pushing it under the rug and having her dad come back with something later. I nod in agreement.
“Okay, good. I’ll call the police chief and have him come by the house so Lily can make a statement tonight. Bill is a good friend, so I’m sure he’ll check on things and make sure she’s okay.” He puts his elbows on his knees and gives me a thoughtful look. “You know, your mother and I are so proud of you, Ren.”
His words take me aback. When we came home and sat down to explain to them what happened, they were both quiet. They shared a silent look before my mom took Lily from the room, but I thought it was so my dad could have a talk with me. One where I’d end up in trouble. I know I’m eighteen and I’ve got enough money to get us a place, but I didn’t want my dad to be disappointed in me. I didn’t want to have to leave my parents’ house under a cloud.
“It took a lot of courage to stand up to him and to get her out of that situation. We’re happy that this is a safe place for her to stay, and she’s welcome as long as she wants. I know you both are serious about each other. I can see it because your mother and I were the same exact way.”
I nod, knowing it’s true. They’ve always been over-the-top in love and were never very good about being discreet with it.
“I want to ask something of you, man to man.”
“Okay,” I say.
“While she stays here, I’d like for her to stay in the guest room.” I start to protest, but he holds his hands up to continue. “You’ve got less than three months left before you graduate and you’re out from under our roof. I ask that you respect us and our home for that short time until you both go to college.”
“Dad. We’re both eighteen. I can get my own place.”
“I know, Ren. And you know that would break your mother’s heart. It’s your last few months before you leave this home forever. Save your money and stay here. Think about Lily and what she’s going through. This is a big change for her, and we want her to feel safe here. I think giving her her own space and respecting a little of her privacy will go a long way to smooth things over. I’m not forcing you, son. I’m asking you as a man to give her this time.”