Rules on Relationships

My Grandfather once told me, "A son is a son until he gets a wife, but a daughter will always be a daughter."
I didn't understand it at first, maybe because I was only fifteen at the time, but when the day that I tried to delay so much had finally arrived, I didn't know what to do. I mean, I wanted my Parents to meet Michael, and they've heard me talk about him through our phone conversations, but they were a bit displeased with the fact my face occasionally made the tabloid magazines whenever I was spotted with Michael in public.
Hawaii didn't help either.

When I told my divorced Parents that I would be going to Canada with Michael, Lia and Derek around the time of my Birthday, they suddenly decided to put their differences aside and visit me in Ann Arbor.
My Mom arrived first, she came straight from her holiday in Tahiti, and while my Younger Brother was away for camp, she didn't want to waste her limited time by expecting me to visit her through the Summer Break. My Dad didn't even wait a few hours after he found out Mom had arrived, he just hopped on a plane and decided that he didn't want to miss out on anything. Those two always had a competitive relationship, especially since they split up and had to deal with their kids' attention.
So both my Parents were in the apartment, they took control of Lia and my bedrooms which left us sleeping in the living room, and they were there for the weekend.
I automatically sent a text to Michael when they arrived, and I thought he would react as though he would want to avoid meeting them at all cost, instead, he would reply telling me to introduce him to my Parents already.
I swear he's too eager for his own good!
What if my Dad doesn't like you, Michael? Or if Mom decided that we weren't capable of being in a relationship?
What then?

Moms always knew what's best.

"Pumpkin, when will I ever meet this charming man of yours?" Mom asked me while I was at work, she announced her arrival through a text message, and before I could ever respond, she arrived at the front door of the Ice Cream Parlor. Fortunately, Jesse, after two to three months touring Europe, returned and was there to finally be the third help around the busy place.
"Um, well, now, I guess?" I replied as I hooked up my apron and clocked out. Jesse and Lia agreed to let me go early, they said I needed recovery after they saw my face the moment my Mom came in and called me, Pumpkin, in front of a bunch of Students and some Professors, even one of my tutors were there. I begged her, when I was still in New York to stop saying it in public, because I wasn't too happy with people hearing what she loved to call me, and the background story to it was rather ridiculous when I thought about it.
My Mom then twirled her arm around mine and walked along side me while making our way to the car park. She was a few inches shorter than me, but I got both my nose and eyes from her, though people said I was more of a female version of my Dad.
"I hope you two are using protection," Mom randomly blurted out.
"Mom!" My cheeks were heat up as I led her to where Michael waited for me and her, and when she took notice of my Olympian of a boyfriend, her eyes narrowed and muttered, "Is that him?"
"I'm not a teen anymore, Mom," I whispered. "Please don't embarrass me," I whimpered as Michael saw us and got out of his car, his lips curved and his teeth flashed into a very big smile.
I didn't understand why he was so excited to meet my Parents while I had a heart attack meeting his Mother, and he was constantly nagging me too. Did he have something to prove?
"Michael Phelps," Mom smiled, her pronunciation slightly emphasized and slowed down to see if she pronounced it right. "Nice to finally put a face on the boy my Pumpkin talks about. I'm Maria Webber," She introduced using her maiden name. I was melting on the side, she called me my nickname! And Michael had a grin on his face too!
"Nice to meet you too, Maria," He replied and shook her hand before opening the passenger door for her, which she happily entered and the moment the door shut, he turned to me and gave me a hug and murmured, "Hey Pumpkin."
"Oh, don't you dare!" I threatened as he chuckled and pecked my cheek before opening the back passenger door for me and helped me in.

I could see how my weekend was going to go, and by the end of it, I don't think Michael would get over it.

At the Coffee Shop, I was about to sit next to Mom, but she decided to push me beside Michael and sat opposite the both of us with judgmental eyes. She had a clear view of us, and we were both stiff and well-behaved as she moved her eyes left, right, up and down. Her lips pursed before she asked, "How long have you been together?"
I grabbed a hold of Michael's hand below the table, and I gave it a squeeze as to signal him that he should answer her, and so he did. He opened his mouth, but no words were able to come out as my Mom cut him off and added, "You two aren't living together, right?"
His head shook. "It'd be too fast to say, we've only been together for, what, um, ten, nearly eleven, months," He stammered during his answer. I could only smile at how cute it was to see him nervous, though, I suppose he saw me the same way when I was trying to get comfortable at the same time as trying to impress his Mother and Sisters.
"Oh wow, nearly a year!" Mom exclaimed. "I hope you two aren't taking things so seriously. You two are both young, and being in your early twenties means to enjoy your youth and discovering yourself before thinking about anything else," She advised while turning into Motherly Mode. Michael's Mother told us the same thing before we left her house, and she also told us to think about the future at another time, because we were still entering adulthood. Mom sipped her coffee before she looked at us with a loving stare, she seemed to have approved already, but she probably didn't want to say anything without the second opinion of my Father.
And he was one tough cookie to bite on.
"I just hope your Father isn't so harsh," She revealed. "I mean, Michael, he probably will approve of you because you make his Princess happy, but he's always an over-protective person who would interrogate you until you crack. He served in the military for a while before he was discharged because of an injury, but don't let his tough act get you. He's always like that," She began to rant. Michael seemed to have been taking mental notes because he listened in with a serious expression. He really wanted to crack my Dad and get accepted by him.
Knowing Michael, his persistence would get Dad's admiration for not giving up.

"And never," Mom warned. "Never bring up any topic that has to do with you two sleeping with each other."
"But we're no-" Michael stuttered.
Mom waved her finger left and right. "Oh, no, don't lie to me," She sternly spoke. "I'm a Mother, and I also went through this stage of my relationship where we've had relations before meeting each other's Parents. And I used to work with teenagers in New York, and when it came to relationships, a couple who were already doing it had this sexual aura about with them," She explained. "Although I would've wanted Pumpkin to wait." She looked at me with a strict look and it was like she blamed me for it. "It's definitely not any of my business to know what you two are up to behind closed doors," She softly sighed with a smile on her face. "But don't ever bring that fact up, it will just drive him crazy and won't approve of you just like that," She ended her rant with a click of her fingers.
I sighed and naively asked, "Mom, why would that topic ever come up?"
"Well, your holiday in Hawaii already drove him crazy," Mom stated. "He called me the moment he saw it and was outraged that I didn't tell him that it was just the two of you. He assumed that Lia or someone else was going along, and he already had some scenarios in his head about the two of you already sharing a bed."
Michael nervously gulped and lowered his gaze to the half-empty glass of juice.
"If he ever asks you something about how safe will his Princess be while being in a relationship with you, it'd be safe to say that you'd be in his good side if you expressed to him on how much you really want to be with his daughter. He loves his Princess too much," Mom reassured him with her hand atop of his. "And to make you feel confident, I already approved since Pumpkin called me one evening, in tears of joy, and said that her boyfriend confessed that he loves her and she didn't know what to do. She said she was overwhelmed, and it was that moment that made me realize that she's no longer a baby anymore."
I held my breath and paused, I felt Michael's gaze onto me and I didn't even want to peek. I didn't know what to do as I was on the verge of running out. But I felt Michael's hand squeeze onto mine beneath the table, in shock, I turned to face him and there was a very delighted expression on his adorable face.
"Just take care of her, Michael. She can be a pain sometimes, but she means well."
"I promise I'll take good care of her."
"Then I trust you with my Roxanne," Mom ended as she leaned back and sipped her coffee.

It felt like that moment when I sat on the porch with Debbie Phelps and told me that she trusted me with her son.
In fact, it was exactly the same, but with Michael as the recipient of a Mother's trust.

Mom had a problem with Dad the moment they split, and though they once loved each other, their love faded and they constantly reminded me and my Siblings that they want us to choose someone who won't leave. My Older Brother left to serve in the Army so that when he returned, he won't leave and feel accomplished the moment he settled down. Meanwhile, my Younger Brother said that he never wanted his future family to be split into two - apparently, he didn't want to because he didn't want to pay for flights back and forth after he found out how much Mom or Dad spent to fly him out to Long Beach.
On the other hand, I thought about Michael's lifestyle, which was sort of a coming and going one, with the amount of training, sponsorship parties and more training, he's hardly in one place. Would I really be able to squeeze in it without be a distraction?

He will always love his only Daughter. She will always be his Princess.

In the evening, dinner was held in the apartment because Dad didn't feel like going out after he landed in Ann Arbor. Lia was our extra guest as she decided that she wasn't leaving after she found out that my Mom was cooking, and she loved my Mom's cooking since she lived with us in New York - and she was interested to see how Michael would handle my Dad.
"Doorbell!" Lia pointed out to me as she booted me out of the kitchen so she could be the one to help my Mom, and my Dad was in the shower, but I didn't want him to be the one who opened the door. I rushed towards the door while untying my hair and fluffed it about so it would go in place. I cleared my throat and twisted the door knob, a smile on my lips as Michael stood there with a bottle of wine.
I let out a giggle. "Aren't you a bit dressed up for dinner, Mr. Phelps?" I asked while eying him. He stood there with proper black shoes, business or golf black pants, he wore a formal light blue short-sleeved shirt that was buttoned all the way up and his hair was combed.
"Am I overdressed?" Michael asked with a croak.
"Hold on," I told him as I began to unbutton the three buttons of his top, fixed his collar to be a bit casual and swept my fingers through his hair a bit so it was the way he usually has it. I looked around behind me before I sneakily stole a kiss and grabbed the wine from his hands and invited him in.
"I feel overdressed now," He complained, but I shook my head and complimented in a whisper, "It's my first time seeing you dressed like this. You're actually quite sexy in your formal wear."
Michael couldn't help but grin, but he was definitely nervous. I led him to the kitchen where he said hello to Lia and Mom, the two were teasing him about finally meeting my Dad and gave him more tips before the voice of Mr. Miller could be heard calling for me.
"Everything will be alright, be yourself," Lia chuckled.
I gave Michael a pat on the cheek for reassurance that I will be with him throughout the whole night, and to calm him down after my Mom and my best friend teamed up to make him sweat. He let out a heavy exhale.

It was show time.

Dinner was calm at first, then a bit of laughter amongst us as Mom and Lia brightened up the awkward atmosphere with their jokes. Throughout the whole time, Dad had a stern and stable expression with a hint of a smirk here and there while Michael sat beside me in a really stiff manner. It was the first time I've ever seen him that way, and even when he was with Bob, who was known to be strict on his Swimmers. Michael was feeling the way I felt when I was with his Mother and Sisters.
Tables have turned.
"Come on ladies, we'll get some dessert ready and have these two get to know each other," Mom stood up with the plates piled in her hands. I didn't want to leave my boyfriend there! I was worried Dad would go really deadly towards him. Michael turned to me with puppy eyes, he was begging me to stay, and I wanted to, but Lia hooked her arm around me and dragged me out without another word.
Sorry Michael.

*****

"Mr. Miller, I-" The Swimmer spoke up.
"-You don't have to keep calling me that," My Dad interrupted as he gulped down the remaining wine in the glass. "It's Joe, maybe Joseph, but that's too formal. I don't want it to be too formal between us, especially if my Princess doesn't want me to," He added with a clear reminder that he was still the Father of Michael's girlfriend.
"Um..." He didn't know what to add, he didn't even know how to start a conversation without making it come out of his mouth like he was anxious. He cleared his throat and calmed himself with silent breathing before he announced, "With all due respect, I hope you don't mind me dating your daughter."
My Dad's eyes narrowed, he was caught by surprise from the sudden confidence boost that Michael had and only nodded in response. He stared at Michael with the same judgmental eyes as my Mom did when we were at the Coffee Shop, but after a few minutes of silence, his gaze eased down and he said, "Taking her to Hawaii was a bit too early, in my opinion, but I shouldn't judge, I took her Mom to San Francisco without even telling her Parents. At least you had the decency to ask."
"I really, really like your daughter, S-Sir..."
"It's Joe."
"Err, Joe, and I would do anything I can to get you to approve our relationship." That statement made my Dad smirk. "I can confidently say that I am in no way to rushing things with Roxanne. I want to take it one step at a time so that I can make sure that I am not hurting someone who is as great as her." Michael was really saying the right things, because it wasn't long before Dad leaned back on his chair in a comfortable position.
"Roxanne's my only daughter, and she may not be the youngest, but she is my Princess, and she means the world to me," Dad began to speak. "I was a bit annoyed when she said she was seeing someone, and even more, when she told me that she thinks she's found someone who really understands her. Because I've heard it all before from her last boyfriend, that pain in the ass decided to break up with her for someone else, so when she said all those things again, I wasn't sure what to believe."
"Joe, I swear I won't break her heart."
"I know you won't, because I see the way you look at her, you have the same look I had when I first fell in love with Maria," Dad revealed with sincerity in his voice. "I just don't want you two to rush things and end up breaking up somewhere in the future where things really matter. I broke Maria's heart and temporarily left her with my three kids, so I don't want the same thing to happen or be repeated by any of them."
"My Dad left us at a young age," Michael stated. "But at least you stay in touch with your children, Dad just left. I told myself not to repeat it. And I'm nowhere near Kenneth."

I covered my mouth in order not to laugh at Michael's despise towards Kenneth. But the smile on my Dad's face was genuine. I knew that the moment I peeked through the other door and listened to them speak, Mr. Joseph Miller accepted my boyfriend. I just wanted to jump and give both of them a hug, but instead, I went back into the kitchen to report to my Mom and best friend.

"I know you're not anywhere near Kenneth," Michael repeated to me on what my Dad secretly said to him before he went home. "Just promise me that the next time you see Kenneth, kick his ass."