***Two Weeks Later***
Jennifer was at Jonathan's house, packing like crazy for their trip to her dad's.
She had driven home two nights ago, packed all of her clothes and important things, loaded them into her car, and driven them back to Jonathan's.
They hadn't seen each other yet, because he was called out of town for a work emergency.
Max came and knocked on the bedroom door.
"Miss Edwards, need any help with the packing?"
"No, Max. I'm good".
"Ok, so what are the plans?"
"Well, Jonathan is landing at the airport in an hour, and then as soon as we get packed, we are flying to my father's. And we will be back in 4 days".
"Got it. Well, if you need any help, let me know".
"Thanks, Max".
She had just finished packing her suitcase and had started packing his when she heard the garage door open.
"Jennifer?"
"In here".
He came and found her in the bedroom.
"Hi".
"Hi".
She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
"I missed you".
"I missed you too".
He started kissing her again, and they stood there, in the middle of his bedroom, with their arms locked around each other, kissing, for several minutes.
"Mr. H., you got some important mail".
"Coming, Max".
A few minutes later, he called out to them again.
"Mr. H., your office is on the phone".
"Take a message".
They kept kissing, until Max called out once more.
"Mr. H., we gotta talk about the kitchen".
Jennifer broke the kiss.
"Darling, why don't you go talk to him, and you and I can finish this on the plane?"
"I love you, you're wonderful. I'll be right back".
He went to talk to Max, while she resumed getting clothes for him out of the closet.
A few minutes later, he was back.
"Max ok?"
"Yeah, he's fine. I think he just missed me. Stove isn't working right, so I told him to call someone."
"Good idea".
"How was your flight?"
"Fine. Very easy. San Francisco is only an hour away, so the flight was over before I knew it, really".
"What was the work emergency?"
"It was more like a meeting. And the meeting ended up being more like an argument".
"I'm sorry, darling".
"It will be ok. It will all work out. Darling, why did you get a suit out and nice pants and a dress shirt?"
"One of the traditions at Pa's house, is he likes for us to dress up for dinner. But I didn't think you would want a suit for each day, so I figured some days you could just wear khakis and a shirt and tie, if you wanted".
"Got it".
"I'm sorry, I should have explained. I was just trying to get you all packed so we would be on time".
"Oh, that's ok".
She went and got his shaving kit for him to pack, and then pretty soon, they were ready to walk out the door.
"Drive us to the airport, Max?"
"Sure thing, Mr. H."
Jonathan and Max loaded the bags into the car, while Jennifer made to-go beverages for her and Jonathan.
They climbed into the backseat and snuggled up while Max drove them.
"What did you do while I was gone?"
"I drove home to my townhouse, packed all of my clothes and important things, and spent two nights packing and organizing and getting rid of things I don't need, and then drove back to your house".
"Darling, I hate that you did all that by yourself. I would have sent a crew to help you if I knew you were doing that".
"It's alright. It wasn't fun, by any stretch, but I figured this way it would save time in the long run for you and I, because we really only have a small amount left to pack".
"Do you need me to go with you?"
"Yes, if you don't mind. I can't lift the tv off the tv stand alone, and I think, if you and I can figure out the layout, we can move some of the big furniture into one room to make it easier on the crew".
"I'm happy to help you".
He leaned over and kissed her.
"Worst part was sleeping alone".
"Yeah, I didn't particularly love that part myself".
"And unfortunately, we are going to have to continue it, because my father won't let us stay together. But you will get visiting privileges, if you're a good boy".
"I'll keep that in mind".
Max pulled them up to the airport, and helped the baggage crew with the bags.
"Thanks, Max. We'll see you in 4 days".
"Have a good trip, you two. Miss Edwards, I promise, I won't drive your car this time".
Jennifer chuckled.
"You can drive it, Max. I trust you".
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek and then bounded up the steps.
Jonathan and Jack went over the flight plan and then he went to join her in the cabin.
They got settled and buckled up, and then Jonathan leaned over to kiss her.
They reclined their seats, and leaned back, wrapped up in each other's arms.
"Ok, we've got-"
Jonathan started waving him away, without breaking the kiss.
"Whoa".
Jack disappeared into the cockpit.
They had an easy flight, and Jonathan and Jennifer spent most of it making out.
They landed at Dulles, and took a rental car to her father's house.
Jennifer was so excited. Jonathan couldn't remember when he had seen her so giddy.
They turned down the long driveway and pulled up in front of the house.
Walter came out to help them.
"Walter, hi!"
She went and gave him a big hug.
"Hello, Miss Jennifer. Mr. Hart".
"Hi Walter, how are you?"
"Good, good."
They took the bags inside and Jennifer found her father in the living room.
"Hi Pa!"
"Hello there, sweetheart!"
He gave her a big hug, and then looked past her to see Jonathan.
"This is the man you've been seeing?"
"Yes. Once we stopped working together, we decided we wanted to be more than friends".
"Jonathan, nice to see you again".
"Nice to see you too, sir".
They all sat down in the living room and Jennifer and her father started chatting about various things.
"Sweetheart, while you are here, I need you to sign this. Jonathan, can you be a witness?"
"Sure".
"Pa, what am I signing?"
"Well, it occurred to me, you are living in California full time now. And I'm in London most of the time, so I figured it would be best for me to make copies of all the documents and give you the important things that you have in the safety deposit box, so that you can have quick access to them if something happens".
"Good plan".
"And in doing so, I realized that your mom put away some money for you, and that you are to get it this year on your birthday. So, I'm going to give you a choice. I can add it to your wedding fund, or I can give it to as is".
He handed her the bank book and she looked at it.
"Add it to the wedding fund, Pa".
"You got it".
"And the final piece of business is, you have two savings accounts. One at The Bank of Hillhaven, and one at Draco National Bank. Both of those banks are closing, so I had them cash out your accounts. Here are the cashier's checks for both of those, and you can take them with you".
"Thanks".
Jonathan witnessed her signing the form, and then she went and sat back down on the couch.
"Walter is making all of your favorites for meals this weekend, sweetheart. I don't know who was more excited you were coming home-me or him".
"Jennifer was pretty giddy herself".
"So, how's your job coming?"
"Well, it's a long story, but I don't have one at the moment".
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Jonathan was my boss, and he owned the company that owned the paper. He sold the company to another company, known as Greenleaf Global. And they didn't offer me a position".
"Their loss".
"So, I took a job in San Diego, at a magazine called Coastal Inspired. And everything was going great, until Greenleaf Global bought the magazine, reduced everyone's salary by 2/3, and eliminated several positions. So, I resigned, and started looking for a new job. And then Jonathan asked me to move to Los Angeles, so I did. So, now I'm living in Los Angeles, and still looking for a job".
"How are you paying for rent, and utilities and food?"
"Pa, I'm living in Los Angeles with Jonathan. And as soon as I'm able to, I'll chip in for all of those things".
"I'm more than prepared to take care of whatever her financial needs are, sir."
"I appreciate that, son. However, I didn't raise my daughter to live out of wedlock".
"Pa, for God's sake, it's not 1940. And you know how I feel about social norms".
"Yes, I do. And you know how I feel about them".
"And we both know we will probably never agree on them".
"Yes, I think that's right. Son, are you prepared for those times when she leaves the shower running for an hour and wastes all the hot water? Or when she leaves the light on in the bathroom all day and all night? Or for the days when she burns the candle at both ends with all the lights and the tv on at the same time?"
"Pa! That's enough. The shower thing was one time, when I was 10. And you've left lights on before too, you know".
"My point is, you have a tendency to run up utility bills without thinking. She can be very expensive".
"Pa, he just bought me a Mercedes. I think he can handle it".
"She's right. I can handle it. And if I can't, I'll just buy the power company".
"It would be a great investment".
Walter came and told them dinner was going to be ready in a half hour.
"We better go get ready".
"Jennifer, you are staying in your room, and Jonathan is in the blue room down the hall".
"Got it, Pa".
They took their bags upstairs.
"Ok, so this is my room. Your room and my room connect through the bathroom".
"Got it. Is this one of those dinners that your dad wants us to dress up for?"
"Yes".
"Got it".
She wrapped her arms around his waist, and kissed him.
"You've handled him well so far".
"Thanks, but I think he was harder on you than he was on me".
"Maybe a little. He has such outdated ideas on marriage and relationships. We've fought about it in the past, but I think he knows I'll stand my grand and won't budge, so I doubt he's going to go all in on that argument with me".
They both got ready quickly and then headed downstairs.
They were seated at the table when Walter brought their meal in.
"Ok, in honor of Miss Jennifer being home-the first of her favorite meals, lemon and dill grilled chicken skewers, parmesan tomato zucchini bake, and rosemary mashed potatoes".
"Darling, you're in for a treat. Walter is an amazing cook".
Jonathan took one bite and declared that she was right.
"Sweetheart, are you planning on taking a ride tomorrow?"
"Absolutely. And I'm sure Jonathan will come with me".
"Absolutely".
"Wonderful. I'm going to head to the bank in the morning, and turn in the forms for the safety deposit box, and pick up the items for you to take back with you. And, I have a few appointments in the city as well. I'll be home before dinner, though".
"Great".
"Sir, you have a very exquisite estate. It's very lovely".
"Thank you, son. I'm sure Jennifer will show it to you tomorrow".
"Pa, remember when I had the hearing before the Senate?"
"Yes".
"So, Jonathan accompanied me to that hearing, and then there was a problem with our hotel, so he and I came here and stayed the weekend".
"I see. And what was the problem with your hotel?"
"Well, the snowstorm was coming, and they were all booked up. And we hadn't anticipated that, we had planned on flying back right after it was over. But we couldn't, because the airport was closed, and then we couldn't extend our reservation, because they were booked. So, we rented a car, and drove here".
"You stayed here with a man unsupervised?"
"Nothing happened, Pa. We behaved ourselves."
"What you did is have a rendezvous under my roof when you knew I wouldn't approve".
"It wasn't like that. It was more about finding a spot out of the cold"
"The California lifestyle might have won you over, but I'm still the same. And as long as I'm living, and as long as you aren't married, there will be no hanky-panky under this roof".
"Sir, I assure you, there wasn't any that weekend. I would never disrespect you like that".
"I appreciate that".
"Can we move on from this, please?"
"What all did you two do that weekend?"
"Well, we went riding, we watched tv, we had a snowball fight, we had fun."
"Yes, we certainly did".
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves, even though you know I probably wouldn't have approved".
"Pa, I'm a grown woman. At some point you're going to have to trust me".
"Trust is earned, Jennifer".
"Have I not earned it? You're giving me access to your safety deposit box but you won't trust me to have a friend over when you're not here? I'm not 14, you know".
"That's a good point. Perhaps I should rethink the safety deposit box".
"Fine. And perhaps I should rethink some things too".
She tossed her napkin on the table and stormed upstairs.
"I apologize son, she has a nasty temper. She gets it honestly".
"No apology necessary, sir".
Jonathan stood up and took his plate and Jennifer's plate to the kitchen. He tried to rinse them, but Walter insisted on doing the dishes.
He went upstairs to check on Jennifer.
"Hey, you ok?"
"I'm angry. Angry at myself for thinking he had changed after all this time. Angry at him for not changing".
"Darling, you can't pick your family. I would know. If we could pick our family, I would have been adopted as soon as I knew what the word meant".
"I'm sorry-I should have realized-"
"No, it's ok. That's a part of me, and I can't change it. Just like he's a part of you, and you can't change it. You don't have to be like him, but one of you is going to have to accept the other one for how they are".
"I do accept him. I just want him to accept me".
"I realize that. I wish I knew how to make you feel better".
"You are the only one who makes me feel better".
"I'm glad".
"Would you hate me if I said I wanted us to get a hotel?"
"I could never hate you, you know that. But are you sure you want to do that?"
"Yes, I am. I'm afraid if we stay here, he's going to keep us on an even shorter leash than he would have had he and I not had these discussions".
"I'm ok with it".
"Good. I'm going to go downstairs and tell him we are leaving".
She got up and headed downstairs and found her dad in the den.
"Pa, under the circumstances, Jonathan and I are going to get a hotel room".
"What for?"
"Because. He and I haven't even been here 3 hours and you and I have already had 2 arguments. I don't want to spend the rest of the weekend uncomfortable, and more importantly, I don't want him to be uncomfortable either."
"Sweetheart, let's bury the hatchet. I promise, no more comments about living together or marriage or any of that".
"You mean it?"
"I mean it. You're right, you're a grown woman, it's time I recognized that you wouldn't have made it this far if you couldn't make your own decisions".
"Thank you".
"Where's Jonathan?"
"Upstairs. I think he was trying to give us a minute".
"Oh, I see".
She went to the bottom of the stairs.
"Darling?"
He appeared at the top of the stairs.
"It's ok. You can come down now".
He came down and embraced her.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. He wants us to stay and he promised to back off a little".
"Good, good".
She and Jonathan sat on the couch. She read a magazine while her dad asked Jonathan questions about himself and his company.
They had a very pleasant conversation, and Jennifer was very surprised.
Finally, around 10, her dad said he was headed to bed.
"Goodnight you two. The no hanky-panky rule still stands, by the way".
"Goodnight, Pa".
"Goodnight, sir".
Jonathan and Jennifer sat up downstairs a little longer, and then headed to bed themselves.
She had just changed into her nightgown when he popped his head in.
"Can I come in?"
"Absolutely".
She climbed under the covers and pulled them back and patted the bed.
He sat down on the bed next to her.
She picked up a photo album and put it on the bed.
"Hang on a minute".
She got up and got something out of her closet and put it on the back of her bedroom door.
"What are you doing?"
"It's a string of bells, darling. If Pa comes up the steps, they shake. It's a trick I used to use when I was on the phone after my bedtime".
"You're so creative".
"Thank you".
She climbed back in bed and they started looking at the photo album.
She started yawning about a half hour later, so he decided to let her get some rest.
"Hold me till I fall asleep?"
"You got it".
He reached up and turned out the light and then wrapped his arms around her.
"Goodnight, I love you".
She leaned up and kissed him a few times.
"Goodnight, I love you too".
He held her till she fell asleep, which was momentarily. Finally, he tore himself away and gave her a final kiss and then headed to his room.
As he drifted off to sleep, he resolved to figure out someway to make things between them more permanent.