Learning Together

3 ¤ Acceptance

Violet could smell bacon and coffee as she stretched and yawned. Her mouth watered.

Her body ached from the odd position she'd fallen asleep in and she made a face at herself as she passed the long mirror on her wall. Ugly, long streaks from the corners of her eyes to her chin stained her face and her eyes were a little puffy.

Before going downstairs to eat, she went to the bathroom and washed her face. She hoped her dad wouldn't notice the puffiness. Or at least not bring it up.

She took her time, sure her dad was going to get onto her for how she acted last night. But she had a right to be mad. He didn't ask if he could date!

She threw the face towel down and braced her hands on the counter. This wasn't how she was going to start her day. After a few minutes, she turned the light off and went downstairs.

Parker was sitting at the table, his phone propped up so he could read whatever he was reading while he ate his breakfast. He looked at Violet as she sat down and motioned for her to make her plate.

Violet sighed and began loading her plate with bacon, eggs, and toast. She poured herself a cup of coffee and added several heaping teaspoons of sugar and creamer. She saw her dad shake his head, but he'd given up on trying to keep her from drinking coffee a long time ago. Blame it on her grandma.

Parker was finished eating long before her. He stayed there, continuing to read something on his phone and taking sips of his coffee every now and then.

Violet knew as soon as she finished eating, he'd talk. She took her time, even though her eggs were getting cold fast. She drained her cup of coffee and hoped she could make a dash for it, but her dad knew her plans and had his eyes on her before she even sat her mug back down.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Parker had his hands folded on the table as he stared at Violet in disappointment.

"What are you talking about?" She gave him a confused look and shook her head. Maybe playing dumb would get her out of this mess.

"You know what I'm talking about." Parker sat back in his chair and let his hands fall onto his lap. "Start explaining." His eyes stayed focused on her and she began to feel pressure.

Violet took a deep breath and tried to explain how she felt, trying to remember her mom's advice on keeping her temper. She kept her eyes averted and twiddled her fingers out of nervousness.

"I mean, what about mom?" Violet finished, raising her eyes to her father's in a timid fashion. She hunched her shoulders as she asked the question and was surprised to see hurt on his face.

"Do you think I'm trying to replace her?" Parker leaned forward and grabbed Violet's hand in both of his.

She couldn't help the tears that streamed down her face. She hadn't even felt like crying. "I...yes." She admitted and looked away again.

Parker let out a long breath and placed a finger under Violet's chin to turn her face towards him. "Your mom can never be replaced." He shook his head. "We will always love her."

Violet felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe this meant he wasn't going to see the woman again. Maybe things would go back to how they should be.

"I never thought I'd fall in love again, but I have."

And her hopes went out the window. He was going to keep seeing her. And he still hadn't asked her if that was okay.

Violet yanked her hand away from him and jumped up. "That doesn't mean I'm okay with it. That doesn't mean I have to like her." She screamed at him and ran up the stairs, this time slamming her door on purpose.

This time there was no denying that her tears were because of her dad. This time, she didn't bother trying to control her emotions. She let them have free reign. Violet turned on her stereo, found something loud and thumping, almost angry sounding, and turned the volume up.

Sitting at her desk, she turned on her computer. Once it booted it up, Violet opened her latest story and began working, letting the charming love story turn into something as dark as her mood.

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The booming music was muffled and a tell that Violet was upset. As if her tears hadn't been enough of a give away.

Parker shook his head.

He didn't know how to handle the situation. He was so sure Violet would have calmed down last night. Didn't she care about his feelings? Didn't she realize that he was in love?

It wasn't like he had gone out looking for someone else. Paige and Violet had been his life. He'd never had any thoughts about moving on.

Paige had been sick for a long time. After a few long discussions and debates, they had decided to keep it from Violet. They didn't want her to sulk around for the time they had left together. They wanted her to cherish her last moments with her mother.

Now, Parker often wondered if that had been a mistake. He questioned if they had prepared her for losing her mother, would she have accepted Miriam instead of giving them attitude.

When Paige passed away, Violet thought it happened all of a sudden. She had surprised him though. He thought she handled it well. They fell into a routine and shared memories of Paige often.

Why then was it so difficult for Violet to accept that he had fallen in love? Her memories of Paige wouldn't go away. They would still talk about her. Her pictures were still up around the house and she had several of Paige's things.

He stood up and began cleaning off the table. He decided to give Violet a little more time before he talked to her again. She was just going to have to accept that he and Miriam were in a serious relationship. Miriam wasn't going anywhere.

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