Does he love you?

"Mr. Mason, First I like to inform that you should call me Samuel. Because you are my dad. So, you should call me by my name. Don't you think?" He smoothly asked with a smile that seemed so genuine. But I know better.

Whoa! I don't know if he can act that well! Well, I can assure you that I am a nobody in front of that class acting.

My dad tilted his head to a side like he was amused.

"Oh! How sweet! Of course, you are our son, Samuel!" My mom beamed at him happily.

Maybe she is happy that her daughter is not dying single.

Because as far as I know, the only thing she demanded from me after graduating from the college is

MY MARRIAGE.

So, Obviously, she will be on cloud nine.

But I can't say the same to my dad.

He is a rational thinker, unlike my mom who is an emotional thinker.

What can I say? My dad is just like me! Or maybe I am like him!

"Yes! Dad! He is right. You know what dad, I really love him." I said the obvious truth of my life to him before getting up to sit beside him, holding his hand and assuring him that I will be fine.

But I know him better than anyone else just like him who knows me better than anyone else.

"Veronica, Give him some company and serve him some snacks. I have to speak to Calla." Dad said before getting up from his seat while pulling me to stand up by my hand.

"But, Michael, It's not the way you should behave when someone comes to our house especially when our future son-in-law for the first time came to meet us. Where are your manners?" Mom scolded him.

See. I am correct when I classified her under the emotional thinker.

"It's okay, Mrs. Mason. It has to be something important. Let them be!" Samuel said in an extra gentlemanly voice which made me speechless for minutes.

Before mom could reply, Dad escaped while calling me to follow him.

I gulped thinking about what would he ask about.

I have a rough idea......…..

And I am correct.

When we reached our garden behind our house which I dearly loved in my childhood or should I say I love it even today.

"So, Calla, Did you think that I will not ask any questions? " He said in a firm, stern tone.

"It's not like that, dad...." I was just started to speak before I was cut off by him.

"Calla, Your mom may be clueless about things like this. But you know well how I can figure things out, especially about you." He said in a robot voice.

I gulped looking away.

"Calla, I know you well enough to say figure about how you like your dating life to be. If you have truly loved someone, you would have excitedly informed us about almost everything. You would have brought him for Christmas, new year, family dinners, and so on. You would have made us known way before marriage. How come I missed all these?" He explained clearly making me tongue-tied.

"Or don't you want to involve your parents in this? If it is yes, then it's not a problem. I just want you safe, Calla. I don't think what you are doing now is something right. I don't know. But I just can't help but feel like this. Like you are making a bad mistake in your life. If this marriage is about something else other than your happiness, then please don't do this. I don't even ask you the reason behind your decision." This time his voice was soft like snow.

"It's not like that dad. I can give the reason." I said before gulping heavily.

I looked straight into his eyes to further assure him.

"Do you remember when I used to call when I want to cry or want advice?" I asked him softly.

He nodded hesitantly not knowing what I am relating this with.

"I don't give you the reason. Not even during one call. It's because of him. Every call was due to him, dad. It's because I was in love. Even now I am in love. There were so many problems between us whenever I called you. I called you to cry about the problems between us." I said looking into his eyes because what I have said is nothing but the solid truth.

"Did you realize that I gave up calling you for that purpose of crying?' I asked him for which he again nodded his head slowly.

"Because we separated. I was far away from him. But I can't forget about him. I can't love anybody because of him. That's why I can't tell you about him all these years. That's why I can't bring him to our family's happenings. Because even I don't have him at that time." I said smiling sadly at him while a lone tear slipped out my left eye.

My dad's face softened at that.

"Then what happened, dear. Then why suddenly this marriage and all?" He asked wiping the tear from my eye with his clean, soft handkerchief which he took from his shirt pocket.

"Because I realized that I can live without him. But can I live happily? Never." I said with more tears in my eyes.

My dad seemed convinced at that. It's the truth anyway.

"Ok! Dear, I understand. But only one question from my side." He paused with a minute of silence.

"What, dad?" I asked hopefully.

"Does he love you?"

It felt like a bucket of cold water thrown on my head.

It felt like suddenly all the air was knocked out of my lungs.

I felt like someone is crushing my heart under their feet.

It felt like someone is strangling me.

It is the one question I knew the answer to very well.

But too afraid to admit it.

Too afraid to hear it.

Too afraid to realize it.

'Does he love me?'

No! He will never.

But I can't say that to my dad.

Should I lie with a straight face?

But I know that heartbreak in my face and pain in my voice will betray my lie.

What am I going to do?

What am I supposed to say?

God! Help me! Please...….

"Yes! I love her, dad!"