“Right,” I said. “Well, it turns out he didn’t go to Maine after all. He went to Ohio and talked to my parents.”
“Wow, Max,” Paula said, turning her head in his direction. “Quite the traditionalist.”
“Not really,” he said. “Olivia’s parents haven’t been my biggest fan, so that’s the only reason I did it.”
“It’s true.” I shifted in my seat. This topic still made me uncomfortable. “They always had this view of my life that was more like theirs. Well, you know what I mean, Paula.”
She nodded her head. “I grew up the same way. Listen, I wish I’d had your opportunities and your gumption, Olivia. I admire you.”
I felt bad now, watching Paula’s face drop to an expressionless mask as she no doubt felt regret about how her life had gone.
Max lifted his hands, palms up. “Wait a minute.” He looked at me, then at his mother, a smile spreading across his face. “If you had been able to go off and do…whatever it was you wanted to do, you wouldn’t have had me.”
Paula reached out and put her hand on his forearm. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
Max lifted his drink. “Jesus, I might just have to write that script based on our family, after all.”
Paula finally went back to looking happy. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Max put his glass down. “Never.”
It was a tense topic, yet they handled it with ease and humor. I wish things with my parents had been like that.
“So your parents,” Paula said, looking over to me. “I take it they don’t approve.”
I shook my head and told her how it went down.
. . . . .
When I called my parents shortly after Max proposed, I already knew that he had gone to talk with him before asking me. He warned me and filled me in on how the trip had gone.
Which was, to put it mildly: not good at all.
I called them just after 11 am Pacific Time. We hadn’t been out late the night before, but we’d stayed up late together, making love. I woke up around 10 and that’s when Max told me about going to see my parents.
“You should call them,” he said.
I didn’t want to, but I needed to.
My mother answered, and my father picked up the extension.
“We can’t stop you, Olivia,” my mother said, “but we think you’re making a mistake. It’s too soon.”
I didn’t say anything.
“We appreciate the fact that he came and spoke to us first,” mom said, “but I hope he told you that your father did not give him his blessing.”
“His blessing?” I said, incredulous. And then it just poured out of me: “It’s 2013, not 1953. The only blessing we need is each other’s, okay? It’s a different world, you guys, and I’m living in it. This is my life, and I love Max. That alone should be good enough for you.”
Was it harsh? Probably. But there was no way I could even pretend to play the part of the approval-seeking daughter. I was a grown woman. Educated. Determined. Successful. I had met a great man who was good to me, and who I loved more than I thought possible. I knew what I wanted and I knew who I wanted it with. The only power they had to hold me back was power that I gave them. And I refused to do so.
“Olivia,” my father said, but I cut him off.
“No, wait. I’m not going to drag this out. We don’t have a date yet, but if you’re not talking to me by the time we set one, I’ll let you know when it is. The rest is up to you. I have a busy day ahead. I need to get going. Please think about what you’re doing.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Shock, no doubt.
“Goodbye,” I said, not in a rude way, but definitely a determined one.
I was feeling strong, but weaker as the call ended. Luckily, as always, Max was there when I needed him. I felt his arms wrap around me from behind and I grabbed onto his forearms, lowered my head and cried softly.
. . . . .
“I would have never known,” Paula said. “You don’t seem upset at all. And this just happened a few hours ago.”
I shrugged.
Paula said, “At least they didn’t call you and ruin the surprise before — ”
Max interrupted, “Mom, I said the same thing.” He shook his head. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of our lunch.”
. . . . .
Grace called a few mornings later as I was on my way to work. She started off with small talk, asking me what it was like driving such a fancy car into the heart of Hollywood to work on a blockbuster movie.
“I wouldn’t want any other life,” I said, and then immediately regretted it.
She let me have it anyway. “I wasn’t trying to start a fight with you, Olivia.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“And, just in case you don’t know, I wouldn’t want any other life than mine, either. But I don’t blame you for going after what you want.”
“You could have said someth — ”
“Wait,” she interrupted, “I know. I could have taken your side at Christmas. And maybe I should have. But you have to consider that I see Mom and Dad all the time and it’s a totally different situation for me than it is for you. I have to pick my battles.”
“Did you see Max when he went to Mom and Dad’s?”
“No. I didn’t even know he was here until the next day. And just so you know, I think I might have pissed them off when they told me.”
“How so?”
She laughed a little, then said, “Because I was so happy.”
I pulled up to a red light and noticed a police car in my rearview mirror. I must have been speeding as Grace and I spoke, not just because of the tension, but also because I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing.
“Oh, fuck you,” I said, the frustration coming to a head.
“What!?”
“No, no,” I said. “I’m sorry. There’s a cop behind me, I was speeding…never mind. That wasn’t meant for you.”
“I was about to go off on you.”
“Yeah, well, join the club.”
“Hey,” she said, sounding annoyed, and probably within all her rights to feel that way. “I’m trying to smooth things over here. Even if it’s just between me and you. Okay?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too,” she said. “Can we go back to like it was before?”