Does he really care?

The hardest part is over

I quickly realized I had no idea what I wanted to say. 

"Well I uh I just figured I haven't talked to you guys much, so I thought now was a good time."

'Luke that was stupid.' 

'Why would you say it like that.' 

"So what are your future plans, do you have a career you want to go into?" 

"He wants to go into the big leagues," Her grandpa blurted looking up from his newspaper. 

"Yea that's the plan." 

Her other uncle looked at me, "How's the possibility of that looking?" 

"If I keep working really hard I'll get there," I nodded.

"What about Dakota, do you see her with you down the line?" 

'Ok now is the time,' I prepared myself. 

"I actually do want her to be in my life forever." 

"So you're planning on marrying her?" 

"Yea if that's ok with you guys? I figure I'd get your acceptance first."

"What if we said we didn't approve." 

My stomach dropped and I felt my heart start beating quickly. I did not prepare myself for rejection. 

"I uh I'm not sure, I'd obviously cry and try to change your mind." 

'That probably wasn't the best answer,' I continued to beat myself up. 

"Good answer." 

"Really?" 

"Yea we can already tell you really like her, you've already been together for over a year right?" 

"I love her more than anything but yea it's been a year and a half I officially asked her out in October of sophomore year."  

"I think you two are perfect, what do you think dad?" He asked looking over at her grandpa. 

"I approve of this relationship, did you ask her father?" 

The whole room went quiet and we all just looked at each other. 

"Dad Veronica and Ace aren't around anymore." 

He looked around confused, "Where'd they go?" 

"They um weren't very nice to Dakota and left, remember she lives with Luke now." 

"No, I don't remember, when did we learn this?" 

"It's ok dad, she told us a while ago what happened." 

"oh," He muttered before going quiet. 

It made me sad that he had no idea what was going on, one minute he was aware of what was going on but the next minute he was very confused. The 4 of us talked about my family and myself, they wanted to know more about how I met Dakota. 

"So I think Dakota said you met on the floor of the school building?" 

I thought back to the day I found her crying on the floor on the first day of school. 

"Yea I did find her on the floor." 

"Why was she on the floor?" 

"This dude on the football team slammed her fingers in a locker." 

"Why'd he do that?" 

"I honestly have no idea, but I was behind him when he did it." 

"You hung out with the kid?"