Outrageous Proposal

Chapter 5

     It took about twenty minutes for everyone at the engagement party to eventually clear out. When it was all said and done, four people refused to leave the apartment, which were Craig's parents and his brother Alex. Their mother took the leftover food back into the kitchen and started to tidy up while Craig's father sat down on the couch with a might sigh. He looked up at his oldest son with a look that showed disapproval. Craig knew this look because he was a regular receipt of it.

     "Was your phone really stolen?" their old man asked.

     "No Dad," Craig bitterly answered, with extreme sarcasm, "I paid off two cops and bought a brand new phone just so I could make myself look like a complete ass in front of all my family and friends just so I could get out of an engagement."

     "Seriously," Alex said as he pulled the police report out of his pocket. He had brought it to the party just in case someone needed to be shown it, "This is the report we got from the cops yesterday and I was there when it happened. It was actually stolen."

     "And this guy was the one who proposed?" their father asked.

     "Yes," Craig replied, "I had no idea it happened until she posted it on facebook."

     "I see," the old man said, "Why couldn't you go home and correct it?"

     "She would have dumped me." Craig replied, "She has already accused me of stalling and being afraid of commitment. If I tried to tell her my phone was stolen, there's no way she would have believed me. I might as well have started to pack my bags right then and there."

     "You know what son," their father said, huffing himself off the couch, "Your job isn't to lie to people to save their feelings. Your job is to be the best person you can be. If they can't handle the truth, that's their problem. If you withhold that truth from people and even lie to save their feelings, that's not right. Moral people don't lie and if anyone that makes you feel compelled to lie whenever you're around them, then that is not someone worth being with. If someone is unwilling to accept the truth because they're unpopular, then that person isn't someone anyone can depend on to be a reliable spouse or parent."

     "Wow," Craig replied, looking back at his old man, "I never really thought of it that way before."

     "Is that the kind of marriage you want?" his father continued, "walking on egg shells for the next thirty to fifty years just because you don't want to rock the boat? What kind of life is that?"

     "No," Craig replied without hesitating, "It's not."

     "It doesn't get any easier from here," The old man said, "If she can't handle something right now, what will she do when there are grandbabies running around?"

     "You also had a good point," Alex said, stepping back into the conversation. "You were not in the picture. This was the Sandy show. That's not the kind of person you want to get hitched to."

     "I do love her," Craig interrupted, "So please don't even try to give me the plenty of fish in the sea or you can do better lectures... because there isn't and I can't."

     "I know that," Craig's father replied, "If you didn't care, you wouldn't have tried to spare her feelings. You would have dumped the fold hard truth onto her and broken her heart into a million pieces. You care enough to put up with all this, so I can only imagine what kind of husband and father you'll become. Your motives were pure, but your follow through was sub-par."

     "Understatement of the century," Alex said in full agreement with his Dad.

     Craig's mom returned from the kitchen with a pot of tea and few mugs. After she placed it on the table, she sat back on one of the chairs and relaxed.

     "What do you think Mom?" Craig asked. He respected her opinion just as much as he did the old man's. It was also the perspective the conversation had been lacking up to this point.

     "Well, I don't like to listen in but it was hard not to," his mother started, taking a deep breath. "I did agree with a lot of what you said. A lot of women these days are too much in love with the idea of getting married than they are of the person they are getting married to."

     "Oh," Craig said, somewhat surprised, "Thanks, Mom."

     "However," she continued, "Your deliver needs a little work."

     "You were a little harsh," Alex agreed, "and that was in front of everyone too."

     "Damn," Craig said, as he couldn't believe what happened, "I really screwed things up here, haven't I? There's no way she'll take me back after this embarrassment."

     "I'm not sure, dear," his mother replied, "but what she needs right now is space and some time to think about what you had to say. You both have a lot to apologize for so you should all take the time to think about what you want to say so your next encounter isn't as combative and uncaring."

     "If you love this woman," his father added, "I suggest you act like it."

     "Wow," Craig said, absorbing all that truth, "Thanks for not sugar coating it for me. I had a right to be upset, but no one has the right to be cruel. I feel terrible."

     "That's normal," his mother said, as she patted his knee, "We'd all be worried if you didn't feel terrible about it."

     "It's getting late," his father said as he stood up, "Clean this place up, so if she comes back the joint will look nice for her."

     "Good idea," Craig said as he liked the old man's thinking.

     "I'll stay and help," Alex offered.

     "Thanks bro," Craig said as he and his bother walked their parents to the door. Once the two had left and walked down the hall to the lift, Craig turned back to face his brother. "Did you really mean that?"

     "Of course not," Alex said as he grabbed his coat, "Let's hit a bar and get some shots. First round is on me."

     "Sounds like a plan," Craig said as he grabbed his coat as well. As they walked out the door, Craig pointed in the other direction. "Take the stairs, so we don't accidently bump into the folks."

     "Roger," Alex said, watching his bro lock the door. "What if she comes back?"

     "Then she can clean up," Craig answered, "This thing was her idea."

     "Good point," Alex concurred, "Let's get fucking smashed."