Friendly Dating 2 - Ethan

Chapter 38 - Big Bears

"What?" My dad's face looks like it is about to break. He is trapped between wanting to laugh at the nonsense that is just spilling from my mouth and bursting a vein in anger. It could go either way, and I am suddenly bone tired. 

We've been having similar conversations over and over and over for weeks now. I never knew my dad had such lofty ambitions for me. He should have them for Deli instead, but she gets to do whatever she wants.

It's not because he doesn't care about her in the same way. If she were the one wanting to be in business with him, he would send her to the best university and guarantee her a spot by his side when she's done. He has that much faith in her... 

He doesn't have that kind of faith in me. He thinks I should go away and play rugby, and when I cannot play anymore because the injuries accumulate, I should coach or star in a soap opera or something. He knows I don't love rugby enough to make it as a pro... 

It has never been my dream.

"Ian," my mother appeared at the door at some point, and she is now stepping inside, coming over to clutch my father's arm. "Honey, the dishwasher is doing that thing again where the door won't close. Could you please take a look?"

"What?" my dad grumbles softly, turning to look at her. He knows, my mom knows, and I know that it's just because one of the drawers is not properly on its track. She could fix it herself, but any excuse to put an end to our discussion and leave us with a way out of the current fight without her making it worse by seeming to take sides will do right now.

I know that our fights drive her insane and break her heart. She sees both our points of view and partially agrees and disagrees with both of us. She is always insisting that we find a middle ground, but what middle ground could there possibly be, especially when my dad is hell-bent on getting me out of town and out of his business?

"Gemma..."

"Please?"

If there's one thing that can take the steam out of my dad's anger, it is my mom tilting her head and smiling at him the way she is smiling right now. She looks radiant and not at all as if her heart is breaking.

Perhaps my dad is as relieved by the interruption as I am because he gives me one last look, unreadable in the gloom, turns on his heels, and leaves my room. I don't resist when my mother wraps her arms around me and manoeuvres me to the bed, pushing me to sit on its edge.

"Honey, you're wrong," she says, sitting down beside me and running a hand over my hair. "Your father doesn't think you're a liability or whatever it is you got into that busy head of yours. He would love nothing more than to fulfil the dream of the two of you working together and-"

"Then why is he so adamant about me working for anybody but him?" 

I know my mom is trying to be fair, but I also know that she loves my dad and will never openly go against him, even when she doesn't fully agree with him. 

"He even said it would be fine if I joined Corbin Construction rather than his company. Corbin Construction, Mom! They're sly devils, and he hates them!"

"He wouldn't be fine with that, Ethan," she sighs, looking into my eyes with an honesty I can always count on when I need help. "He is just afraid of your future being ruined if you join him."

"Don't I have a say in my future?"

"Of course you do, Honey!" she smiles. "Think about it like this. He said you have about four years before you'll need to join a company, right? Even more years if you're planning on doing your master's too. Don't you think that FG Construction will be going strong again by then? Your father has done miracles to restore his reputation in a very short time; he is getting there slowly but surely."