Chapter 37: Understanding

Alena Fleur

"I'm sorry for lashing out yesterday," I apologized genuinely, but none of my parents were looking at me, which was honestly understandable. I acted like a brat last night.

But I needed to speak to them with a calm head and make them see my point of view with hope for a better future.

I took a deep breath and started again, "Mom, Dad, I meant everything I said yesterday, and I'm not going to take them back. However, I should have worded them nicely, instead of acting like an immature child. Maybe they burst out at once because I never had the chance to let them out before. Anyway, those may just sound like excuses, and I don't want that. That's why I hope you will accept my apology because I genuinely feel horrible about it."

Mom was the first to melt as she came over to my side and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We understand, Alena. But you have to understand that whatever we did was because we thought of that as the best for you. We never wanted anything bad for you."

"Yes, Mom, I understand. But... I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a grown-up, and I need you guys to trust me to lead my life. You guys raised me well, so just have faith in me that I will never do anything that will make you guys ashamed of me," I explained.

"I get it, honey, and I'm so sorry we made you feel so confined with us," Mom said, her eyes starting to get teary.

"It's okay, Mom." I put a hand on hers and gave it a squeeze. "No one is perfect, and neither are you guys or me, that's why I don't blame you guys for anything. I love you both either way."

Mom pulled me into a hug. "Thank you, honey."

I returned her hug and pulled away to look at my dad who hadn't said a word yet.

"Stop being so stone-hearted and come give our daughter a hug," Mom scolded.

"No, before that, I have something else I want to ask," I interrupted, trying to strengthen my resolve. Dad looked at me, and I cleared my throat, "Dad, do you remember my accident from three years ago?"

Both of my parents' eyes went wide.

"Who told you about that?" Dad asked, sounding shocked.

"That's not important. What's important is that I had no idea a few years of my life were missing from my memory. Why did you guys hide that fact from me?" I asked, emotion started to seep into my voice again.

Dad averted his eyes, and so did Mom.

I gathered my courage and asked, "Was it because you found out about my boyfriend from back then?"

Dad was silent for a minute before he sighed and looked me in the eye, "Yes."

"Why?"

"I didn't like him," he admitted curtly.

"Why?" I couldn't comprehend what Elian could have done so wrong from such a brief encounter.

"That boy didn't even bother to inform us about your accident. The hospital had to inform me because I was your legal guardian and needed to sign some forms," Dad said bitterly.

"Dad, he didn't have your number. Not to mention, his brain wasn't functioning at all," I protested immediately, as if I was right there that day.

"Clearly." Dad rolled his eyes. "The boy was covered in your blood, crying by himself on the hospital bench."

My chest tightened at the image that my brain visualized. I felt like inventing a time machine and going in the past to give Elian a hug.

"Didn't... didn't you understand he loved me by seeing that?" I asked, gulping the huge lump that formed in my throat.

"Yes, because I understood, I didn't want him near you."

My fists formed into a ball as I asked, "Why?"

Dad leaned back against the couch and let out, "I don't exactly know why I felt that way. Maybe I was too scared that you were in such a critical condition. Or, maybe because the boy kept mumbling it was all his fault. Or, I was hurt that you never told us about him. Or, I thought that there must be something wrong with him if you were ashamed to tell us about him. Or, disappointed that you got yourself in a relationship when we warned you not to. Or, jealousy that a man other than me loved you so much more than I did. Or, maybe it was the mixture of all that. That's why when the doctor told me you had amnesia, I thought it was a golden chance given by God to remove him from your life."

Wow... that's a lot to take.

"I don't know how to interpret your feelings, Dad, but I just want to say, the accident wasn't his fault." Not directly anyway, but I didn't need to tell my parents that unless I wanted them to dig two graves for me and Elian. "I was kidnapped randomly by some hijackers," I lied. "And the accident happened because of my protest. None of that was his fault. He was blaming himself because he was supposed to pick me up from my apartment, but he got stuck at work. I wanted... I wanted you guys to meet him that day at my graduation ceremony."

When they listened to me quietly, I further added, "And the only reason I hid him for so long was that I was aware how repulsed you guys were at the idea of me having a boyfriend. It wasn't because I was ashamed of him or there was something wrong with him. Maybe in your book, there might be. But in general, he's the dream guy every parent could ask for."

"I get what you are trying to say. But we also forbade relationships because you know how many problems people can deal with in a bad relationship, and we never wanted that to happen to you."

"Trust me, Dad, I was never in a bad relationship. He has always been good to me," I responded.

Dad let out a heavy sigh. "Anyway, I understand now. Maybe it will take me some time to come to terms with all of it, but I understand," he said, and I felt a little relieved. He arched an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you talking about your ex-boyfriend so much when you have a new boyfriend?"

I grinned sheepishly and said, "Actually, they are both the same person."

Mom and Dad stared at me blankly for a whole minute before they both burst out laughing.

"And here I thought destiny didn't want you guys together but turns out it actually does," Dad said, chuckling. "So tell us about the guy. Is he nice? What's his name?"

I smiled genuinely and said excitedly, "His name is Elian. He's an amazing person."

"Elian? Now, where have I heard that name before?" Mom wondered for a moment before her face lit up. "Oh, isn't that your boss's name too?"

"He actually is my boss."

"What? You're dating your boss?" Dad asked.

"Chill. I'm not dating him because he was my boss. Actually, the boss part has nothing to do with it. Remember, I dated him in university too?" I clarified.

Mom ignored what I just said and asked enthusiastically, "Tell me more. I want to know all about your romance with your boss."

###

"Well, that went better than I expected," Elian mumbled once as I bade my parents goodbye at the airport.

I waited till their last day in California to meet Elian over lunch. Mom was excited to meet him, while Dad was not so much, but he put up for my sake. After lunch, we came to drop them off at the airport.

"You have no idea how much worse I had pictured this day," I muttered.

Maybe somewhere in their hearts, my parents were already realizing that there were grave flaws in their upbringings and were guilty of that, which was why it was easier to convince them. Anyhow, I was happy with the outcome.

Elian wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I chuckled and said, "Good job on refraining to touch me in those last two hours." My parents hated couples who showed affection in public.

He chuckled as well and said, "You were very clear on the instructions. What was it that you said again?"

"Do not touch me at all in my parents' presence. Not even under the table. Or else, I will stab you with a fork," I repeated, and he doubled over from laughing.

As I watched him laugh, I thought about how much more I was willing to fight to be with him. Elian really was the best thing that ever happened to me.