-That night-
Hyunjin sat across from Poppy on her bed.
"But daddy, you also said that you think he needs help!" Poppy whined, tears filling her eyes.
"Sweetie, I know, but you can't start a relationship which is founded on you just wanting to help someone because you feel bad for them." Hyunjin explained. "That's how people get into toxic relationships. It starts off with good intentions."
"It's not like we're in a relationship!" She sniffled.
Hyunjin tilted his head. "You both like each other. That much was clear tonight. And the fact that you called him yesterday when I told you not to, tells me you're in deeper than you realize."
"I'm not!" She cried, wiping her tears.
Hyunjin's heart hurt just seeing how upset she was. "Listen, when you start texting and calling one person every day, you're building a relationship. Now, I know you might not feel this way right now, but trust me, waiting a couple of years before you're ready to build a relationship with someone is the wise thing to do."
She hiccupped on her tears.
Hyunjin swallowed the lump in his throat. "And in a couple years, once you're ready, you may want to start dating someone. And if in a couple of years Jet is also ready, and you still like him, then the person you choose to date could be him."
She glared at him. "How is he going to be able to change without me? You don't know him, dad. He doesn't have people he can trust."
"And you're not going to be the first person he trusts, either. That doesn't sound safe to me as your father." He explained.
Poppy crossed her arms angrily. "Then why didn't you just say that I wasn't allowed to have any friends in the first place?! You should've just locked me up in a tower or something and thrown away the key so I wouldn't get the chance to talk to anyone you don't trust, ever!" She cried, flopping into her bed.
He sighed. "Hey. That's not fair. The rule has been "no dating until 19" for your brothers. It's going to be the same for you."
"Yeah, except that Juno oppa literally saw Zoey at school and at church, and she even came to our house all the time before they were dating." Poppy whined.
Hyunjin sighed. "Well, Zoey was in no way a bad influence. She didn't smoke. She didn't do drugs. She didn't sleep around with boys."
"You don't know that Jet does all those things! You're just assuming." She argued.
"Yes, based on how he acts. His eyes are red. He's shaky. He's sweating after just a few minutes of being here. And I can't imagine he's the poster child for abstinence." Hyunjin said plainly.
"I hate you! You're supposed to be loving and accepting and wanting to help those in need, but you're writing Jet off over your own prejudice!" She cried, burrowing under her blankets. "You're a terrible Christian." She spat.
Hyunjin looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I won't write him off." He said.
Poppy peeked out of her blanket.
"I could be wrong about him. But I'm not risking it when it comes to my daughter. You're not going to be allowed to text or call privately anymore. That's final. If he wants to come here, he can come when mom or I or Teddie are home. The rule was the same with Juno and Zoey. They were never allowed to be alone together before they were 19. There was one time that they had gone off together, and Zoey's dad caught them making out in Juno's car. I won't be making the same mistake with you. But, he can visit you in groups. You can visit him in London, too. In groups."
YOU ARE READING
Our Family
Fanfiction*Sequel* What would it be like to be the patriarch of a family of eight boys? Christopher knows all too well. His parents were out of the picture at a young age, and since then, he's been in charge of the family. He's raised his brothers as if they...
