Joy ended up spending more time with Margaret. She kept seeking her counsel with the relationship. One day, the two went to lunch. "I know I'm young and I know what you're going to say, but I feel ready."

"If you're truly ready, then why have you waited?"

Joy sighed, "I don't know."

"One of the reasons I became a nun was because of the convent I had been sent to when I became pregnant with you."

"Do you regret becoming a nun?"

"Sometimes," Margaret said, "I haven't for years."

"When was the last time you regretted it?"

"During my trial."

"Because of Paul?"

"I wanted to give everything up for him."

"Why didn't you?"

"The elder nuns talked me out of it. They said I'd already given everything up for God."

"Why did you get your own apartment here?"

"I have my reasons, but I did decide to leave the church."

"Why?"

"You inspired me. I saw the endless amount of happiness and opportunity you had. I've never really felt free. I'll have to answer for my decision in the end, but it didn't feel right anymore."

Perry and Della had been out that day. Della saw Joy and Margaret. Her heart broke a bit from the sight. She clutched the necklace Joy had given her and walked away with her husband.

As Joy and Ken became more serious, the two started talking about telling Della and Perry. Joy had made the decision to move out on her own. At least that's what she told her parents. She had moved in with Ken. Della had called her daughter's cell one night while Perry was out. "Hi, mom," Joy said.

"Are you busy?"

"Kind of," Joy said, "why?"

Della didn't want to inconvenience her daughter. "I left something at the office and I was going to ask you to pick it up and bring it to me. I've been feeling a bit lightheaded today."

"Do you need it tonight?"

"No," Della said, "it can wait. I just thought I'd check since you live close by."

She didn't really, but that's what her parents thought. "Call me tomorrow then if you still need me to run to the office and I'll go."

"Thank you," Della said. The two said goodnight and hung up.

Joy and Ken picked up where they left off, in bed.

The next day, Joy and Ken went to the office to get what Della had left behind. They got a bit distracted in Ken's office. "We really need to stop," Ken said.

"Why? No one else is here or going to be here," Joy said as they continued to make out on the couch.

"True," Ken said and the couple carried on.

They hadn't heard the door open, "what the hell?!"

The two jumped apart. There stood Perry and Della in shock. "Mom, dad, what are you doing here?" Joy asked.

"You were supposed to call us when you got here so we could tell you what we needed and where it was," Perry said. "I see now why we never heard from you."

"Perry, Della, I can explain," Ken said.

"You can explain being with my daughter who is nearly fifteen years younger than you?"

"I didn't say it would be a good explanation."

"Daddy, it's not a big deal."

"You're too young for him."

"I'm almost twenty-one."

"That's still too young. I'm warning the two of you. You'd better stop seeing one another."

"That's going to be a problem," Joy said. "We live together."

Ken whispered to his girlfriend, "why would you tell them that?"

"Daddy, you can disapprove all you want, but you have no say in how I live my life. Why don't Ken and I stay away while you get used to this and you can call when you're ready to accept our relationship?" Joy took Ken's hand and the two left the office.

The next day, Ken decided to go over to Perry and Della's. He decided to face them on his own. "You're awfully brave coming here alone," Della said.

"Well, I figure that it's my duty as the boyfriend to face the music." Della and Perry sat down with Ken in the living room, "look, I'm very sorry that you found out the way you did. Joy and I were getting ready to tell you. Both of us wanted to wait until we felt our relationship was serious and by then, we were too afraid to say anything. I really care about and love your daughter. She's such an amazing and special person. I do hope you can accept us because we all know how stubborn she can be. I don't want you all to lose each other, but I also won't be the one to break her heart."

"Ken, it took a lot of guts for you to show up here, today," Perry said. He sighed, "it will take time to get used to. I warn you, if you ever hurt her, I'll make you pay in ways you didn't think were possible."

"Yes, sir," Ken said.

It took a while for everyone to calm down and get used to the new relationship. Eventually, Perry realized that his daughter couldn't have found a better man than Ken. Della had also sat down with Margaret to discuss her fears about losing Joy to her. Margaret assured the woman that Della was Joy's only mother and that she was just happy to be a part of her life. Even if it was just as a friend. Twenty-one years ago, Della Street had made the decision to become a mother. As a result, she married a man she had always been in love with and they adopted the sweetest baby girl. There were a lot of ups and downs, but they were a close family. The universe had often tried to tear them apart, and every time, they found their way back to one another.