He Loved Me First ✓

He Loved Me First (21)

Chapter 21

My mother hugged me. My father was not far behind her. Both of them were crying too. My father and I, due to our relationship falling apart a while back, just stared at each other. My mom said, “I'd yell at you for keeping us in the dark for so long, but I'm just so happy to see you that I can't possibly feel any other emotion right now.”

My sister then rushed up to us and hugged the four of us in a group hug. “Whoa!” Felicity said.

“Why didn't you tell us about any of this?” Mom asked calmly.

“I couldn't,” I said. “I didn't know how to tell you.”

“He felt like he was disappointing you,” my sister cut in.

“You knew about this?” Dad asked.

“Yes, and Father Pius did too. Mr. Stubborn over here wouldn't let us say anything.” She gave me a small smile to show she was teasing me. I rolled my eyes at her.

“How did this happen?” Mom asked.

“Can I tell you about this later? It's a really long story.”

“It really is,” Alice, excuse me, Sister Peter Alice, said.

“Okay.”

There was a short silence and my dad scolded me with, “Well, at least your sister had the decency to show up to events important to you. Where were you eleven months ago?”

“Andrew!” my mother scolded him.

“He was there!” my sister insisted.

“...Your seminarian friend?” Mom asked her. She nodded. “You know, Ollie, when we were sitting back there, we were searching everywhere for you and then you walked out and we were saying, 'Is that Oliver?!' You surprised us.” She smiled at me in a way only mothers can. She then pulled me aside and whispered, “Don't be too hard on your dad. He was more worried about you than I was. I know he doesn't show it, but it doesn't mean it isn't true... He wanted to be a priest before he met me. I think you should know that.”

“But he...” I sighed, not knowing how to finish that sentence. “Okay. I'll try a little harder then.”

“Thank you.”

We went back to the group and I saw Felicity chatting happily with my sister. I introduced her to my parents. I said, “This is Felicity Jones, my best friend. She's been by my side through everything, seeing my best and my worst moments. I almost married her...twice. She's also your biggest fan.” The last part was to my mom. “I promised her a signed copy of Simply Enchanted forever ago. I can't believe she hasn't been harassing me about that.”

I looked at her and she said shrugging, “I figured you'd follow through on that promise too.”

Mom looked at us strangely, then said, “You'll have to explain the whole story.”

“Oh, I will. Could the three of us stay with you tonight?”

“Of course!”

Somehow, whether it was a purposeful move by my mother, or by the grace of God, or both, my dad and I were slowly excluded from the conversation going on. It left us no choice but to talk to each other. His eyes were on the ground.

“I'm sorry,” I said, true to my promise to my mother. He looked up at me. “I should have told you sooner. I just didn't know how to even begin that conversation.”

He didn't say anything for a few moments. Then suddenly he hugged me tightly. “I'm proud of you, Oliver,” he said. We were both crying at this point. It was the first time that I can remember that he ever said that to me. We pulled apart and he went on, “I know I was harder on you than I was on your sister, but that's because she acts like her mother. You act just like me.”

“I can see that,” I said. “But it's okay now.” I meant it.

“Hey, Oliver!” Felicity said, bounding over to us. “Can I have your first blessing? Pretty please?”

I laughed at her enthusiasm, then became serious. “I was saving it for my dad, if he wants it.” I looked at him, my eyes asking the question more so than my words.

“Yes,” he said. “Yes, I want it.” It was hard for him to form the words, I could see.

As he kneeled before me, I prayed for graces to be poured out upon him and that our relationship could be restored to what it once was. I don't remember exactly what I said, but that was the general idea.

We stood around talking for a little while longer, then drove an hour back to my parents' house for more discussion.