A Chat Between Fathers

“You go ahead, Maddiecakes.” Connor tells Maddy after he tells you to not leave the car yet, making Maddy stay put as well. Stella and Mr. O’Brien have already exited the car and are already making their way to the apartment after you parked. “I just have to talk to your boyfriend for a second.” Connor tells her, having turned in his seat to look towards her.

“What? Dad? What for?” Maddy asks him.

“Wow. You don’t even flinch when I call him your boyfriend.” Connor says in reaction instead of answering her question, and that’s when you notice Maddy blushing red again after her father points it out to her.

“Dad… It doesn’t mean that…” Maddy tries to explain but Connor cuts her off.

“You don’t need to say anything more, Maddy. Just let me talk to him for a few minutes while you bring up what we bought from Dante’s. Okay?” Connor tells her.

“Dad, I really think I have to be involved in this conversation.” Maddy tries to persuade him.

“No, Maddy. You’ve prolonged this conversation enough by asking to come with us in the first place. If we go up there back to your mom without having talked, I’m never going to hear the end of it from her.” Connor tells her.

“But Dad~” Maddy tries to argue, causing Connor to just raise his voice and say, “Maddy!”, stopping Maddy in her tracks once more.

“Please, honey, just… I won’t kill him. I promise.” Connor assures him, while obviously still trying to threaten you. Maddy looks at the rearview mirror where you’re watching her from, and it’s like she’s asking if it’s a good idea to leave you two alone with her eyes. You give her an assuring nod from the rearview mirror hoping she sees it. Maddy looks away from the mirror towards her dad before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Can I just say something then?” Maddy asks him.

“You don’t need to say it, Maddiecakes. I know.” Connor tells her, getting Maddy to blush even more. “It’s alright, Maddy. We’ll be up in a few minutes.” Connor assures her again. Maddy looks back at you through the rearview mirror, and you give her a reassuring smile that finally convinces her to scoot towards the door. Maddy hesitates one last time, looking at the rearview mirror again, before finally exiting the car and closing the door and leaving you and Connor alone in the car.

…

…

…

You’re not sure how long you and Connor have stayed silent and just staring straight at the windshield, but you’re willing to bet you’ve memorized the license plate of the car in front of you by now. You’re not sure if you should initiate the conversation since it’s Connor who insisted on talking now, but the longer you two don’t say anything, the more you feel the heat of the summer afternoon penetrating through the window.

You’re beginning to sweat now, and you look towards Connor who’s as cool as a cucumber. You’re getting tempted to just start the car again and turn on the A/C, but you’re having an argument with yourself if Connor would take it as a sign of weakness.

So what if he takes it as a sign of weakness? It’s your car!

You’re sweating bullets already!

You’re going to look like an idiot when you walk back up the apartment!

TURN ON THE A/C!

“Hey, uh~, is it cool if I turn on the A/C?” You finally ask him, succumbing to the heat.

“Why? Do you expect this conversation to be long?” Connor asks back.

“I-I mean, I think that’s up to you; but you haven’t really said anything.” You tell Connor.

“Oh? You have nothing left to say on your behalf?” Connor asks you calmly.

“What is there left to say on my part? I already said all I needed to say before we even went to Dante’s, I think.” You tell him.

“By which you mean you unequivocally want to date my daughter?” Connor asks to confirm if that’s what you’re referring to.

“Yes.” You answer confidently and without hesitation.

“Why?” Connor bluntly asks.

“Why do I want to date your daughter?” You ask to confirm if that’s his question.

“Yes.” Connor confirms.

…

“It’s pauses like that that make me think you either didn’t think this through, or you can’t tell me the actual reason behind wanting to date my daughter.” Connor says, after you take some time to respond to his question.

“It’s neither of those.” You tell him much more quickly.

“Oh? Then what is it?” Connor asks you.

“I’m trying to narrow down the multiple reasons to just one.” You answer, getting Connor to chuckle.

“Give me the first one that came to your mind then.” Connor tells you.

“She makes me aspire to be a better person.” You answer off the top of your head. “I know it sounds selfish but—” You try to qualify immediately after, but Connor interrupts you.

“If you need my eighteen year old daughter to aspire to be a better person, then I think you have a bigger problem.” Connor tells you dismissively. You don’t blame him thinking the answer’s bullshit. You don’t blame him for even thinking you have the worst intentions for his daughter. You know exactly why he’s doing this since you’d probably do the same thing if the older man your daughter was dating wasn’t you.

It's a parental instinct.

He doesn’t know you, so he doesn’t trust you. Nor should he at this point. You’re basically a cradle snatcher to him, and there’s probably not enough reasons you can think of that would persuade him to think of you otherwise…

But, damn it, you’re going to try.

“I said that because Maddy initially only saw me as an ideal. Someone she didn’t really know, but had preconceived notions of, that made her believe I was someone special.” You only begin to explain, but Connor jumps in immediately.

“So my daughter’s just an ego trip.” Connor concludes wrongly.

“No. That’s not what I mean at all, and I hope you really don’t see Maddy that way.” You say in defense of Maddy. “She isn’t some kid who isn’t mature enough to have agency over her own feelings. I made the mistake of thinking that was the case, and she proved me wrong.” You admit to Connor.

“SHE’S EIGHTEEN!” Connor shouts in frustration. “SHE IS A FUCKING KID! OF COURSE SHE’S STILL IMMATURE ABOUT HER FEELINGS!” Connor continues to shout. “AM I THE ONLY ONE IN THIS GODDAMN FAMILY THAT CAN SEE THAT!?” Connor asks, but definitely rhetorically.

Despite you disagreeing with his sentiment regarding Maddy’s immaturity about her feelings, you understand why he would think that. You admittedly thought that at one point yourself. You keep silent for now and give Connor time to breathe. You start the engine again so you can turn the A/C on, as he’s obviously getting heated too.

…

“But I suppose that’s my fault too, right?” Connor asks after he calms down from his outburst. “I’ve been hearing it all fucking weekend. I’m the bad dad who sheltered his children? So now they have no fucking clue about the ‘real world’. That’s on me, right?” Connor continues to ask rhetorically.

“I know that was rhetorical, but like Dante said earlier, we have no right to tell you how to raise your children.” You tell him, trying to support him a little, even if you don’t necessarily agree with how strict he was with his daughters.

“And yet, I’ve been hearing it a lot lately.” Connor sighs in frustration.

“Well, your Dad has been a little outspoken about his take on that, but isn’t that because you and him had lingering resentments to begin with? He probably didn’t want to see how you were raising your daughters from your perspective.” You try to rationalize for him.

“It’s not just him.” Connor replies. “It’s all of them now. It used to be just my dad. Now my mom’s on his side too… and my wife… and all of my daughters apparently. Even Dante called me out on it earlier.” Connor says in frustration once more.

“This weekend couldn’t have been the first time you’ve heard that feedback.” You say in reaction.

“No… but this is the first time that even Liza wasn’t on my side.” Connor tells you, which surprises you a bit.

“A weird tangent to ask, but who buys the books your daughters read?” You ask him to confirm something.

“Liza’s their educator, so she takes care of that stuff. Why?” Connor asks you, curious behind your reason for your question.

“Then I think Liza’s always been aware that the girls needed a little more freedom than what you were giving them. I’ve only talked to Tricia about it briefly, but she’s been reading works that emphasize a more adventurous lifestyle. Maddy’s a huge fan of my works, and it might not be a coincidence that its overarching theme is rebelling against a higher power for love.” You inform him. “I think it's a safe presumption that Liza’s not unaware of the themes of the books your daughters read with how hands on she is with their education.” You suggest.

“You’re saying Liza’s never been on my side to begin with.” Connor misconstrues your point.

“Not at all. Liza probably understood your girls needed balance. To lean too heavily on being strict disciplinarians is just as bad as giving you too much freedom to do whatever you want. Either case is just going to make somebody yearn for the other side.” You clarify your point to him, and Connor surprisingly chuckles in reaction.

“I guess you’re the guy my dad mentioned he talked to that made him want to make amends.” Connor pieces together.

“We did talk, yeah; but I won’t say that I’m the one who made him want to make amends. I’m sure that was because of Maddy, and how much your dad loves all his grandchildren... and how much he loves you too.” You tell Connor, who closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose.

“I’m going to give you one more chance to answer this, and don’t give me some bullshit answer this time. Why do you want to date my daughter?” Connor asks you again.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, but my original answer wasn’t bullshit. A part of why I want to date Maddy is because she does make me strive to be better.” You double down on your earlier answer. “Because anything less is less than what she deserves… because she risked everything for me. She risked her father’s rage, her grandmother’s scolding, and a future in this city that lets her somewhat escape the strict upbringing that made her miserable… all for that ‘ideal’ version of me.” You explain your answer more completely.

“And this is your argument that Maddy’s mature enough with her feelings?” Connor asks you in disbelief, as it does sound like you undermined that thought by implying Maddy doesn’t really know you as a person.

“Yeah,” You answer him with a chuckle. “Because when I told her I’m not that guy, nor am I nowhere close to it… she still said she loved me.” You reveal to Connor. “She made me realize that between the two of us, I was the one that made the distinction between who she thought I was and the person she got to know.” You add.

“When I said she makes me want to be better, I didn’t mean I wanted to match that ideal. I meant that I’ve got to accept that being better isn’t changing who I am… but accepting it. That’s why I said it was one of the selfish reasons I want to date your daughter… because she already loves me for me… and I love her for loving me just the way I am.”

Author's Announcement: That's it for another month of this branch! To find out more about what you can look forward to for the month of December, click here. If you want to read more in advance, you can do so by subscribing to my Patreon. Thanks again everyone for all your support!