1.
Beth came down from her shower and found her mom alone in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner.
"Mom, I've got some news," Beth said.
"Oh? What kind of news, honey?" Karen asked as she continued rinsing off dishes and placing them in the dishwasher.
"Good news. The best news!!"
Karen stopped what she was doing, turned off the water, and turned to face her daughter. "Best news, huh? Well ... don't just stand there ... spit it out!"
"Michael and I have started dating!"
Karen tilted her head, smiled and asked, "So, when did this relationship begin?"
"Today! It was the most amazing thing. Grandma asked me a few days ago whether I had ever thought about dating Michael. I asked her why, and she said, 'Because Michael looks at you the way your granddad always looked at me. None of those other boys you go out with do that.' So, that got me thinking. Mom," she paused.
"Uhmm hmm," Karen responded, watching her daughter's face.
"I think I'm in love with him."
"I think you probably are too."
"Really? You do? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Why?" Karen smiled in a curious way. "Because, Sweetie, this had to be your discovery, not mine."
They sat at the kitchen table. "I think the world of Michael. We all do," she said, indicating the rest of Beth's family, "And, I can't think of many things that would make me happier than seeing the two of you together. But, my happiness isn't the issue. Yours is. If you and Michael were meant to be, you had to come to that conclusion on your own. There are a lot of things to admire about Michael, but, as a mother, what I love most about him is that as beautiful as you are on the outside, he loves the you 'inside.' How many mothers get to say that about the guys their daughters date and really mean it?"
"Why didn't I see that, Mom?"
"Probably because you're normal high school girl who finds it exciting to be asked out by the star quarterback or the class president," Karen answered. "You know how we eat out every night when we go on vacation, and that's fun for awhile?"
"Yeah ..." Beth answered, not knowing what her mom meant.
"Once we get home, what's the first thing we usually do?"
"Make a batch of Grandma's famous spaghetti sauce," Beth answered with a knowing smile.
"Exactly," Karen replied. "Michael is a little like that sauce. Scott and those other guys were exciting for awhile, but Michael is the kind of guy you come home to and build a life with ... a guy you can depend on ... maybe the kind of guy you fall in love with, hmm?"
Beth broke into a huge grin. "Yeah. Yeah, Mom, that's it." Then, she continued, "But, Mom, he's also gorgeous. I love his dark brown, wavy hair and those eyes ... Mom, I can get lost in his dark eyes. He's got a great body, and Mom, his ..." She suddenly stopped and blushed.
"He's got a nice package?" Karen asked with raised eyebrows. "It's okay to talk about that too, you know. In fact, I'm a pretty big fan of men's packages myself." Beth smiled a relieved smile. "You're right. He's hot. But, you know what I notice?"
Beth shook her head no.
"When you walk into any room, he locks onto you like a laser. He can't take his eyes off of you. He focuses on your words. He pays attention to your needs. Darling, you clearly rock his world," Karen said.
"What'll Dad think?"
Karen smiled. "You remember the Spring Valley game when Scott had too much to drink and got too forceful with you?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah," Beth answered with a huff and rolling eyes.
"When I told your father what happened, he was ready to go kick some teenage ass himself," Karen recalled, shaking her head. "Once I finally got him to calm down, I told him how Michael handled the situation. What impressed your Dad the most was that he knows enough about Michael's martial arts training to know that he could have easily hurt that boy badly. Instead, Michael did what was necessary to get him to back off, and he stopped so he could concentrate on making sure you were okay. I'll tell you, in your father's eyes, Michael grew about ten feet tall that day."
"So, Daddy will be happy about this?"
"Honey, when you tell him, I bet anything he pops champagne!" Karen said with a chuckle. "In fact, why don't you go get Michael and tell everyone right now?"
"Okay!" Beth said, as she excitedly ran out the kitchen door.
While Beth ran to get Michael, Karen brought Amy, Bill and Grandma Carrie together in the den. Then, she called Therese on her cell phone, told her the good news and asked if she could drag Dan away from the dance floor at the wedding long enough to get on a speaker phone.
Beth and Michael walked in to find the entire family staring at them in anticipation. They were so taken aback that they just looked at each other and started laughing nervously.
Karen broke the awkward silence, "Well, you two, I understand you have some news?"
Finally, Michael cleared his throat and said, "Uhm, yeah. We didn't expect all this. We ... Beth and I are going together."
"Oh. Where are you two going?" Bill asked in mock innocence.
Beth rolled her eyes. "Dating, Daddy. Michael and I are dating -- each other," she quickly added before her father could ask another annoying question about who they were going to date.
"Hot damn, son! It's about time!" came the voice of Michael's father, Dan, over the speakerphone.
"Dad?" Michael asked.
"I'm here too," Therese added.
"Son, if you didn't do something soon, I told you're mom I was going to have to ask Beth out myself!"
Everyone started laughing. "Dad! Competition from my own father?" Michael replied.
"Well, Michael, I figured there ought to be at least one male in the Barrett family smart enough not to let a prize catch like Beth get away!"
"Wow, Mr. Barrett, I had no idea. Now, I'm not sure who I should go out with," Beth teased. Again, everyone laughed. Michael looked at her with mock tears.
"Listen, honey, this one's just an old lech. Believe me, you picked the right Barrett," Therese answered.
"I think this calls for a toast!" Bill shouted above the laughter. Karen and Beth exchanged knowing looks. "Dan and Therese, I assume you have something to use since you are at a wedding?"
"Absolutely," Dan replied. Karen had already gone into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of champagne, while Bill got five glasses.
Amy, Beth's 12-year-old sister, raised her eyebrows. "So, I get a glass?"
"A very small glass," Bill answered. "This is a celebration!"
"A toast," Bill began, "to my darling Beth and to Michael, who is close to being a son to me as I can imagine."
"Here! Here!" was shouted all around. Then, Dan said, "Beth, you are definitely like a daughter to us. In fact, Michael was a royal pain in the ass as a baby, so we're a whole lot better off handling things this way!" Clinks and laughing was heard on both ends of the phone.
"Wait, you guys, this sounds like wedding toasts. We're not engaged; we're just dating," Michael said.
There was a general rumbling of "Rights ... sures ... Oh, yeahs ... etc." Then, everyone broke out in huge belly laughs.
"What's so funny?" Michael asked.
"Beth, I've had to watch Michael follow you around like a lost puppy for five or six years," Therese said. Everyone looked at Michael and laughed.
"Thanks, Mom," Michael said, turning red. Beth laughed the hardest and punched him in the ribs.
"Honey, sometimes the truth hurts," which brought more guffaws, "But, I know that now that you have finally generated enough brain activity to talk that gorgeous creature into going out with you, you will NEVER let her go! So, Beth, honey, I hope you're happy, 'cause you're stuck with him!"
Beth beamed and answered, "I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck to." That brought more clinking and cheers.
"Dan and Therese, we better let you get back to your wedding, but we will celebrate this the right way as soon as you return," Bill said.
"Absolutely!" Dan replied. "Oh, and Beth, don't let Michael do anything I wouldn't do."