Let Your Heart Win

As the last lesson of the day got closer to ending the nerves began to gather in Cali’s stomach. Brian’s words from the day before rang through her mind, wondering if he was right about her father’s reaction. She hadn’t even told her mom and dad that she was with Brian yet and deep down she knew that it was because her father had never really approved of her relationship with Brian.

The bell rang to signify the end of the lesson, drawing Cali from her thought. She gathered her things together as her students quickly departed from the class. She made her way out to the parking lot and spotted Brian’s BMW parked close to the gate.

“Are you ready to do this?” Brian asked after they had exchanged a brief kiss once she was in the car.

“For your parents yes, I’m not sure about my dad anymore, maybe we should wait until it’s old enough to tell him itself?” she replied anxiously.

“I thought you were confident that it would be alright?” he asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“It’s your fucking fault, it’s you that kept on about how he was going to react.” She retorted crossing her arms over her chest with a huff.

“Hey, and you were the one who promised me that it was nothing to worry about.” Brian replied glancing over at her briefly.

“Hey, it is going to be alright you know.” he added softening his tone and stretching his hand over to gently squeeze her knee. She turned to look at him, her expression softening as she smiled back at him.

He reached up and took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and brought their hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

“I love you.” he said placing her hand back onto her lap.

“I love you too.” she replied with a smile.

Brian took hold of her hand again once they were out of the car, walking up the driveway of his dad’s house. Cali took a deep breath as he rang the doorbell, his lips pressing softly against her temple.

“Brian! Well hello stranger.” Suzy greeted upon opening the door.

“Hi Suzy, I know I haven’t been around in a while.” He replied as he guided Cali over the doorstep.

“That’s okay, but aren’t you going to introduce us?” she replied looking at Cali.

“Oh, um, yeah, this is Cali, Cali this is Suzy.” He replied his cheeks flushing.

“So we finally get to meet her hey?” a male voice called from somewhere else in the house.

“Hi dad!” Brian called following the voice into the living room.

“So what do we owe this pleasure?” Brian senior asked from where he was sat on the sofa watching the TV.

“Brian! Don’t start!” Suzy warned as she followed Brian and Cali into the living room.

“What Suz? We’ve seen him once since he came out of the coma. If it wasn’t for Matt and Val, we wouldn’t even know that things were over between him and Michelle, and now he just waltzes in here with his new bit.” He retorted.

“Dad, please! I’m sorry. You’re right I should have come over sooner and explained everything, but I’m here now and we need to talk to you.” Brian replied, leading Cali by the hand to sit on the sofa.

“Okay, go ahead, talk.” He replied sternly.
Brian took a deep breath before he started. “Okay, firstly I want to introduce you to Cali.” He said calmly.

Brian senior turned his gaze to Cali and smiled politely at her, “Nice to finally meet you.” he muttered after receiving a glare from Suzy.

“Nice to meet you too.” Cali said quietly.

“Dad, I know you like Michelle, but in all honesty our relationship was over well over a year ago, before I met Cali. She was cheating on me every time I was out of town, with the guy that she’s with now.” Brian began.

“But dad I’ve fallen for Cali and I love her more than anything.”

“In a matter of what two weeks?” senior cut in with wide eyes.

“No dad, Cali and I have been seeing each other on and off for quite a few months now. I know it was wrong of us. But we love each other and we’re together now.” Brian explained.
Brian senior was silent for a long moment, just watching the two of them carefully.

“You really think she’s the one?” he asked finally.

“I know she is dad.” Brian replied with a smile.

“And she makes you happy?” again Brian nodded with a widening smile.

“I’ve never been so happy dad.”

Brian senior nodded, his expression finally softening. “That’s all I really needed to hear.”

“Thanks dad, but we’ve also got something else we have to tell you.” Brian said nervously.

“Okay, go ahead.” Senior replied with a small nod of his head.

“Okay, dad, you’re going to be a grandfather.” Brian said quickly.

“A what now?” senior asked with wide eyes as Suzy let out a small squeal of delight next to him.

“Cali’s pregnant dad, about six weeks.” He replied.

“Fuck me you’re a fast worker aren’t you? Hang on though, weren’t you in a coma six weeks ago?” Brian asked.

“We’ve worked out the dates and it seems that I got her pregnant two nights before the accident.” Brian explained.

Again Brian senior was silent for a moment before a smile began to tug at his lips. “I’m going to be a granddad?” he asked as both Brian and Cali breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“Yeah. Here, take a look.” Brian replied passing his dad a copy from the scan.
He studied the photo for a long moment before passing it to Suzy to take a look and turning his attention back to Brian and Cali.

“And you’re happy?” he asked glancing between the two of them.

“More than what I ever was with Michelle. I’m in love with her.” Brian replied.

“And I’m in love with him.” Cali added quietly with a smile.

****

An hour later Brian was pulling up outside Cali’s parents house. The closer they had got, the quieter and paler Brian had become and it was doing nothing for her own nerves.

Once again as they walked up the driveway towards the front door, Brian took a firm hold of Cali’s hand. As she reached up to ring the doorbell she noticed how he took a step behind her.

“Hey baby girl! What are you doing here?” James greeted cheerfully before his eyes settled on Brian. “What’s he doing here?”

“Hi dad, um, listen can we come in, we’ve kind of got something we need to tell you and mom.” She replied with a smile as James continued to glare at Brian.

“James? Who is it?” Cali’s mom’s voice called. Taking that as her cue, Cali took a deep breath and walked past James.

“Hi mom!” she called out her voice shaking slightly.

“Cali? Hey, to what do we owe this pleasure?” her mom cheered back appearing in the hallway. “Oh and who’s this lovely young man?”

“Mom this is Brian.” she replied with a smile.

“Nice to meet you Mrs Hetfield.” Brian said politely.

“Brian? The same Brian who…” her mom began.

“Who she was fucking behind Andy’s back, the one she’s been having an affair with since they met in Berlin.” James interrupted.

“The Brian I’m in love with Dad.” Cali replied.

“In love with? When did this happen?” he asked with a disbelieving chuckle.

“Dad please, I know that you think that all Brian and I had was a bit of fun, no-strings sex, but it’s not, I love him dad, more than anything.” She replied, a little shocked at herself at her reaction.

James studied his daughter for a long moment and before turning to face Brian. “Do you feel the same about her?”

“Yes, I do, I love her.” he replied with a smile.

“Okay. Then let me tell you this. If you hurt her, in anyway, shape or form I will fucking kill you. Do you understand that?” he replied with a finger pointing warningly at Brian.

“Yes, I understand, but I have absolutely no intentions of hurting her. I really do love her and want to be with her.” James nodded, watching Brian intently.

“In that case, I hope the both of you can be happy together because Cali’s happiness is all that really matters here I guess.” He replied.

“Thanks dad, now there’s something else we’ve got to tell you and I think it’s going to be better if we’re all sat down for this.” Cali said turning and leading the four of them through to the living room and sitting on the sofa.

“Okay, um, I’m not entirely sure how to say this, so I’m just going to say it plain and simple.” She paused briefly with a quick intake of breath. “I’m pregnant.”

There was a brief moment of silence as her mom and dad took in that bit of information before her dad exploded.

“You’re fucking what?” he yelled his face reddening as his hands balled into fists.

“James!” her mom warned loudly.

“No Fran. What the fuck do you mean you’re pregnant? You’ve been with this guy seriously for five minutes! Have you not got any common sense? Have you not heard of protection?” he began to yell.

“You’ve worked so hard over the past six years and now you’re going to throw that all away. You’re going to ruin your life Cali. And how can you know that he’ll stick around? He’s cheated on a girl before Cal; there is no guarantee that he won’t do it again. Once a cheater always a cheater!”

Cali took a deep breath and wiped away the few tears that had began to fall before answering her father.

“Well then if that’s the case, then there’s as much risk of me cheating on Brian as there is of him cheating on me isn’t there? Look dad, you may not like this, but Brian and I are happy together and we can’t wait to have this baby together. We love each other. But if you can’t be happy for us then maybe it’ll be for the best if you have nothing to do with us or the baby.” She said as calmly as she could.

“Well, if that’s the way you feel. To be honest I’m not entirely sure that I want anything to do with his kid anyway.” James retorted.

“Fine. If that’s the way you want it.” She retorted standing up. “Mom I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Cali, wait, please don’t go!” her mom called after her as she stormed out of the house.

“Mr. Hetfield, please don’t do this. I don’t really care if you like me or not, what I care about is Cali and our baby. Don’t blame her for falling in love with someone you don’t like. Please don’t push her away because of me.” Brian said slowly as he stood up.

He watched James for a moment, whose expression remained still, his eyes fixed on the spot where Cali had been sat.

“I’m sorry about this Brian. I’ll try talking to him when he calms down. you go and be with Cali.” Cali’s mom spoke softly to him, stepping between him and James.

“Thank you.” Brian said simply with a small smile before turning and leaving.

When he got outside he found Cali already sat in the passenger seat of the BMW, her arms crossed heavily across her chest her face still angry. He took a deep breath and got into the car quietly and started the engine.

“It’s going to be okay babe.” He began softly.

“Just drive Brian! I want to get home.” She retorted without taking her eyes off the dashboard in front of her.

Brian didn’t need telling twice and drove in silence back to Cali’s apartment. Before he could cut the engine once he’d parked up, Cali was out of the car and had stomped off up the driveway leaving Brian struggling to keep up with her.

“Babe, wait please, don’t you want to talk about this?” Brian called after her as he closed the apartment door behind him. She didn’t respond, just threw her purse onto the sofa and continued through to her bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Brian waited patiently on the other side of the door, painfully listening to her sniffling, knowing that she was crying. Finally the door opened and Cali stepped out and headed into the bedroom.

“Babe, listen, please.” He pleaded as she changed into her pyjamas.

“He’s my dad Brian. My hero, my idol, the grandfather of this little one.” She began with silent tears trickling quickly down her cheeks.

“I know babe. I know. And everything will be alright, I promise you. He’ll come round.” Brian replied as he wrapped his safe strong arms around her shaking frame, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“You sound so sure.” She replied with a slight chuckle as she soaked his t-shirt with her tears.

“He’s stubborn and strong willed just like his daughter. He just needs some time.” He said and pulled away from her, tipping her chin up with his finger to look into her eyes.

“You’re his daughter and this is going to be his first grandchild. Of course he’s going to come around, even if it means having to tolerate me as the child’s father.” Cali smiled and reached up on her tip toes to place her lips softly against his.

“Thank you Brian.” she whispered quietly. He smiled back in return and leaned down to kiss her again.