Stumbling Through It {C.H}

Chapter 17

It had been a few months since I had last been out to visit my parents, so on a day off, I decided to pay a visit. I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home. It wasn't anything spectacular, just a one story, ranch style house, in a little suburban neighborhood. But the house held so many memories, coming back to visit made me feel nostalgic.

I knocked on the door, waiting only a few seconds before a familiar face to open it.

"Oh Ellie! What a surprise!" My father exclaimed, "Come in, come in." He ushered me inside, before turning and calling, "Susan! Ellie is here." 

My mom emerged from the living room, running over to give me a hug, "Oh sweetie! It's so nice to see you."

"Let's sit down and catch up for a while." My dad suggested, leading us into the dining room. I sat at the head of the oval table, and my parents sat on the sides. My dad quickly gathered up some iced teas for each of us.

"Thank you." I said, accepting the drink.

"So what have you been up to? It's been a while." My mom asked.

"A lot actually. I got a new job first off." I started.

"Where?"

"At Parenthood Magazine, right now I'm just an assistant, but I hope to get promoted higher."

My dad patted me on the back, "That's great! Definitely beats working at that toy store."

"Yes." I agreed.

"Do you like it there?" My mom inquired.

"I do. The woman I assist is very nice. She is the head reporter, and I've been helping her with papers and organization. Actually just a couple days ago, I went to an interview with her. It's very interesting."

"Does working there make you want to be a mother?" She asked.

I laughed, "Someday, but not yet."

My dad sighed, "Good. Live your life for a while. You're too young. And I'm not ready to be a grandfather yet." He chortled.

My mom nodded, "Yes, very true. Don't rush it. You have plenty of time. Speaking of this reminds me," she wiggled her eyebrows, "Is there anyone,  special, right now?"

"Actually, I have a boyfriend." I beamed, my heart feeling fluttery.

"Ooh!" She squealed, "Who?"

"Do you remember that band I liked when I was a teenager? 5 Seconds of Summer?"

"Remember? How could we forget." My dad said rubbing his forehead, "Sometimes I still get that song about the underwear stuck in my head."

That made me laugh, "Remember how I really liked that one member, Calum?"

"Was he the really muscular one? With the black hair?" My mom recalled.

"Yes."

"What about him?" She asked.

"Well, he is my boyfriend." I finally admitted. My parents stared at me blankly.

"Huh?" My father scrunched his eyebrows. They looked like they thought I was joking.

I launched into a shortened version of how we met, "Okay so basically, I was working in Toys R Us and there was a little boy who was lost so I helped him find his dad. It turned out his dad was Calum, from the band. I ran into him again a different day and offered to babysit. So I kinda got a gig babysitting his son, and one day we decided to go out. And yeah, now he is my boyfriend." I left out the part where he drunk kissed me. My parents still looked a bit confused. I couldn't blame them. It did seem like a joke, even to me.

"Really?" My mom said, surprised, "That's nice I suppose."

I giggled with a nod, "Yep!"

"He has a son? How old is he?" My dad asked.

"Only 25."

"How old is his son? Where is his mother?" He kept asking questions.

"His son, Daniel, is four. And his mom left them when he was a baby." I explained simply.

"Mhmm..." My dad seemed skeptical of my boyfriend, "And why did she leave?"

I was starting to get defensive, "Because she was only interested in him for his money and fame. She didn't care enough to stay."

"Not to sound rude or anything, honey." My mom started hesitantly, "But are you sure you still like this man? And you aren't just dating him because he was your celebrity crush?"

"Mom! Of course I like him! I like him a lot actually. He is funny, sweet, and polite." I clenched my fists under the table.

"But he was a rockstar. Are you sure he is right for you?"

"What do you mean?" I crossed my arms.

My dad continued for my mom, "Do you know if he is grounded enough? What if he is just an airhead and still thinks he is the king of the world? He could be cheating on you. Or what if he is a drug addict?"

"He is not an airhead or on drugs! He is just a single dad." I raised my voice.

"Didn't he lose his kid in Toys R Us? He is so young, are you sure he is responsible enough?" My mom pursed her lips.

I huffed "Every child runs off, and it was just a mistake! You lost me at the grocery store once, and forgot to pick me up from my friends house. So you're one to speak."

My dad opened his mouth to respond, but my mom gave him a look, and he shut it. We sat in silence, the nice visit ruined by a stupid argument.

I sighed, "I'm sorry." My voice lowered to a peaceful volume, "I get that you are just trying to protect me and everything, but I'm an adult now, I know what's right and wrong."

My mom nodded slowly, "Yes. Yes, you're right. We should be happy and supporting. This is what you've always dreamed of. Just knowing he was famous raises some doubts, but I trust that you will do what's right."

My dad agreed, "Yes. Now why don't we go back to talking about your new job?"