Post by Lluvia/Zara/Jamie/Others on Aug 17, 2022 9:55:50 GMT -8
August 16, 2022
Marley was back in Richmond with Samuel after Zion's Night of Champions pay-per-view, choosing to fly vs driving that time. They were there to get the moving process started and grab Circe and Ares but hadn’t gotten in until late the night before. The couple had been asleep when the banging on her home's door started. They had shown up early in the morning once they knew she was back at her place, and she dreaded them being there. And the dread was rightfully placed as she listened to her father continuously go off in Filipino. It had been going on for at least 5 or 10 minutes already…the woman hadn’t been keeping track if she were fully honest, but it was beginning to grate her nerve.
"Anong iniisip mo?! Hindi ka pinalaki ng ganito! Si Zara lang ang nakilala niya hanggang ngayon! Mapapahamak ako kapag nangyayari ito! (What are you thinking?! You weren’t raised like this! Zara is the only one to have met him until now! I'll be damned if this is happening!)" Marley couldn't believe her father…well really she could. Her grandmother tried to be a little modern but there were many things that were still done traditionally, or mostly traditionally, in their family if possible. Relationships were typically one of those things, even though most of the family had been born in America. The generations had been raised being taught how to go about relationships, and most followed the lessons to some extent, until now. As her father continued, her blood had been boiling and she finally snapped, doing something she had never done…she yelled back at her father.
"Matanda na ako, tatay! Hindi mo ako mapipigilan! (I'm an adult, dad! You can't stop me!)" Marley paused and looked over at Samuel, their eyes locking, and she gave him an apologetic smile. But her father's anger didn't stop her from going over to Samuel, tangling her hand up in his. He gave her hand a little squeeze then lifted their hands to kiss the back of hers. Her heart fluttered a little at the gentle affection. It calmed her boiling blood a little, but it did nothing to quell her father’s anger and she knew it as he went flying off the handle again. “Hindi ako tatayo para dito! Hindi ito nangyayari! Hindi ka pupunta kahit saan! (I will not stand for this! It's not happening! You're not going anywhere!)” Her father’s anger burned in his eyes as he set his gaze on her, almost immediately changing his pacing path to a path towards Marley.
He moved to grab her free wrist to try and drag her away from Samuel, and Marley could feel her boyfriend tense up, the grip on her hand tightening a little. Thankfully her mother, Sandra, stepped in and stopped her father from doing anything more drastic. Her mother had been watching the young couple and found herself smiling softly as she did. She saw the happiness and love that was radiating from her daughter, and she couldn’t let her own husband ruin something that seemed to flow so well. Yes, she was a little leary because of how fast her daughter was moving, but seeing the pair together, Sandra suddenly wasn’t so sure about her and her husband’s decision to try and make the two slow down. The older woman grabbed her husband’s outstretched arm causing him to look at her, the anger still burning as bright as the moment they found out what was going on.
“Danilo, stop. You’ll only drive her away. Stop and look at them, really look at them. No, she’s not following the traditions you were raised with, but we’re not in the time that we grew up, we’re not in the Philippines. She follows the important traditions, the ones focused on the family itself. You know how fiercely Marley loves our family, the entire family knows it.” Sandra paused to take a breath, glancing fondly at her daughter who was smiling weakly at her mom. Marley leaned into Samuel as she listened to her mom come to their defense. He wrapped his arm around her protectively, holding her close to him. “Danilo, have they really done anything wrong other than finding each other and falling in love? And if that’s wrong then every couple out there is wrong, including us. Who are we to say love is wrong? We can’t live her life for her…we can’t dictate the rest of it for her. We have to believe that we raised her properly and that she’ll keep our lessons in mind. That’s all a parent can really hope for their child once they’re grown.” Marley was suddenly grateful that her mom had come with her dad, even if she had dreaded it when they first arrived.
Marley could see her dad thinking over her mom’s words, his eyes and expression softening a little. She gave Samuel’s arm a little squeeze, gently nodding when they locked eyes. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before moving his arm for her to move toward her father. She gently took her father’s larger, work calloused hands into her own, making him look at her as she spoke, her voice much gentler than it had been a little earlier. “Itay, mahal kita at ina, nang higit kaysa anupaman. (Dad, I love you and mom, more than anything.) I love our family beyond words, tatay (dad). You know I do and always will. I’ll always cherish our heritage, our traditions, for what they are…our heritage. It’s not who we are now though. But tatay, I love Samuel.” She glanced back at him, the small smile that felt reserved just for her crossing his lips. A gentle smile graced her face in return as she turned her gaze back to her father. “Tatay, my heart hurts when I’m not able to be around him, at the thought of him not being in my life for whatever reason. I don’t want to be pushed away or forced to choose between him or the family just because I’m not following our heritage. If I was forced to, I would choose him every time…”
Marley let go of her father’s hands and moved back to Samuel’s side, hugging him gently, taking a second before looking back at her parents, specifically her dad who still hadn’t said anything. She leaned her head against Samuel’s chest as his arm snaked back around her to hold her close to him. Her voice was still soft as she looked between her parents again, focusing on her dad before she spoke. “Itay, I don’t want to choose, but if the traditions and our heritage mean so much to you that you would be more concerned about trying to rip me away from him then I will choose and I’ll be gone for good. I don’t want to be around people that would force that on me. I don’t want to be around people that would make me choose between them and someone that makes me feel safe and loved and special. And that’s what Samuel does…he makes me feel safer than I ever have.” He gave her a little squeeze, and she placed her hand over his that was holding onto her.
“I can’t explain how special he makes me feel…I wish I could but I really don’t have a way to. And he loves me as much as I love him though I’m still trying to figure out what ended up making me so lucky. Tatay, I know I drove you and Ina (mom) crazy with how I handled relationships in the last few years, and I’m sorry for what I put the two of you through, but it’s different with Samuel. The awkwardness of a new relationship, it’s just not there…there’s nothing that feels questionable, it just feels natural.” Without thinking about it, she began rubbing the back of Samuel’s hand with the tips of her fingers, feeling him starting to relax a little. “I grew up with the two of you telling me stories of how you just knew the other was right for you…that no past relationship felt natural. I grew up wanting that feeling, and I know you both want that for me. You want me to feel as if I’m protected and loved, right? You want me to have happiness, something lasting…something I didn’t have in the past, right?” Marley wasn’t looking for a verbal answer from her parents…she knew the answers to her questions already. It was everything they had wanted for her while she was growing up and as she got older.
Marley’s hazel eyes looked up at Samuel, smiling when she saw him looking down at her as well. She sighed softly then flicked her eyes back to her parents, seeing the knowing smile on her mom’s face. “That’s what this is. This is love, security, my being happy…feeling wanted. Tatay, how I used to act scared the two of you…it did me too. I may not have done drugs or anything like that, but I was being self-destructive in other ways until Zara took me on the road with her, and the three of us know it…it’s why she did it.” Marley didn’t realize her voice had started shaking until she felt Samuel give her hip a little squeeze, causing her to look at him again, concern for her in his eyes. How could her father possibly hear all of this, see how they are with one another, and really be worried about heritage? She gently rubbed his arm, her way of reassuring him. Was she okay, really? She swallowed hard and licked her lips a little…she wasn’t sure, truthfully. But the green-haired woman had found a strength that she didn’t know about…no, one she hadn’t had at all before.
Marley was unsure about saying anything further…yeah, she had told Samuel how she had been, of course, she had told him. She didn’t want to hide anything from him, but it still scared her to say any of it, scared that something she said, even if she had already said something about it, would make him change his mind. She chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it all, but truthfully, that was something to deal with at another time…not right then. Samuel gave her hip another little squeeze, this one being a reassurance of his own for her. “Ina, Tatay…I don’t know what the future holds for Samuel and I, but I need to find out. I like who I’ve become since he’s come into my life…I can tell I’m a different person, for the better. I’d like to have all my family behind me, not just Zara, but if I have to face the future without y’all then so be it. He’s all I really need in my life though I’d really like for y’all to get to know him, to give us a proper chance. I don’t need an answer this morning…Hell, I don’t want one this morning. You need to realize that no matter the choice you make, Samuel is going to be a part of my life, hopefully for the rest of it, but that is for him and me to figure out together when the time is right, not for anyone else to interfere in. I’m not leaving forever, tatay I’m only moving…” The soft voice she once held had turned strong, confident in all of it though it had returned to a careful softness at the end as she trailed off.
There was a silence in the air for what felt like forever, but Marley knew it had only been a minute or two. She could tell that her father was having an internal battle with himself, but her mother seemed at ease after being in her daughter’s little house. Sandra had never seen her daughter behave or speak that way, and frankly, it made her heart swell a little with pride. Her daughter had rebelled against them before, her multitude of piercings and tattoos being the evidence of that, but she had never been so defensive about something or someone in her life, not for the right reasons at least. When her parents didn’t say anything or even more, Marley clinched her eyes shut and hid her face against Samuel. When she felt him shift, she looked at him, seeing a determined glint in his eyes.
Samuel nods to Marley before removing his arms from around her waist and begins to sign to Danilo and Sandra as he glances back and forth between them as Marley translates. “Mr. and Mrs. Divata… I apologize for causing distress for both of you. I was unaware of your culture, as a matter of fact, I am unaware of many cultures for reasons I do not feel comfortable discussing with you at this moment in time, of course, Marley is aware of said reasons.” Samuel pauses and Marley nods to her parents and Samuel goes back to signing. “Your daughter was the first person to actually take the time out of her day to converse with me, a complete stranger at the time. It is clear to me that you have both raised a wonderful, compassionate and loving daughter and through that simple act of just talking to me when no one else would? I knew she was special… I knew that I wanted to get to know her more.” He pauses again and looks back to Marley again and the couple give one another a loving smile.
Turning back to Danilo and Sandra, Samuel continues; “I understand your concerns over how fast we seem to be moving in our relationship, however I can assure you that I love your daughter with all of my heart. She is the only woman I have ever loved besides my sister, and she has spoken highly of her family… and as someone who values the importance of family myself? I hope to be given the chance to prove myself to you both and the rest of her family.” As Marley translated for them, she felt her heart skip a beat. What he was telling her parents was something he had told her on a few occasions, but it got to her in a good way and probably always would. She looked at her father, surprised he had actually been quiet for so long, but she couldn’t read his face, something highly unusual for that man. But she was pleasantly surprised when it was her mom speaking up again.
“I think…Danilo and I may have overreacted some. I know he doesn’t see it, and he won’t for a little while, but if this is what you feel is the right next step in your life, Marley, then we’ll be there for you. It’s just going to take some getting used to by everyone. But maybe we should go home and properly think things through this time. It’s obvious how they feel, Danilo…who are we to try and destroy that? Things aren’t like when you were raised, sweetheart…everything is different, and we need to realize that.” Marley found herself more and more thankful that her father had fallen in love with an American woman. The two women smiled at each other, and Marley was surprised when she saw her father nodding in agreement with her mother. “I need to think.” was all the man said before he swiftly made his way from Marley’s home, only a quick glance sent to the couple as he did. Sandra hung back for another minute or so, wanting to say something but trying to figure out how.
“Marley…” Sandra moved to where she was right in front of her daughter before she put a hand on the woman’s upper arm. “If this is truly what you want, if you are truly as happy as you say then you know we’ll support you. It’s just going to take your father a bit…he was raised to go through a courtship process…meet the parents, the grandparents, hell even the aunts and uncles. He was taught to ask not only the woman, but her family before any big step in the relationship, so this is new territory for him. But I won’t let him just close this off in his mind.” Sandra paused for a second to step back and look at the couple again. Everything her daughter had told them rang through her head and it rang true, easing the worries she had before. “I was concerned, I won’t try to tell you otherwise, Mar. But actually seeing the two of you together is something different than just hearing about it through the grapevine…the love between you two is clear, but it’s new and new love can be temperamental. Be patient with each other, which I’m sure you already are, but patience will go a long way in a new relationship.” And with that, Sandra squeezed her daughter’s arm and gave Samuel a look, what seemed like one that had a hint of approval, but at least it wasn’t anything negative, before she left the home as well.
Suddenly all the strength Marley had seemed to just leave her, and she found herself more thankful for Samuel than ever because she would have easily hit the floor after her knees buckled under her. She allowed herself to be led to the couch she had and found herself sinking into Samuel’s arms once they were seated. “I’ve never stood up to my father like that before…” Her voice was barely a whisper, but with it being just them there how, it was silent in the home which didn’t make it hard for her to be heard. The way she had spoken to her father went against everything she was taught growing up, but she didn’t care…she was proud of herself.
Samuel softly kisses the top of Marley’s head as he stares off into the distance, and as if the green-haired woman could sense something was up, she turned her head to look up at him. Taking hold of his chin with her right hand, she turns his head so they lock eyes and she gives him a look as if asking him if there is something wrong. Removing his arm from around her, he begins to sign, “If it hadn’t been for your mother? I don’t know what would have happened… I know he is your father and he is trying to protect you but when he went to grab you like that? I wanted to protect you. I understand that he needs time as he is not used to the way things are here, but I truly do hope that he will accept me being in your life. I do not want to be responsible for splitting a family apart. I do not want to be like my parents.”
Marley shook her head a little before she kissed his cheek. Her heart broke a little knowing that thought had crossed his mind at all. “Your parents were awful people…you could never be like them. Nothing about this is your fault at all nor would it be…I know you wouldn’t ask me to choose. If my dad doesn’t accept this, can’t accept us, that’s on him and him alone. I told you before that I was a little adventurous when I was a little younger, and you didn’t care but they did. He never ceased to remind me of the damage I could end up doing, and I ended up with a bad crowd for a little while. I never did the things they did, but it scared the crap out of my family either way. He’s reverting back to that time in my life instead of looking at how much I’ve changed.” She sighed a little as her past briefly flitted through her mind. Other than with Zara, she had never gone into detail with anyone, whether they knew the situation or not, to avoid them having ill thoughts about her. She hadn’t truly been a part of the crowd she had fallen into, but it was where she had found herself after a while.
For a moment, she looked at the floor, insecurities from back then trying to invade, but she pushed them away and locked eyes with Samuel again. “The changes were small when Zara got me on the road with her, but you’ve changed me, Samuel. You’ve brought out a side of me that I had forgotten about a long time ago…a side I missed but couldn’t ever find a will or want to allow to resurface. But I meant what I said to them…our future is for us to figure out together. And wherever it leads us, I’m happy the journey is with you versus anyone else.”
Samuel nods and begins to sign again, “And I meant what I said to your parents. That I knew you were someone special when you took the time out of your day to talk to me. It could have been anyone, but I am glad you were the one. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me in my entire life and I love you with all of my heart.”
Marley felt her heart flutter a little as she smiled . at her boyfriend. "I love you too, more than anything and anyone else." She took his hand back into her own before she leaned over to give him a kiss. She curled up against him, placing her head on his chest in the process. "You know…the packing can wait, I'd rather stay like this for a little while."
Marley was back in Richmond with Samuel after Zion's Night of Champions pay-per-view, choosing to fly vs driving that time. They were there to get the moving process started and grab Circe and Ares but hadn’t gotten in until late the night before. The couple had been asleep when the banging on her home's door started. They had shown up early in the morning once they knew she was back at her place, and she dreaded them being there. And the dread was rightfully placed as she listened to her father continuously go off in Filipino. It had been going on for at least 5 or 10 minutes already…the woman hadn’t been keeping track if she were fully honest, but it was beginning to grate her nerve.
"Anong iniisip mo?! Hindi ka pinalaki ng ganito! Si Zara lang ang nakilala niya hanggang ngayon! Mapapahamak ako kapag nangyayari ito! (What are you thinking?! You weren’t raised like this! Zara is the only one to have met him until now! I'll be damned if this is happening!)" Marley couldn't believe her father…well really she could. Her grandmother tried to be a little modern but there were many things that were still done traditionally, or mostly traditionally, in their family if possible. Relationships were typically one of those things, even though most of the family had been born in America. The generations had been raised being taught how to go about relationships, and most followed the lessons to some extent, until now. As her father continued, her blood had been boiling and she finally snapped, doing something she had never done…she yelled back at her father.
"Matanda na ako, tatay! Hindi mo ako mapipigilan! (I'm an adult, dad! You can't stop me!)" Marley paused and looked over at Samuel, their eyes locking, and she gave him an apologetic smile. But her father's anger didn't stop her from going over to Samuel, tangling her hand up in his. He gave her hand a little squeeze then lifted their hands to kiss the back of hers. Her heart fluttered a little at the gentle affection. It calmed her boiling blood a little, but it did nothing to quell her father’s anger and she knew it as he went flying off the handle again. “Hindi ako tatayo para dito! Hindi ito nangyayari! Hindi ka pupunta kahit saan! (I will not stand for this! It's not happening! You're not going anywhere!)” Her father’s anger burned in his eyes as he set his gaze on her, almost immediately changing his pacing path to a path towards Marley.
He moved to grab her free wrist to try and drag her away from Samuel, and Marley could feel her boyfriend tense up, the grip on her hand tightening a little. Thankfully her mother, Sandra, stepped in and stopped her father from doing anything more drastic. Her mother had been watching the young couple and found herself smiling softly as she did. She saw the happiness and love that was radiating from her daughter, and she couldn’t let her own husband ruin something that seemed to flow so well. Yes, she was a little leary because of how fast her daughter was moving, but seeing the pair together, Sandra suddenly wasn’t so sure about her and her husband’s decision to try and make the two slow down. The older woman grabbed her husband’s outstretched arm causing him to look at her, the anger still burning as bright as the moment they found out what was going on.
“Danilo, stop. You’ll only drive her away. Stop and look at them, really look at them. No, she’s not following the traditions you were raised with, but we’re not in the time that we grew up, we’re not in the Philippines. She follows the important traditions, the ones focused on the family itself. You know how fiercely Marley loves our family, the entire family knows it.” Sandra paused to take a breath, glancing fondly at her daughter who was smiling weakly at her mom. Marley leaned into Samuel as she listened to her mom come to their defense. He wrapped his arm around her protectively, holding her close to him. “Danilo, have they really done anything wrong other than finding each other and falling in love? And if that’s wrong then every couple out there is wrong, including us. Who are we to say love is wrong? We can’t live her life for her…we can’t dictate the rest of it for her. We have to believe that we raised her properly and that she’ll keep our lessons in mind. That’s all a parent can really hope for their child once they’re grown.” Marley was suddenly grateful that her mom had come with her dad, even if she had dreaded it when they first arrived.
Marley could see her dad thinking over her mom’s words, his eyes and expression softening a little. She gave Samuel’s arm a little squeeze, gently nodding when they locked eyes. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before moving his arm for her to move toward her father. She gently took her father’s larger, work calloused hands into her own, making him look at her as she spoke, her voice much gentler than it had been a little earlier. “Itay, mahal kita at ina, nang higit kaysa anupaman. (Dad, I love you and mom, more than anything.) I love our family beyond words, tatay (dad). You know I do and always will. I’ll always cherish our heritage, our traditions, for what they are…our heritage. It’s not who we are now though. But tatay, I love Samuel.” She glanced back at him, the small smile that felt reserved just for her crossing his lips. A gentle smile graced her face in return as she turned her gaze back to her father. “Tatay, my heart hurts when I’m not able to be around him, at the thought of him not being in my life for whatever reason. I don’t want to be pushed away or forced to choose between him or the family just because I’m not following our heritage. If I was forced to, I would choose him every time…”
Marley let go of her father’s hands and moved back to Samuel’s side, hugging him gently, taking a second before looking back at her parents, specifically her dad who still hadn’t said anything. She leaned her head against Samuel’s chest as his arm snaked back around her to hold her close to him. Her voice was still soft as she looked between her parents again, focusing on her dad before she spoke. “Itay, I don’t want to choose, but if the traditions and our heritage mean so much to you that you would be more concerned about trying to rip me away from him then I will choose and I’ll be gone for good. I don’t want to be around people that would force that on me. I don’t want to be around people that would make me choose between them and someone that makes me feel safe and loved and special. And that’s what Samuel does…he makes me feel safer than I ever have.” He gave her a little squeeze, and she placed her hand over his that was holding onto her.
“I can’t explain how special he makes me feel…I wish I could but I really don’t have a way to. And he loves me as much as I love him though I’m still trying to figure out what ended up making me so lucky. Tatay, I know I drove you and Ina (mom) crazy with how I handled relationships in the last few years, and I’m sorry for what I put the two of you through, but it’s different with Samuel. The awkwardness of a new relationship, it’s just not there…there’s nothing that feels questionable, it just feels natural.” Without thinking about it, she began rubbing the back of Samuel’s hand with the tips of her fingers, feeling him starting to relax a little. “I grew up with the two of you telling me stories of how you just knew the other was right for you…that no past relationship felt natural. I grew up wanting that feeling, and I know you both want that for me. You want me to feel as if I’m protected and loved, right? You want me to have happiness, something lasting…something I didn’t have in the past, right?” Marley wasn’t looking for a verbal answer from her parents…she knew the answers to her questions already. It was everything they had wanted for her while she was growing up and as she got older.
Marley’s hazel eyes looked up at Samuel, smiling when she saw him looking down at her as well. She sighed softly then flicked her eyes back to her parents, seeing the knowing smile on her mom’s face. “That’s what this is. This is love, security, my being happy…feeling wanted. Tatay, how I used to act scared the two of you…it did me too. I may not have done drugs or anything like that, but I was being self-destructive in other ways until Zara took me on the road with her, and the three of us know it…it’s why she did it.” Marley didn’t realize her voice had started shaking until she felt Samuel give her hip a little squeeze, causing her to look at him again, concern for her in his eyes. How could her father possibly hear all of this, see how they are with one another, and really be worried about heritage? She gently rubbed his arm, her way of reassuring him. Was she okay, really? She swallowed hard and licked her lips a little…she wasn’t sure, truthfully. But the green-haired woman had found a strength that she didn’t know about…no, one she hadn’t had at all before.
Marley was unsure about saying anything further…yeah, she had told Samuel how she had been, of course, she had told him. She didn’t want to hide anything from him, but it still scared her to say any of it, scared that something she said, even if she had already said something about it, would make him change his mind. She chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it all, but truthfully, that was something to deal with at another time…not right then. Samuel gave her hip another little squeeze, this one being a reassurance of his own for her. “Ina, Tatay…I don’t know what the future holds for Samuel and I, but I need to find out. I like who I’ve become since he’s come into my life…I can tell I’m a different person, for the better. I’d like to have all my family behind me, not just Zara, but if I have to face the future without y’all then so be it. He’s all I really need in my life though I’d really like for y’all to get to know him, to give us a proper chance. I don’t need an answer this morning…Hell, I don’t want one this morning. You need to realize that no matter the choice you make, Samuel is going to be a part of my life, hopefully for the rest of it, but that is for him and me to figure out together when the time is right, not for anyone else to interfere in. I’m not leaving forever, tatay I’m only moving…” The soft voice she once held had turned strong, confident in all of it though it had returned to a careful softness at the end as she trailed off.
There was a silence in the air for what felt like forever, but Marley knew it had only been a minute or two. She could tell that her father was having an internal battle with himself, but her mother seemed at ease after being in her daughter’s little house. Sandra had never seen her daughter behave or speak that way, and frankly, it made her heart swell a little with pride. Her daughter had rebelled against them before, her multitude of piercings and tattoos being the evidence of that, but she had never been so defensive about something or someone in her life, not for the right reasons at least. When her parents didn’t say anything or even more, Marley clinched her eyes shut and hid her face against Samuel. When she felt him shift, she looked at him, seeing a determined glint in his eyes.
Samuel nods to Marley before removing his arms from around her waist and begins to sign to Danilo and Sandra as he glances back and forth between them as Marley translates. “Mr. and Mrs. Divata… I apologize for causing distress for both of you. I was unaware of your culture, as a matter of fact, I am unaware of many cultures for reasons I do not feel comfortable discussing with you at this moment in time, of course, Marley is aware of said reasons.” Samuel pauses and Marley nods to her parents and Samuel goes back to signing. “Your daughter was the first person to actually take the time out of her day to converse with me, a complete stranger at the time. It is clear to me that you have both raised a wonderful, compassionate and loving daughter and through that simple act of just talking to me when no one else would? I knew she was special… I knew that I wanted to get to know her more.” He pauses again and looks back to Marley again and the couple give one another a loving smile.
Turning back to Danilo and Sandra, Samuel continues; “I understand your concerns over how fast we seem to be moving in our relationship, however I can assure you that I love your daughter with all of my heart. She is the only woman I have ever loved besides my sister, and she has spoken highly of her family… and as someone who values the importance of family myself? I hope to be given the chance to prove myself to you both and the rest of her family.” As Marley translated for them, she felt her heart skip a beat. What he was telling her parents was something he had told her on a few occasions, but it got to her in a good way and probably always would. She looked at her father, surprised he had actually been quiet for so long, but she couldn’t read his face, something highly unusual for that man. But she was pleasantly surprised when it was her mom speaking up again.
“I think…Danilo and I may have overreacted some. I know he doesn’t see it, and he won’t for a little while, but if this is what you feel is the right next step in your life, Marley, then we’ll be there for you. It’s just going to take some getting used to by everyone. But maybe we should go home and properly think things through this time. It’s obvious how they feel, Danilo…who are we to try and destroy that? Things aren’t like when you were raised, sweetheart…everything is different, and we need to realize that.” Marley found herself more and more thankful that her father had fallen in love with an American woman. The two women smiled at each other, and Marley was surprised when she saw her father nodding in agreement with her mother. “I need to think.” was all the man said before he swiftly made his way from Marley’s home, only a quick glance sent to the couple as he did. Sandra hung back for another minute or so, wanting to say something but trying to figure out how.
“Marley…” Sandra moved to where she was right in front of her daughter before she put a hand on the woman’s upper arm. “If this is truly what you want, if you are truly as happy as you say then you know we’ll support you. It’s just going to take your father a bit…he was raised to go through a courtship process…meet the parents, the grandparents, hell even the aunts and uncles. He was taught to ask not only the woman, but her family before any big step in the relationship, so this is new territory for him. But I won’t let him just close this off in his mind.” Sandra paused for a second to step back and look at the couple again. Everything her daughter had told them rang through her head and it rang true, easing the worries she had before. “I was concerned, I won’t try to tell you otherwise, Mar. But actually seeing the two of you together is something different than just hearing about it through the grapevine…the love between you two is clear, but it’s new and new love can be temperamental. Be patient with each other, which I’m sure you already are, but patience will go a long way in a new relationship.” And with that, Sandra squeezed her daughter’s arm and gave Samuel a look, what seemed like one that had a hint of approval, but at least it wasn’t anything negative, before she left the home as well.
Suddenly all the strength Marley had seemed to just leave her, and she found herself more thankful for Samuel than ever because she would have easily hit the floor after her knees buckled under her. She allowed herself to be led to the couch she had and found herself sinking into Samuel’s arms once they were seated. “I’ve never stood up to my father like that before…” Her voice was barely a whisper, but with it being just them there how, it was silent in the home which didn’t make it hard for her to be heard. The way she had spoken to her father went against everything she was taught growing up, but she didn’t care…she was proud of herself.
Samuel softly kisses the top of Marley’s head as he stares off into the distance, and as if the green-haired woman could sense something was up, she turned her head to look up at him. Taking hold of his chin with her right hand, she turns his head so they lock eyes and she gives him a look as if asking him if there is something wrong. Removing his arm from around her, he begins to sign, “If it hadn’t been for your mother? I don’t know what would have happened… I know he is your father and he is trying to protect you but when he went to grab you like that? I wanted to protect you. I understand that he needs time as he is not used to the way things are here, but I truly do hope that he will accept me being in your life. I do not want to be responsible for splitting a family apart. I do not want to be like my parents.”
Marley shook her head a little before she kissed his cheek. Her heart broke a little knowing that thought had crossed his mind at all. “Your parents were awful people…you could never be like them. Nothing about this is your fault at all nor would it be…I know you wouldn’t ask me to choose. If my dad doesn’t accept this, can’t accept us, that’s on him and him alone. I told you before that I was a little adventurous when I was a little younger, and you didn’t care but they did. He never ceased to remind me of the damage I could end up doing, and I ended up with a bad crowd for a little while. I never did the things they did, but it scared the crap out of my family either way. He’s reverting back to that time in my life instead of looking at how much I’ve changed.” She sighed a little as her past briefly flitted through her mind. Other than with Zara, she had never gone into detail with anyone, whether they knew the situation or not, to avoid them having ill thoughts about her. She hadn’t truly been a part of the crowd she had fallen into, but it was where she had found herself after a while.
For a moment, she looked at the floor, insecurities from back then trying to invade, but she pushed them away and locked eyes with Samuel again. “The changes were small when Zara got me on the road with her, but you’ve changed me, Samuel. You’ve brought out a side of me that I had forgotten about a long time ago…a side I missed but couldn’t ever find a will or want to allow to resurface. But I meant what I said to them…our future is for us to figure out together. And wherever it leads us, I’m happy the journey is with you versus anyone else.”
Samuel nods and begins to sign again, “And I meant what I said to your parents. That I knew you were someone special when you took the time out of your day to talk to me. It could have been anyone, but I am glad you were the one. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me in my entire life and I love you with all of my heart.”
Marley felt her heart flutter a little as she smiled . at her boyfriend. "I love you too, more than anything and anyone else." She took his hand back into her own before she leaned over to give him a kiss. She curled up against him, placing her head on his chest in the process. "You know…the packing can wait, I'd rather stay like this for a little while."
