There's a gentle knocking at the door.

"Audrey? Evan? Food's about done."

I make a show of moving as quickly as possible out of bed to open the door and show my dad that we are both fully clothed.

"We'll be right down," I say.

A softness permeates my dad's gaze as he watches Evan sit up sleepily and rub his eyes. Then he nods and leaves us be.

"I'm going to... brush my teeth..." I say, frowning.

Evan laughs so hard he turns red.

After brushing my teeth, I join Evan and my dad downstairs. Dad has prepared slow-cooked peppered steak, mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus. Evan's eyes are wide at the sight of the food. I wonder when he last ate a proper home-cooked meal.

"Drinks?" my dad asks. "I bought a pack of fancy hipster Portland beers if you guys want them... we have juice and milk and some Pepsi..."

"Water's fine, thank you," Evan says. "I don't drink."

My dad nods. I grab myself a Pepsi out of the fridge as he begins filling two glasses of water for Evan and himself. "Are you... in recovery, if you don't mind my asking? I'm sure Audrey's told you that I am."

"Yeah," Evan says without hesitation. "I messed around with stuff I shouldn't have when I was eighteen. I try to avoid intoxicants now."

I smile up at him, so proud of his honesty.

My dad sets a glass of water beside Evan's plate with a glowing smile, as appreciative of the candor as me. But when I sit down at my spot, my dad's face changes as he reaches to grab himself a steak.

"So... when were you planning on telling me that you met Evan at the Mission?" my dad asks conversationally.

I freeze, searching my thoughts for what we did to tip him off. I can't think of anything, but Evan begins speaking before I can.

"Tonight," he says steadily, looking my dad in the eyes. "I love Audrey and I didn't like lying to you. Neither of us intended for it to go this far. When she told you I was in school, she just didn't want you to be afraid that I would hurt her."

I nod. "If I'd known that... that I'd feel this way about Evan, I wouldn't have lied, dad. I'm sorry."

My dad nods. "Don't be mad at Tia. She didn't know. I just texted her to see if I could find out some more about Evan and she didn't know any better than to brag about how he stepped up when you got a concussion. And, honestly..." He pauses, then nudges the plate of steak in Evan's direction. "I don't blame you two. You were right. If I'd known the truth I would've lost my mind. But I like you, Evan. Audrey deserves the best this world has to offer and from what I've seen, you make the cut."

Evan is so touched by this, he struggles with words for a moment. I reach over to hold his hand, thrilled that my dad is being so sensible.

"I... I won't let you down, sir. Or her," Evan manages.

My dad shoots him a glare. "Will. Don't "sir" me. It makes me feel old. And listen, both of you. I forgive this fib. But I won't stand being lied to again."

"Of course not," I say, reaching for his hand, too.

"We're not saying grace, knock it off," my dad jokes, shaking off my hand. My dad is way more in touch and honest with his emotions than other men his age, but he can't handle awkwardness. Jokes are his best weapon against it and he uses them frequently. "Evan, the steak is spicy. I made it without wondering if a white boy could handle it. You can scrape off the peppercorns if you like."

Evan and I burst out laughing as we serve ourselves. "I appreciate that. I wish I could say I can handle spice, but it takes me about five days to eat a whole bag of Takis," he says.

"Why do you eat Takis, then?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I munch on an asparagus spear. It's cooked perfectly, firm in the middle and soft on the outside, dripping in butter.

"They're so good," Evan sighs.

"Takis ain't shit. You won't survive a day at a family reunion," my dad warns. "We're Mexican. We put spice on our spice."

All of us share a much-needed laugh.

"So, now that we're on the same page, what's your plan, Evan? Out of curiosity," my dad says, cutting into his steak.

"Get a job," Evan replies. "Any job. Busk in my spare time for extra cash. Try and get a recording deal, I guess. If we can handle the finances for it, I would like to go to school. Probably just for a bachelor's, though."

My dad nods. "If Audrey's flooring is any indication of your skill there, I'd say you could make a pretty penny doing that. Speaking of, Where's the Byrd Flooring money when you're sleeping at a Mission?"

I meet Evan's eyes. "It's okay. He's cool," I promise.

Evan faces my dad fearlessly. "I'm bisexual. My dad's homophobic. He kicked me out when I was eighteen."

My dad's expression turns icy. "And why were you going to see this asshole?"

"I wasn't. Audrey was going to pretend to be a social worker to get my birth certificate and social security card and all that," Evan replies.

"Well, if that doesn't work, I'll beat the hell out of his car with a baseball bat to distract him and you can just sneak in to grab the stuff," my dad offers blithely.

Evan smiles. "I don't think that will be necessary, but I appreciate the offer."

My dad shakes his head. "You don't bring a kid into this world, or risk bringing a kid into this world, if you aren't prepared to love them no matter how they turn out. I'd love Audrey if she were bi, gay, a dude, or even a Republican." He's too angry to stick the landing on his weak joke. "Stupid. Makes me want to refloor the entire house with a different company just to irritate him about a lost contract."

"Removing the carpet upstairs would be a good project," I say mildly.

Now, my dad isn't a violent person and he never has been. But his casual threats of low-level terrorism against Byrd Flooring charm Evan and set him more at ease.

Truly beginning to warm up to Evan, my dad tells stories of my childhood. The time I fell in a pond while fishing and he had to dive in and save me. When I set our microwave on fire because I put a little Easy Bake Oven cake, complete with little metal pan, in there to cook. How I broke my wrist falling off of a trampoline at a friend's house. He promises to go through a family photo album with us later.

When dinner is all done, Evan tries to help my dad wash the dishes and my dad swats him with a dish towel. "Knock it off. You know what, when I'm done with this, how about we go out to Glide? Audrey can drop you and me off for coffee or something, get your stuff, and then we can all get ice cream. What do you think?"

God, I love my dad.

I smile up at Evan, leaving the decision to him. His blue eyes shine with a comfort, a sense of belonging, that I'm sure he hasn't felt in a very long time. "That sounds wonderful. Audrey... I'll come with you. If you want."

I shake my head. "No. This is what I want to make a career out of, Evan."

So when the dishes are done, we get in my beloved little car and head out to Glide. There isn't much navigating to be done as there aren't a lot of residential roads in the tiny village, but my dad readies the navigation on his phone anyway.

"This car is so beautiful," Evan praises, running a hand over the seat. "I can tell you take good care of it."

"I try. Dad helps. He takes it for drives every now and again while I'm at school. I can't wait to bring it up to Portland," I say. "Well, I mean, I can't wait to actually be able to use it in Portland."

"You're a good driver," Evan observes.

I smile. "Thank you. Can you drive?"

"Yeah. It's been a while, obviously, but I have my license. That's the other thing I was starting to get worried about. If my wallet gets stolen I have no way of replacing my license without my birth certificate."

My dad curses from the backseat. Evan and I share a smile.

"You'll never have to worry about anything like that again," I say, daydreaming as we drive deep into the country. The dying daylight makes for the perfect backdrop for the mountains and forests around us. I think of owning a home in Portland's suburbs with him. This car alongside his in the driveway. Two diplomas carefully framed on the wall. Both of us employed in fields we love.

And maybe, just maybe, the grandchildren my dad has been so desperate for.

The thought makes me smile to myself as my dad and Evan start chatting.

Two chapters left! I'm uploading them both on Valentine's Day to end this sweet little romance on the most romantic day of the year! Don't forget to vote, comment and share! <3