The Father's Approval

Part 2: The Questioning

The four at the table began to eat. As they did, there was an awkward silent tension cause by the so far obvious annoyance by John Simpson. The other three would exchange weird and desperate looks due to the tension caused by the elder of the two men that were present. Every so often, one of the three would glance at the elder man, usually the two women at the table would send him a sad or disappointed look, which he never noticed. This continued all throughout the dinner, and continued until Rosemarie brought out coffee once the meal was finished.

"So, Buckaroo," Rosemarie started, having enough of the silence her husband had created, "Peggy told me that you're studying to be a neuroscientist, is that right?"

Buckaroo nodded. "Yes, that's right," he answered, "I've been majoring in it for three years now, along with my own personal studies with multiple other sciences. I've also been working on music theory and instrumentals."

Peggy gave a proud smile as her mother gave an impressed look. "Your parents must be very proud of you."

Peggy panicked a bit. "Uh, Mom-"she started, but was cut off.

"Peggy, it's alright." Buckaroo's voice was almost as quiet as a whisper.

Rosemarie looked confusedly at the two sitting across from the young couple. "Did I say something wrong?"

"It's fine. I'm guessing Peggy didn't tell you about my parents in her letters?"

The elder woman still looked confused. "No, she didn't. Is there something wrong?"

Peggy had a sad look on her face. "Mom, Buckaroo's parents were killed when he was five years old." Her tone of voice was quiet, but loud enough to be heard.

For the first time since dinner, John Looked up, all traces of annoyance or irritation running from his face. He remained silent as he waited for a response from his wife.

"Oh my gosh," Rosemarie gasped slightly, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

"Really, it's fine. I mean, it's not fine that they were killed, but as I grew up I learned to live with it. They're actually part of the reason I chose to become a scientist. They were scientists and I remember being with them for a few experiments that were left unfinished. The man who raised me after their death, who was very close with them and studied with them, found old journals a few years ago that had everything they'd ever studied and accomplished, so I decided I would become a scientist to finish their studies for them. That's also part of the reason I plan on starting a scientific research institute as soon as I graduate, and your daughter's agreed to join me."

Rosemarie smiled as she continued then to question her daughter's boyfriend out of genuine curiosity. She asked questions about the upcoming institute, their plans for the institute, his scientific endeavors, his music, and anything else that branched off from those subjects. Peggy would interject every once in a while, but she pretty much just watched with a smile, happy how her boyfriend and mother were getting along. Her smile was also pride in her boyfriend and his dreams and plans for life, that she had been included in as they dated. Then every once in a while, she'd catch a glance at her father, who watched the two talking, his face still showing no emotion; that was what bothered her the most.

Peggy had always been close with her father, ever since she was a little girl. Sure, he could be a bit overprotective over her at times, but she knew that he always meant well. As a teenager, she'd brought home two now ex-boyfriends, and he'd acted overprotective with her then. But in any case, it made since for him to be that way with her and any boy she had been interested in. But as least he had talked to those two ex-boyfriends; this time, her father hadn't even said one word to her current boyfriend yet, who she'd felt the most love and admiration for than any other man that was not related by marriage or by blood to her through her father or her mother, and quite honestly it was starting to bug her.

As the evening progressed, Rosemarie had begun to clean up everything from dinner. Peggy had volunteered to help her mother in the kitchen, hoping that maybe her father would finally talk to Buckaroo. She felt bad about leaving the two alone, but she figured that maybe there would be something her father would say to him that he wouldn't want his wife and daughter in the room for and that's what he had said nothing yet… at least, she hoped this would be the case, and that if it was, it would work out fine.

"Daddy hates Buckaroo, doesn't he?" Peggy asked quietly and sadly as they washed dishes; she had always called her father "daddy", even as she got older unless she was serious or mad about something.

Rosemarie turned and gave her daughter a sad look. "It's not that he hates him," she tried to explain, "It's just that your father is very stubborn."

"But he hasn't even given Buckaroo a chance yet, Mom! He could at least do that."

"I know, I know. Look, sweetheart, if things don't get better by the end of the night, I'll talk to your father about giving him a chance."

As the two Simpson women talked in the kitchen, the head of the house and the guest of the house were in the living room. John stood at the in home wet bar, pouring himself a drink, and Buckaroo watched cautiously from his seat on the couch. There was an awkward silence between the two, the only sound being the elder man pouring his drink into his glass. Once he finished, he walked over and sat in his chair that was opposite from where the younger man was sitting on the couch.

"Sure you don't want a drink, Banzai?" John asked.

"No thank you, sir," Buckaroo answered surely, "I'm fine."

The elder man nodded. "So you've been dating my daughter for two years."

"Yes, sir, that's right.'

"I wasn't asking you, I was stating a fact… anyway, how would you say you treat Peggy?"

"Overall, very respectfully, sir."

"How do you mean that?"

"Well, I treat her as an equal, mentally, just like she's told me she prefers. I like her for her mind rather than just her beauty."

"You're not using her for her mind, are you? Cause my Peggy is a very bright girl and has been all her life, and I don't want some "hot shot scientist" using my little girl for his all scientific achievements."

Buckaroo gave an odd look. "I would never do that," he said, "I would never do that to anyone, especially your daughter."

"You better not," John said sternly, "Cause if I find out you did something like that to my daughter, you'll be sorry." He then turned and stormed out of the room. As he did so, Rosemarie and Peggy had begun to walk into the living room. They both gave worried looks as the head of their house started to the back door. His wife quickly followed after him after saying "maybe you two should get some sleep" to the young couple, and the two nodded.

Peggy slowly and sadly walked over to her boyfriend. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled, "I don't know why he's acting this way. I shouldn't have left you alone with him."

Buckaroo quickly and gently took her into his arms in attempt to comfort her. "It's alright," he whispered, "And even after that, I'm not giving up. We still have tomorrow morning before we go to look at that piece of land."

The young couple then retreated to the second floor and Peggy's old bedroom, where the two would be sleeping for the night.