As it turned out, preparing to meet Dallas's father was a lot more complicated than just picking my next day off. Dallas had to ask his father to request me to be an approved visitor, then I received an application in the mail, had to wait once I submitted it for them to do a background check and eventually approve my application, and then we had to pick my next day off that aligned with the schedule his dad had visiting hours allotted. The whole process took about four weeks.

My hands were sweating in the waiting room. I had never been to a prison, but it was unsurprisingly lackluster.

"Are you scared?" Dallas asked with a chuckle. I looked at the magazine in his hands. Our phones and personal belongings were stored in a locker outside of the waiting room since we weren't allowed to bring them in the visitation room.

"No," I lied.

He closed the magazine and set it back on the table beside him. "I promise, meeting him would be the most natural thing in the world if we weren't here," he said with a light squeeze on my knee. "Don't worry."

I wasn't worrying, per say. I was just severely overthinking my entire existence leading me up to this point, sitting in an actual prison to meet my boyfriend's father. The situation was less nerve wracking as it was surreal in and of itself.  I tried reminding myself that this was just how it had to be and this was way more interesting than meeting his dad at a restaurant or something.

Eventually, Dallas's last name was called and we stood up. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, trying to calm down before actually meeting the man.

We were lead into a room with various tables with four chairs each. Those that were inmates were obvious enough with their matching all grey outfits, sitting across from loved ones or lawyers with the same melancholic expressions. Dallas looked around for a moment before he smiled, grabbing my hand and leading me to a table towards the back.

A man with striking resemblance to my boyfriend sat at the table. He stood up when we approached and it was clear where Dallas got his height from. He had a few inches on his own son. I felt like a child hiding behind Dallas's arm, so I stepped forward and held out a hand.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Thomas."

Dallas's father looked me up and down and I swear I was going to pee my pants. He had tanned skin, much like Dallas, and his hair was grey. They had the same nose and lips. He took my hand in his and gave it a good shake. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name," he said before he was scooped into a hug by Dallas. I watched them embrace with a small smile. When we sat down at the table, he clasped his hands together in front of him. "I'm Will. I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances."

I glanced at Dallas. "I'm confident I'll get to meet you outside of here someday soon," I said, meeting the blue eyes of Dallas's dad, much older and life-worn. I elbowed Dallas's arm. "You're in good hands."

Will cracked a fond smile. "Got that right."

I didn't talk much for the rest of the visit to give them their time to catch up. Dallas told his father about work and the story of when we got together for the final time. Will listened closely, soaking up every word Dallas was telling him so he wouldn't miss a thing. I'd imagine these visits were the closest thing he got to the outside world and Dallas was his eyes.

When it was time to go, Will pulled me in for a hug. I accepted it, albeit a bit awkwardly, telling him that I'll come with Dallas again soon.

Out in the car, Dallas took a moment to pause and look over at me. "What did you think?"

"I think he's really great," I said honestly, making Dallas smile, a small breath of relief tumbling out of his mouth. "Funny, too."

"He tries to be," he snorted.

I had a new sense of love for Dallas now that I saw where he came from. His sense of humor, his looks, his mannerisms. I couldn't wait to learn more about him, find out every little nook and cranny of his mind and past. He took my hand while we drove back and kissed the back of it at least twenty times.

We decided to kill two birds with one stone and visit my mom today. I hadn't told her about our reconciliation yet. While I knew she wouldn't be mad about it, she'd be wary enough to voice her concerns to Dallas. I found that equally hilarious and horrifying.

Mom came to the door with a bewildered expression on her face. "You didn't tell me you were stopping by," she said, narrowing her eyes at me. Then she noticed Dallas standing slightly off to the side. "Oh."

She waved us into the house and we stepped into the warmth eagerly. I took off my jacket and Dallas did the same.

"Coffee? Tea?" she asked, raising an eyebrow towards us.

Dallas put on that award-winning smile. "I'd love some coffee. Can I help?" he said and Mom shot me a look. I just shrugged sheepishly and let him get his schmoozing out of the way until he realized it doesn't work on my mom.

"That's okay, honey. I'll just be a minute."

He sat down beside me on the couch and it blew me away how relaxed he seemed. Sure, he'd met my mom before under much worse circumstances, but this was different. This was his chance to win her over, to change her opinion about him being a cheater. To convince her he would never do the same to me.

The thought made me shiver.

"She's judging you," I said quietly.

Dallas cracked another smile. "I know. Look," he said and held a hand up. It was literally shaking slightly, wobbling just barely to and fro. I laced my fingers with his in an attempt to calm his nerves—which I didn't even know he had.

"She's not that bad," I chuckled, holding our hands in my lap. "Just don't be surprised if she calls you out on your bullshit."

"I'd expect nothing less."

Mom returned with a tray in her hands, three mugs of coffee steaming up towards her face. I took mine as soon as it was within arm's reach, needing something to sip on because this was going to be interesting. Dallas thanked her profusely, making her chuckle to herself.

She finally settled in the recliner across from us with her mug in her hands. "So what brings you two to my doorstep on this fine Wednesday afternoon?" she asked, eyes darting between the two of us.

"Well, Mom," I said dramatically. "I wanted to formally introduce you to my boyfriend."

Her eyebrows lifted but her eyes stayed the same, but moved to look at Dallas instead of me. He sat up straighter under her gaze. This was incredibly entertaining. Mom placed her mug down on the coffee table and crossed her legs. "So you're together now?" she asked, but it wasn't a question for me.

"Yes," Dallas said plainly.

"And you're happy?" She was looking at me again. The question surprised me. I nodded my head, feeling much like a child getting scolded for doing something bad. "Alright. I assume I don't need to give you the old, 'If you hurt my son, I'll hire a hit man to take you out,' right?"

Dallas choked on his coffee. "Yes, that's right. I won't hurt him."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with this conversation. "Welcome to the family, then," she said with a much warmer smile. I bit my lip to stifle the laugh that had been setting in my chest, threatening to break the intimidating vibe my mom was going for. "When did this happen?"

"New Year's," I said.

"You waited a month to tell me?" she said, shooting daggers at my head.

I pursed my lips. "I told you at all, didn't I?"

Dallas had relaxed next to me. I could feel his body wasn't as stiff as it was before, pressed to my side like we were attached. Mom struck conversation with Dallas about the basics: what he does for a living, where he's from, his family, that kind of thing. They talked until our coffee was long gone and I was bored to tears. I knew he was just trying to humor my mother to get on her good side, but she wouldn't stop yapping. If Dallas minded, he didn't show it.

"It was lovely seeing you again, Dallas," Mom said when I finally dragged him out of the conversation so we could leave.

He thanked her again for the coffee and even gave her a hug after I did. Mom let us go after another ten minutes of chit-chat by the door while we tugged our coats on. The cold air nipped at my skin, sending a giddy chill up my spine. I closed the door securely behind us and, before he could start for the car, I grabbed the back of his jacket to yank him back.

When he turned around in surprise, I grabbed his cheeks and pressed my lips on his. He melted into me instantly, hands blanketing over mine and kissing me back with matched passion.

I pulled away with a big breath. Dallas pecked my nose and detached himself from me. "What was that for?"

"I just love you."

—

i hope these aren't as boring
to read as they are to write
it's just fillers to wrap up the story
i apologize lolz