Meeting the Parents

Part 3

"Who does that grotesque creature think he is? How dare he and right in my face? I will not have this Charles, no matter what I have to do, I will not allow this ridiculous travesty of decent behavior go one step further!" Charley's mother hadn't stopped complaining the whole 45-mile ride back to their home.

"Dorothy, he's not grotesque in Charley's eyes, if you'd just try and understand how the child feels. I'm not saying it's a match I would have chosen for her, but the young man seems to care for her very much. Yes and I do mean young man," Charles added before his wife could call Vinnie any thing else.

"Well, I see it's no use talking to you. You have always over indulged that child; going against everything I tried to teach her. You act as if I don't love her as much as you do," Dorothy's voice became strangely

quiet.

Charles looked over at his wife and he saw tears actually coming from her eyes. His wife was not an emotional person so for this to happen she must really be hurting.

"Look Dorothy, I know you love Charlene but your way just isn't how she sees life. You were raised to see people a certain way, just as your mother was and her mother before her. Maybe for their time it was what people accepted as the right behavior. But times have changed thankfully and people want to try and see others as just other people, who might look different but have the same heart. Even if those people have white fur covering their bodies and come form another world." Charles once more glanced over at his wife and her expression was unchanged. He just sighed and they continued the ride in silence.

                                                          *****

Gates sat on Charley's bed with cotton balls between her toes applying a generous amount of iridescent blue nail polish to each nail. Both women had a great deal in common Gates having already introduced Modo to her family and her Father's reaction surprisingly wasn't much different from Charely's Mother.

"Girlfriend, talk about going ballistic, my Dad was ready to call the government to have Modo put in a cage and have me put in the nearest mental hospital. So I know what you 're feelin'."

"No, not your Dad, he always seemed so understanding."

"Yeah, until I told him his son-in-law was going to be a 7ft, gray fur covered Martian. And that my future residence was going to be in a planet a few million miles away, Oh yeah, he was all for that. Be real Cee Cee."

"I guess you have a point. So what are you going to do?"

Gates looked up and smiled at her with an eyebrow cocked. "Please, I love my Dad dearly, but if you think I'd let a sweet prize like Modo get away, you'd better open a window because these polish fumes have fried that pretty little brain of yours.

"Besides Modo handle the situation so well. He asked to speak with my father alone and after two, long, nerve racking hours they had an understanding. I thought I loved him before but after that *sigh* I can't even put it into words what I feel." Gates fell back on the bed looking dreamily into space. "He's prefect Charley, so sweet and thoughtful and caring and gentle and….

"And he's built like a brick out-house," Charley added giving a sly giggle.

"Well, there's no chance of my mother ever changing how she feel," Charley's voice became suddenly forlorn. "My mother is going to fight this to the last breath."

Gates jerked up with a frighten expression on her face, "Charley, you don't think your mother would turn them in, do you? Like maybe tell someone in the government, your mother knows a lot of powerful people."

"No, I made them both promise that they would keep what they know a secret. And my mother may be a lot of things, but she's never broken a promise to me, ever."

Before Gates could comment the sound of a bike pulling up made them both look toward the window. Charley got up to see which of the guys had decided to make a late night call but to her surprise she saw something she hadn't in years. A vintage black and chrome motorcycle was parked just out side her window. It's rider looking up waving to her. He removed his helmet and smile up at his daughter, " It's been too long Sugarpop. Why don't you throw on some duds and come go with your old man for a little spin."

"I don't know it's has been awhile. You sure you shouldn't put the training wheels back on?" Charley joked hardly able to keep her tears of joy contained.

"Please little girl, I can probably out ride that baby biker boyfriend of yours. How about it?"

Just give me a sec" Charley pulled back inside and looked at Gates with a half apologetic, half pleading look on her face.

"Go ahead I'll be here when you get back."

Charley hugged her and was dressed and down to her father in no time. She hopped on the back and hugged him tightly. Charles Davidson put his hands on top of his daughters giving them a little squeeze, " No matter what you know we love you, right?

"Yes Daddy I know," she squeezed him a bit tighter

"Okay then let ride?"

No Daddy, it's let's Rock and Ride." Charley happily corrected him.

Charles just shook his head smiling. "Okay Sugarpop, Let's Rock and ride."

To be continued…maybe