“From the time you two were little I knew she was going to fall in love with you one day. I tried to stop it, because I’m her dad and no dad wants to see his little girl grow up and run off with some guy, but it was bound to happen and I’m sorry for trying to keep you apart. Emma said some things that made me feel like an asshole. Her dad was never in the picture, but if he had been and had treated me the way I’ve treated you before you two were even a couple…well, I would’ve felt unworthy of her. So, I want you to know I approve, but…just bear with me. This is going to take some getting
used to.”
I sat silent. What was I supposed to say to that?
“Your approval means a lot to me,” I finally said. It was the truth too.
He cleared his throat. “But if you get her pregnant so help me God I will maim you.”
I laughed—I couldn’t help myself. “’Course.”
No conversation with Maddox would be complete without him threatening to harm me in some way.
“Bye,” Maddox said and hung up.
I stared down at my phone. “What the fuck just happened?” I mumbled to myself.
Surely I’d entered some parallel universe.
I stood and shook my head as I replayed the conversation over in my head.
I made the trek back to the room and found Willow pacing the room.
“What did he say?” She ran forward and grabbed me by the arms and held on so I couldn’t move.
I shrugged. “He’s okay.”
She let me go and took a step back. “You talked to my dad. The man that hates your guts and he’s okay with this?”
I nodded.
Willow tilted her head back and spoke to the ceiling. “I’m dreaming, right? Because in real life my dad would never approve of this, and he’d currently be on a jet here so he could kill you.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what you want me to say.” I lifted my hands in the air and let them fall. “I mean, he’s not thrilled and he did threaten to hurt me if I got you pregnant, but overall he’s okay with this. Your mom talked to him.”
“Oh, I see.” Willow nodded, laughing under her breath. “He’s so whipped.”
I closed the distance between us and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her body flush to mine. “How are you feeling?” I asked her, reaching up with one hand to smooth away the flyaway pieces of hair that always appeared by her forehead.
“Much better thanks to you.” She stretched up and kissed me quickly before disentangling from my hold and bouncing onto the bed. “Come sit down.” She patted the tiny bit of empty space beside her on the bed. The rest was covered in all the junk food I’d bought at the store. “Let’s watch the movie together.”
I glanced at the TV and saw that she had ‘Pitch Perfect’ paused.
I sat down on the bed and stretched my legs out.
“Here you go.” She handed me a bag of potato chips, knowing that I’d want them, and started the movie again.
She pushed the food down to the bottom of the bed and then wiggled her body close to mine.
She laid her head on my chest and her hand rested on my stomach.
Cuddling and watching a movie had never been one of my favorite things to do. I was discovering with Willow that lots of things I used to never like I suddenly loved and it occurred to me that who you’re with can change how you see everything.
***
A day and a half later we arrived in Roswell, New Mexico.
“Maybe we’ll find one of your brothers or sisters,” Willow said from the passenger seat after I parked the car so we could take pictures in front of the sign like we always did.