Liquid Lucidity (A Novella)

Chapter Fourteen

As soon as David put his shiny black SUV in park, the horn of the vehicle behind them was blaring in her ears. Hannah had given up listening to her music about twenty minutes ago with nothing being able to drown out the sound of the anxious park and goers. David had timed it fairly perfectly, having done this numerous times for his own family over the last few years. 

He'd had Hannah keep an eye on the flight online for any delay or early arrival, seeming to know roughly how long it would take them to pick up their bags and navigate their way to the front doors of the airport. Apparently he didn't want to be one of 'those drivers', who'd gotten there half an hour early and held up the line. 

Hannah opened the sunroof of the SUV and popped her head up, scanning the crowds of any sign of her parents. When she caught sight of her mom's 'travel-wear', the signature gaudy Panama hat with an electric yellow ribbon she wore so she could easily be spotted in a crowd if anyone ever got separated, Hannah waved her hands about until her mother spotted the gesture. "Found them!"

David popped the hatchback of the SUV, telling her to stay inside since he knew this sort of hectic atmosphere could cause an anxiety attack in five seconds flat. So she watched from the passengers seat as David gave her dad a firm handshake, ignoring as he stared at his longer hair. Her mother gave him a gentle hug and afterwards he grabbed the bags from her hands and walked them to the back of the SUV. 

She heard her dad comment at the vehicle's gas mileage.

"I don't use it that often. I try to drive it at least once a month so things don't start goin' to hell on it, but usually just into town to go grocery shopping."

Her dad was a nit picky man, and that was putting it mildly. She loved him to the moon and back, but he was a difficult guy to impress. He always found some hidden flaw or some minuscule negative to focus on, which didn't take long to become agitating. 

This was the first time in three weeks she'd been in this vehicle and David's fuel economy was hardly any concern to her dad.  

But Shawn had gone through something similar, as did the boys she dated in high school, so Hannah chalked it up to an initiation of sorts. If David could make it to the end of the weekend without punching her father in the face, the visit would be considered a success. 

She watched as David opened the back door for her mother, then closed it behind her before trotting to the other side of the car to take his place behind the wheel.

"Looks like you found yourself a real southern gentleman there," her mother sang out from the backseat. 

"They aren't dating, remember, Alice?" Her father countered in his gruff tone.

Hannah and David shared a knowing look in the front and their eyes gave off an almost silent dare of who would be the one to fill her father in on the turn of events between them. 

David lost.

"'Bout that." Before he could continue, the vehicle behind them laid on their horn with so much vigor that David felt forced out of his parking spot and hit the gas to join the masses Driving away from the airport. 

"'About that' what?" Her dad asked from the back seat in the same tone he'd used before. 

David kept his eyes on the road when he reached over and entwined their fingers, then raised them up just in case her father couldn't see the action. 

"Jim, don't you dare ruin this trip," her mom warned. "I don't want you spending this visit interrogating the poor boy."

"Boy?" Her dad shouted out. "You did see him, didn't you, Alice?"

"I did. And I have to admit, he is enjoyable to look at."

Hannah jerked her head toward her mother and glared, but when her eyes shifted to David, all he showed was that devilish grin.

"How old are you, Mr. Givens?"

"Call me David," he told her dad casually. "I'm thirty-seven."

"My daughter is twenty-five."

"I'm aware."

David seemed to take her dad's scolding in stride. He wasn't that intimidating of a man, however; not compared to David. They were about the same height, but her dad looked like an accountant, probably because he was, while David looked like a man who could take you down with a single finger. 

"And that doesn't bother you?" Her dad asked.

David shook his head, then made a turn on a side street. "Nope. But something tells me it bothers you."

"Honey, we're his guests for the week. Could you just try not to rock the boat?" Her mom begged. 

Her mom was the one who took life in stride and was the yin to his yang. She didn't let many things bother her and instead of taking life one day at a time, she seemed to take it one moment at a time. She didn't allow the past to bother her or the future to worry her. She accepted that any problem faced would usually feel insignificant later on, so didn't get hung up on the little things. 

Her father, on the other hand, focused on every detail. He often focused on the worst in anything rather than the joy. Everything was a dollar sign either being gained or taken away. If you did something incorrectly, he didn't just tell you how to do it right, but told you just how wrong you were, adding all the big consequences to it. 

If she didn't wash her car regularly during the winter, she wasn't being responsible with her investment and was lectured on the consequences of salt. If she didn't put a DVD back in the case, he would ask why she spent money on something that she was just going to scratch up and allow to collect dust. 

He was also a very loving man. She and her mother both knew that. He did, however, always seem to have trouble expressing that. Because his mind was constantly working overtime and expecting the worst out of every situation, it was difficult for him to focus on all the good life had to offer. 

Hannah hoped that one day in the future, her mom would rub off on him just a little, and he'd be able to enjoy life for what it was. 

"Of course it bothers me that my daughter is dating a man twelve years older than her!" Her father shouted from the back seat. 

David took the next turn and jumped onto the interstate, hitting the gas to meet up with the speed. "I'm financially responsible, own my own business, and enjoy living a quiet life, same as her. I don't drink heavily, don't do drugs and with years in the military, I can not just make her feel safe, but make sure she is safe. I make my own furniture, own my own house, I cook and I clean. I also care deeply for her and intend on showing that every damn day. So I can't help but wonder what your other requirements are."

Her mother laughed behind her. "Well, David, I think you're just adorable."

Adorable wouldn't normally be a word used to describe David, but he had been just that over the last few days. She'd let her mother use any word choice on him so long as it was positive, however. While her mother was an easy going woman, she wasn't so easy to impress when it came to the men she dated. If her mother had any kind words that didn't seem forced this early on, it was a vast victory.