The Slower Path

The Slower Path - Part 4

PART CUATRO

Instead of going straight home after work, I call Dad and ask if he'd like to meet for coffee. I have to talk to someone about the whole "Mom's a lunatic" thing. I step into the coffee shop door and the smell of delightful coffee beans hits me right in the face. Ahhh. I sit at a booth near the back and wait for Dad. I start to come up with scenarios of what I will say when he arrives. I decide to be as honest as I can without throwing Mum under the bus. I don't want him to think that I don't love her, because I do. She's just so overbearing. Before I can argue back with myself, Dad plops into the seat across from me. He smiles and says "I'll go get the drinks."

Across from me Dad sips his coffee quietly. I do the same. Neither of us wants to start this conversation. We both know it will probably end in an argument, and me stomping out the door. We want to just sit here forever, serene and infinite. "So what did you want to talk about." Dad says cheerfully. Well, I guess I was the only one enjoying the silence. Hesitantly, I say "I want to talk about Mum." "Oh." he says his face falling. "Tough subject." I smile at him then grimly say "We have to talk about her... issue." "What issue?" "Me." I answer flatly. I take a deep breath then say "Okay, before you came back Mum was everything to me, and I to her. But then when the Doctor, or close, came, I began to start to put my hope in him, and start to trust him to take care of me. But I think she continued to put her faith in me, even though you came back, Dad. Now I can't be sure how she feels about the Doctor, but ever since he's been here she's been hostile towards him. And that's not okay with me. It's not his fault. I'm not her little kid that she can boss around anymore. I'm a grown up for God's sake. It's the Doctor and I now, whether she likes it or not." I finish with anger in my voice, whether I meant for it to be there is unknown to me. Dad stares at me in surprise. "I see."