The Happiness Of Tragedy

Chapter 40

"Um hey mom, dad" I say, the nervousness making it's way to the surface.

They pull me in for a hug at the same time, "hey sweetie! How have you been?" Mom asks.

"I'm good" I say and she smiles

"Have you been going to parties? What about this newspaper situation? I've talked to them about it, has it still been a problem?" Dad crosses his arms.

"Um no. I'm fine actually, I haven't taken anytime off from class" I force a smile.

I swallow and clear my throat, "Mom, Dad this is-" I look to my right and Levi is gone. How did I not notice this?

"Ben, how have you been?" Officer Collins makes his way over to us and shakes my dads hand.

"I've been just fine, what about you?" Dad asks and Collins brings my mom in for a hug. The memory comes flooding back in when they first met David Collins because of the incident.

"I'm good, my fiance couldn't make it today because of work so it's just me here. I came to see my stepson" he gives a reassuring smile. He's wearing his police uniform and I wonder what he would look like without his uniform.

"Your stepson?" Oh god. They're talking about Levi.

"Yeah, here he comes right now" every single head turns toward Levi as he walks up to us. My heart is speeding faster every step he gets closer.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, how are you?" He shakes my dads hand and gives my mom a hug and kiss on the cheek. She blushes.

My eyebrows have gone through the ceiling at this point.

"Levi, how's it going?" My dad asks him.

"Everythings good, better than good" he looks at me and smiles. My cheeks flush and I put my head down.

Dad starts talking to David and I take this opportunity to turn my whole body toward Levi.

"When did you meet my parents? Were you going to tell me? And why did you leave me, where did you go?" I ask, out of breath once I finished.

"Kat" he grabs my face, "your worrying again"

I blink and swallow, thinking about what just happened upstairs, "I'll explain later" he smiles his perfect smile and grabs my hand to hold.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see my mom make her way over to us.

She looks down at our hands and looks up at me, "so are you going to tell me what the glow is between you too?" She ask and I can see the concerned expression on her face.

"Um, we-"

"Yes Mrs. Anderson. Your lovely daughter and I are together and we've been together for a couple weeks now. I've been making sure she's perfectly fine here after all that she's been through" he looks down at me and squeezes my hand.

Mom looks from him, to me and then back to him, "okay" is all she says.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, my eyebrows furrowed "okay?"

"Yeah as long as you too be careful...and stuff" she smiles.

I don't say anything, I just go in for a big hug and she hugs me back. I pull away and bite my lip to hide my smile as she goes in to hug Levi again.

She pulls away, "I'm sure your dad would love to hear this"

"Are you kidding?" My hands swipes across my head and down my hair.