Then There Was You

To Know Him Is To Love Him

It felt like Vivian's life was going perfectly. She had graduated high school, accepting her diploma and running off the stage into Niall's waiting arms as her parents quietly looked on. She was falling more in love with him everyday, something she never thought she would have in her life and it seemed that everyone in town had finally come to terms with their budding relationship. No more gossipy whispers or sneering looks, no one batted an eye when they walked hand and hand down main street or showed up to Sunday's for a frozen treat. No one bothered them in the slightest, not even Cliff. Niall had been quite worried about him, never revealing that to Vivian, but it was something that had been sitting heavy in the back of his mind since their confrontation at Vivian's party. But it was like something had suddenly switched in Cliff. Not only was he leaving Niall alone, he was acting as if neither of them even existed. Which was fine by Niall.

But for Vivian, there was another person who was acting like neither of them existed and it wasn't fine by her at all. That person was someone that meant a great deal to her, who she had once been close to. Someone she cared a lot about. Her father.

He hadn't uttered a word to her since she ran out of her birthday party. Not a single word, and barely even a glance in her direction. Vivian tried to convince herself that it was for the better, and she hoped that he would eventually come around to Niall like everyone else had. But in the following six weeks after her party, he never did. And it hurt her feelings, as much as she tried to pretend it didn't, it really stung deeper than she had anticipated. Her father's approval was important to her, she wanted him to be proud of her and happy that she had found someone that cared for her in the way Niall did, but it seemed like nothing would ever be good enough for him.

It had really started to weigh heavy on her, so much so that she had begun to feel sick to her stomach when she woke up in the morning, dreading even wanting to get out of her bed. The tension between them was indescribable and the second she stepped into her house, she wanted nothing more than to step right back out. Her mother did the best she could at getting them to at least be in the same room together, but apart from eating dinner and the occasional Sunday morning brunch, it was as if as soon as Vivian walked into a room, her father would silently get up and walk out. Her mother would sigh and give her daughter a kiss, telling her to just give him time, he would come around, but Vivian felt like that would never happen. Like she would be waiting forever for her father to even acknowledge her again.

*

One hot summer morning, a couple weeks after her graduation, Vivian found herself sprawled out on her tummy on her bed, feet kicked up behind her as she flipped through a new fashion magazine her mother had picked up from the store. She heard a faint tapping on her bedroom door and she peeked up, watching as the door slowly creaked open. "Vivian, can we speak?" her father asked, his stoic voice booming across her walls as he stepped into her bedroom.

Vivian slapped the pages of the magazine shut and scrambled to her knees. Sitting back on her heels, she rested her palms on the tops of her legs and the young woman wordlessly gave him a nod. It was the first time he had uttered a single word to her in weeks, and to say she was almost in shock, and beyond nervous of what was about to follow, would be the understatement of the century.

Her father, dressed in his daily pressed trousers and fancy shirt, held together with his favorite pair of gold trimmed suspenders, shuffled further into her room as his hands slipped into his front pockets. He stared down at the floor for a moment, as if he was gathering his thoughts and Vivian thought that was very unlike him, as he was always fully prepared with what he wanted to say to everyone he spoke to.

She wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse.

"I wanna discuss this, uh..." he paused and raised his head, tipping his chin up as he locked his gaze with his daughter, "boyfriend of yours."