The Revelation

Don't rush

"Now that we have that squared away, let's get to the matter at hand. Take a seat on Shane's bed, Stacey, so we may talk." Shane and I pulled two chairs over and sat across from her.

"Stacey, we'd like to voice our concerns regarding your engagement to Sean and then have a calm rational discussion afterward. Okay?" Shane was trying very hard to keep from losing his temper. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate Stacey and risk severing his relationship with her.

Shane's pov

"We just don't want you to rush into anything, sweetheart. You're still so young. You're not even finished with school yet." Mike was speaking in a much gentler tone now.

"My main concern is your safety and Maegan's." I sighed and rubbed my temples slowly, moving both hands to cradle my face. After a few drawn out deep breaths, I lifted my head and looked Stacey in the eye. "I'm not convinced the two of you will never be hurt by him, physically. Before I will allow you to marry Sean, the two of you need to do just that. Make me believe without a shadow of a doubt that he will never put his hands on either one of you in anger, ever again. Understand?"

"You need to take some time, a lot of time actually, to really think about what it means to be a wife versus a girlfriend, and Sean needs to understand what it means to be a husband," Mike said, as he stood placing his hands on his hips.

"Um, no offense guys, but what do either one of you know about being a husband? I mean neither one of you has ever been married," Stacey asked hesitantly, clearly afraid of our reaction.

"That's why if the two of you are truly serious about this, I want you to attend premarital counseling." Mike crossed his arms over his chest. "Actually, I insist you do. It's not optional."

"You can't..." Stacey immediately began to protest, before Mike cut her off.

"I'm also going to mandate your engagement period be no shorter than fifteen months." He held up his hand to stop Stacey as soon as she opened her mouth. "Time should not change your feelings about each other and..." he once again stopped Stacey from interjecting, "and if it does, then you'll know sooner rather than later that you avoided making a terrible decision."

"You can't do this," Stacey complained.

"Look..." I stood to address our daughter in the most non-confrontational way possible. "You're correct in a legal sense, Stacey, that we can't prevent you from getting married because you're at the proper age of consent." In response to Stacey's smug grin and subsequent sneer directed at Mike, I clarified my statement. "However, as Mike pointed out earlier and punctuated quite emphatically with the assistance of his leather visual aid, you are still dependent on us and we are still responsible for you. So until the two of you are able to support yourselves and your child in every way necessary, Mike and I will continue to make decisions on your behalf based on your best interests. Keeping in mind of course, your emotional, physical, and spiritual health and well-being are of our utmost concern."

"I'm not a child anymore," Stacey said, shaking her head as she rose to her feet. "The two of you have to let me grow up at some point. I'm a mother for chrissake. I'm responsible for the health and welfare of another human being, so shouldn't that qualify me to make my own decisions regarding my life?"

"Stacey, let me ask you this. Would you do everything in your power to protect Maegan and do what's best for her at all costs?" Mike asked.

"Of course I'd do anything for her. How can you even ask me that? Do you think I'm not a good mother?" Stacey's voice rose in volume as she took offense to Mike questioning her parenting ability.

"Quite the opposite, young lady." Mike pointed his finger at her. "Watch the tone you take with me," he warned. "Shane and I think you're a wonderful mother to Maegan, we always have, darlin'. The point I'm trying to make, Stacey, is that Shane and I feel the same way about you that you feel about Maegan."

"Yeah, but when does it end though?" Stacey asked. "When are you going to let me live my life without parental interference? I mean, it has to stop at some point. Right?"

I laughed and Mike chuckled.

"What?" Stacey looked anxiously between us, clearly bewildered by our amusement. "What did I say that was so funny?"

"It doesn't end, sweetheart," I said, smiling at her naivete.

"What do you mean?" our sweet girl asked innocently.

"Luv, do you see the way Dr. Curtis watches over Mike?" I noticed Mike look curiously at me.

"Yeah I guess, but he's not even Mike's..." Stacey let her sentence go unfinished as the lightbulb suddenly appeared. "Oh okay, I guess I get it."

Mike appeared to be lost in a moment of self-reflection as he remained silent.

I pulled Stacey into my arms and rubbed her back.

"I'll let you know if we ever stop caring or worrying about you and your sisters." I pulled back just enough to look Stacey in the eye. "Can you picture a day when you won't do everything in your power to keep Maegan safe or do whatever it takes to make her happy?"

"No," Stacey replied somewhat sadly.

Mike stepped over to stand next to Stacey.

"Parenting is a never ending job, sweetheart," he said, motioning her into his arms as I happily guided her over to my best mate.

"We just want what's best for you," Mike said, kissing the top of Stacey's head. "Don't ever forget that." He swatted her on the behind. "Now, where's that granddaughter of mine?" Mike asked, as we left my room to head to the Foundation.