Bay City Runaway

Chapter 18

I pulled in, killed the engine, said a quick prayer, got out of the car and walked to the front door. I debated whether or not to ring the doorbell or knock. It seemed as though it might be a little more familial to knock, but I also wanted to make sure that he heard it, so I rang the bell and stood back.

Mr. Welch answered the door himself, which likely meant that Mrs. Welch was not at home.

"Well hello, James," he said, opening the door, "I'm sorry, but Laura isn't here."

"Frank," I said, looking him solid in the eye, "I'm actually here to talk to you."

He frowned an ok then frown, nodding, and opened the door wide for me to enter.

"Can I pour you a cup of coffee? Maybe something stronger?" he said, headed for the kitchen. Frank Welch had never offered me a drink at all, much less an alcoholic one. It was as if he sensed the gravity of what was happening, perhaps because I had never called him by his first name before.

"Umm," I hesitated, deciding not to press my luck, "Coffee is fine."

But he did not bring coffee; he brought a bottle of Seagram's 7 and two glasses of ice.

"If you're going speak to me as a man, then we're going to drink as men," he said with a wink.

I'd never had a drink with my father; he rarely drank, so this was something new to me. In fact, I'd never had a drink with someone other than my peers. It emboldened me.

I took a sip and said, "Frank, I've been in your house many times over the years, and your daughter and I have basically grown up together. As you may know, we did not date when she returned from school this summer, and I wasn't sure what that meant until today."

He took a sip of his drink, looking at me steadily, perhaps even reassuringly.

"So, what I discovered--what we discovered--is that we really...um," I said, clearing my throat, " that we really care about each other--I mean, we really love each other."

"I see," said Mr. Welch.

"So this afternoon, I asked your daughter to marry me, and she said yes...and I just wanted to ---"

"You did what?"

"I asked Laura to marry me...Frank."

He sat back in his chair and stared at a point in the air right above our heads for five or six seconds. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

"Nancy and I married young, James. Just out of college. Did you know that?"

"No, sir," I said.

"We eloped. Her father never approved of me. I have regrets about that. I never asked her father for her hand. I was afraid he'd say no."

"Well, I would have asked, but--"

"But you didn't, son....but you are here now, so what exactly is it that you want?"

"Frank, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. We haven't told anyone about our engagement. I wanted you to be the first to know. I'm here to ask for your blessing."

He nodded and took a sip of his drink. "James, that means a lot to me. It took some guts to come here today, I know. Here's what I think. I do give you my blessing. I think you've got potential. I only ask that you consider waiting until you graduate, and you have a job before you tie the knot."

"Ok, I will give that some thought and talk it over with Laura."

"And what will you do when you graduate? What about Laura's career? She wants to be a professional singer. Who knows where that will take her. Will you support her?"