Until She Meet Him (FINISHED)

Nine

9

Weeks pass and every day Emma spends with Jake. He picks her up from her house in the morning with breakfast waiting for her in the passenger seat; he takes her home after school, occasionally coming inside with her when her parents aren't home. They attempt to do homework together, but most of the time they end up on the couch, locked in each other's arms.

Her parents noticed the change in her attitude and had questioned many times what was making her so cheerful. She would simply say she was happy living here, and she was, but she wouldn't be if it wasn't for Jake. Before she found him, she was just going through her life. Now, she was living it.

The first fall Friday morning, she decided she was going to tell her parents about him, not that she was hiding him, but because she knew they would become protective of her. She woke up early before her father left for work so she could talk to them together. Running down the stairs she spotted them both in the kitchen.

"Morning!" She sings happily.

"You're up early." Her father grins at her before kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you both before you left for work." She says sitting at the bar.

"Oh, no." her mom teases.

"It's nothing like that, okay, maybe it is but I'm going to tell you, anyway." She takes a deep breath and looks at both of her parents, who are looking at her, slightly concerned. "Well, you guys have noticed I've been really happy lately." She starts.

"Yes, and nothing makes us happier than to see you happy." Her father responds with a massive grin.

"Great, remember that. I'm so happy lately I have a boyfriend." She blurts out. Both of her parents look at her with wide eyes.

"You have a what?" Her mother stammers.

"A boyfriend, his name is Jake." She says adjusting in her seat. "And he makes me genuinely happy. I told him everything, and he doesn't think any differently of me. He thinks I'm strong and beautiful despite everything. He calls me at night to make sure I'm feeling okay. He helps me at school when I'm not feeling great." Her mother grins but her dad glares at her.

"A boyfriend? And he knows you have cancer?" He raises a brow.

"Yes, he's even seen me without my wig, daddy, and he still thinks I'm beautiful." She beams.

"Because you are!" He defends himself.

"You have to think that you're my dad. But anyway, he wants to meet you guys."

"He wants to meet us?" Her mom asks, shocked.

"Yeah, he's been asking me all week to meet you guys, so I wanted to invite him over for dinner."

"I don't know about this." Her dad groans.

"Dad, you just said you want nothing more than for me to be happy, remember?" She grins cheekily, leaning her elbows on the counter.

Her dad moans and rubs his hands over his face. "Fine, invite him over tonight for dinner." He finally says.

"Really!?" She jumps up and runs over to throw her arms around her dad's neck.

"Yes, really, tell me what he likes to eat and I'll pick something up on the way home." He says, holding back a smile.

"Okay! Thank you, daddy!"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess it's time I put on my mean dad-face."

"No!" she yells, making him laugh.

Once he leaves, her mom sits her down at the table for breakfast. "Emma, he's not, you know, pressuring you into anything, is he?" she asks, worried.