Birthright

Chapter 16

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Chapter 16

Josh was sitting in his father's office, Jaren in another chair, with his mom sitting on the plush leather couch that she herself picked out on Father's Day two years ago. The office looked like any other office you might find in any Wall Street office. However, in a house in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, it didn't quite fit, but what did I know?

Josh's father walked in and took a seat in his pretentious chair behind the pretentious desk. I could feel how nervous Josh was that moment. I told him that everything would be fine, but like I said, what did I know? I know Josh liked me being there with him, but I still felt I should leave, close the link, and wait like everyone else. I told Josh that if he wanted me to leave, just let me know.

"Never," he said.

At that point, I could feel the fireworks, from my toes to my nose and every point in between. I don't know if everyone in the room could feel the love, but for me, it was overwhelming. It was like a blanket that could keep me warm in the dead of winter.

I think the others began to feel what I was feeling. My dad had that look that said, "My daughter is growing up to be a young woman in love and sharing her deepest emotion with the family, as if she were passing around an intimate Valentine's Day card." I could hear his wisdom being passed down as he said, "This is real love, full of hope and fear. It's scary when you put all of your trust in someone."

"Yes, Dad," I said aloud, "I trust him, with all my heart. I am absolutely, almost 99 percent positive that he loves me and will not take this opportunity to throw me under the metaphorical bus driven by his parents."

We could see Josh's father looking at Josh from across his desk. The staring contest was brief. Then his father asked Josh one important question. "Do you love this girl?"

"Of course I do, with all my heart," Josh said without hesitation.

I turned to my parents, smiling broadly. "See?"

Mr. Carter's face had no expression. "Why?" he asked. A very complicated question but so simply stated.

"Why?" Josh repeated visibly agitated. "What kind of question is that? Why do you love Mom? Why do you love the rain after weeks of drought? Being with her is easy. I don't have to work at it. I didn't ever once have to try and like her because I always have. We are made for each other. We are meant to be together."

"I don't believe Jaren feels that strongly about Elizabeth, but you still really need to wait for him to find someone before you move forward with this relationship," Mrs. Carter stated. I don't know how his mother was able to keep a straight face after spewing that irrational load of doggie doo.

"Why do I have to wait?" Josh asked.

"Because that is the way it's done," his father said angrily, as if he believed he should not have to explain his decisions.

"So what! Who cares how it's done?" Josh replied angrily.

"Do not raise your voice to us!" Mr. Carter said, even angrier.

"So I'm supposed to sit and wait for Jaren?" Josh shouted, ignoring his mother. "I'm supposed to wait until he finds just the right girl who was blind enough not to have noticed all the other girls that were standing in line in front of her?"

"If you insist on marrying this girl, will you just wait?" Josh's father asked in a quieter tone.

He actually called me "this girl."

"Your father is being very nice about this," his mother responded.

"No, Mom, he's not," Josh pointed out. "Telling me I can't be with the one I love in a civilized tone doesn't make him nice. Just because you and Dad did it different, did it wrong, doesn't mean I have to make the same mistake."