Meant to Be (The Saving Angels 1)

She looked up when we walked in. Her smile of greeting turned to surprise when she saw that I was holding some strange guys hand.

I dragged Mark further into the living room as she stood up.

“Mom, I would like you to meet my friend, Mark. Mark, this is my mom, Cindy Miller.

My mom reached her hand out, Mark clasped it between his hands.

“I didn’t know you made any friends other than Sam this past week?” She said, obviously fishing for more information.

I decided to go for broke. It was like pulling off a band-aid, quick and fast was the only way to go.

I plunged in.

“Mark’s a year older than me,” I started.

“A year older, how did you meet? Are you still in school?” She asked, posing the last question to Mark.

Mark looked over at me. I knew what he was asking with the look. I shook my head yes. We might as well get it over with.

“I go to Krista’s school, but I’m not a student. I’m doing my graduate thesis at her school,” he said.

I took over and filled in the rest of the blanks for her. I told her how he had skipped grades growing up, and was able to graduate from college last year. I told her how our love of history had given us a common bond and that we talked about it after school one day. Then I told her that Sam and I had run into him and his friend yesterday at the Boardwalk.

“Does the Dean know your dating a student?” she asked.

I thought I detected just a touch of accusation in her voice.

“Yes, and he was not happy about it,” Mark said truthfully.

“Mrs. Miller, I know that it is unprofessional that I’m seeing your daughter. I have no excuse, except that I think she is pretty special, and I would like your permission to continue seeing her.”

“I don’t know if it’s best for Krista to date an intern where she goes to school.”

“Mom, we’re going to keep it quiet, nobody will know except Sam,” I said, starting to feel the first stirrings of doubt about telling her. What would I do if my mom wouldn’t let me see him anymore?

“I don’t think it’s a good idea Krista. He’s an adult. He goes to work every day while you’re in school. You still have years of schooling ahead of you,” she said.

“I’m sure you’re a nice young man, but Krista’s never even dated. I would prefer her first boyfriend to actually attend her school,” she said to Mark.

“I was hoping you would feel differently,” Mark said, looking disappointed.

I couldn’t believe it. This was not the way it was supposed to go. My mom was supposed to be okay with it. She was supposed to be glad that I was finally interested in someone.

“Mom, I want to see him, I love him.” The words slipped out. I wished I could take them back. I knew instantly that I had made a mistake, by the look on her face.

“Love him? You’ve only known him for a week, how can you love him?” She said angrily. “I don’t want you to see each other again.”

I was shocked.

Not see him.

My mom was crazy.

How could she think that we wouldn’t see each other?

I became desperate. “Mom, he’s the boy in my dreams,” I blurted out.

“The boy of your dreams, what did you do, tell him about your dreams and he said he was the guy? Krista, it’s a line. Of course he’s going to tell you that he’s the boy of your dreams.”