angel~dallas winston

Family Dinner

Mackenzie

"Do I look alright Kenz?" Dally asked, walking into the Curtis house. I turned to look at him and smiled. "You look great," I said. "You don't need to impress my parents Dal," I said. "Your dad seems cool, I want to be decent at least," He said.

"You look perfect," I said. He kissed me softly and I took a deep breath. "This could be a blood bath," I said.

"I'm ready if you are," He said. "Yeah, let's go," I said. Getting into the car, driving back to my house, their house, my parents house. It felt so weird. I was in my senior year of high school and didn't live in my childhood home. "You alright?" He asked. "Yeah," I said. "I'm fine,"

"What is it?" He asked. "I just didn't realize how hard it is to come have dinner with a family that didn't want me," I said.

"Kenz, anybody who doesn't want you, is mentally insane," He said. "Your pops clearly misses ya and Bob does too, your bitch of a mother is the only one I might have a temper with tonight," He said. "It's gonna be okay,"

He grabbed my hand reassuringly, giving me a half smile. We pulled up to the house and I took a deep breath before getting out of the car.

Walking up to the front door, remembering the last time I'd stood there.

You are not, and never will be, a part of this family again.

I don't have a daughter.

It's your fault.

"Kenz," Dally said. "Hm?" I asked. "Are you ready?" He asked. "Yeah, sorry," I said. I knocked and Dally grabbed my hand, pulling me close to him. Bob opened the door and looked at Dally.

"Hey man," Bob said. He looked at me, pulling me into a hug. "Hi Bob," I said quietly. "Come in," He said. Dally followed closely behind me as I walked into the house. "Mackenzie, Dallas, come in come in," Dad said.

"Thanks," I said. We took our shoes off and left them by the door. I held Dally's hand as tight as I could, standing as close to him as possible.

"We made steak I hope that's okay," Dad said. "That's great, thanks," I said. "Mackenzie," Mom said. "Hi," I said. She avoided looking me in the eye as she set salad on the table. A typical Sheldon family dinner.

"Come sit," Dad said. We did as he said and sat down at the table, Mom dished the food onto plates and brought them over.

"Thanks," I said. Playing with my food with my fork wasn't as distracting as I hoped it would be through the silence in the room. Dally didn't move his hand away from my leg the entire time. "So, I'm sure you're wondering why we wanted to have you over," Dad said. "I was, yes," I said, looking over at him. "We want you to move home," He said. I dropped my fork, looking up at him. I moved my eyes between the three people I used to call family.

"What's the catch?" I asked. "What?" Dad asked. "What's the catch?" I repeated. "Mom has wanted me out since the day I could walk, so what is it you guys need from me?"

"There's no catch," Dad said. "Oh cut the bull," Bob interrupted. "Robert," Mom warned. "No, I've spent my entire life doing what you wanted, tell her the truth, she deserves it," He said. Both Mom and Dad stared at their food, not saying a word. "Mom's book club is threatening to kick her out because she's an unfit mother," Bob said. "And Dad got kicked out of the country club,"

I couldn't help but laugh. My pathetic excuse for a family. "I knew it," I said. "Dally it's time for us to go,"

Dally stood up when Dad reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. "You're my daughter Mackenzie," He said. "I have never agreed with the way your mother and I have treated you in the past, I never spoke up, and for that I owe you everything,"

"I never wanted everything, I wanted my father," I said. I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and walked towards the front door, slipping my converse on without tying them. "Wait," He said. "Please, wait,"

I turned towards him and waited.

"Did you get in?" He asked. "To what?" I asked. "Harvard," He said. "Yeah, she did," Dally said. "No thanks to any of you," He added. "You're right," Dad said. "But I want to help you,"

"How could you possibly help?" Dally asked. "Look you seem like you woulda been a good dad if it weren't for your bitch of a wife, but you can't make up for your shitty behavior now," He added.  I grabbed hold of Dally's hand. I smiled and held it tight. "He's right Dad," I said. "I love you, and if you want to be a part of my life I want you to be, but don't feel like you have to make it up to me because I think we're passed that line,"

"You're right, I'm sorry I bothered you both," Dad said.  "But I've always known you'd be going to Harvard and I've always wanted to be there to see it and help you with it, I want to pay for it, housing, school, text books, everything,"

"Dad I- I can't ask you to do that," I said. "You aren't, please let me help you," He said. I looked at Dally and he shrugged. "You were trying to figure out how you would pay for all of this," Dally said. "I don't want you to feel like I'm using you," I said, turning to my dad. "Honey, you owe me nothing, I owe you everything and more, please let me do this for you," He said. I took a deep breath. "Okay," I said.

"Okay," He smiled. He hugged me tight. I let myself smile into his arms. "Thanks Dad," I said. "Thank you," He said. Bob walked over and handed me a container. "It's your favorite, brownies with powdered sugar," Bob said. "Thanks," I said. "Yeah, I'll talk to you later," He said.

"See you guys later," I said. Dally and I walked out to the car and I looked at him. "What?" He asked. "I have never loved you more than I do right now," I said. A smirk appeared on his face. I leaned in and kissed him. "I wanna come to Boston with you," He said. I smiled and kissed him again.