The next half-step (Connor)

[Charlotte Greene]

It had been a few weeks since Charlie's first kiss in a picturesque and perfect little clearing next to a beautiful little spring, noble Sona standing by a short ways away.. She'd shared it with Connor and hadn't regretted it in the slightest. The day had been absolutely wonderful, even though Charlie hadn't gotten the chance to show off how much she'd been improving with her wings.. Kissing, though, was apparently somewhat addictive.. and so a little more time that was absolutely necessary had been spent in relative silence and not studying since. Charlie imagined that Connor had given his first kiss to someone else - he was rather good at it for her to easily believe it was his first as well - but any kiss from Connor was a good one. Any time spent with Connor was well spent.. Even if it did result in less studying being done than probably aught to have been done.. er.. less anything, really. Kissing wasn't something did while multitasking. It just tended to eat up lots and lots of time, even when it was relatively innocent.

Regardless, the past few weeks had been full of it. All the time. Every time they met.. Charlie was used to walking around literally dreaming, she wasn't used to walking around so deamily. But as the immediate novelty had worn off a little, it became much easier to again simply be happy in Connor's company.. more important to savor.. And while makeout sessions definitely still existed and happened, they could hold a conversation again.. which was what Charlie had intended to do when she'd brought Connor to the common area of the dorms building. She'd snagged them a big comfy oversized chair to sit in, she'd brought drinks, and she had been looking forward to simply sitting next to a cuddling with Connor as people made their way in and out and something unimportant passed the time on the TV.

She'd taken to wearing at least something orange almost all the time now... Today she had an orange ribbon in her hair and orange socks to contrast her faded bluejeans and grey v-neck shirt. She wasn't sure if Connor had figured out that her favorite color was green yet, but she didn't think he was imagining that he was wearing it more often and she approved, even if it was just coincidence.

When Connor showed up and promptly found himself with his arms full of Charlie as per usual, the girl made sure that she didn't stare too long at his lips.. A quick peck that turned into one almost-short kiss was all that was required, and soon enough she'd directed them back to her saved seat and was snuggled up next to him. In a perfect world, he would be most comfortable with an arm around her shoulders and she could fold her legs to one side and lean against him.. Maybe it happened or maybe it didn't. It wasn't a requirement and she wasn't going to make a big deal about it. Being around Connor was far too close to perfect for her to complain about the last five or six percent.

"Sorry we can't just hang out in my dorm.. Maybe I can get transferred to co-ed or something? --It doesn't matter.. Um. I don't think I've told you very much about my family.. and there isn't a whole lot to tell, but I wanted to.. ya know.. say what there is to say. Just so that you know at least a little about where I come from and stuff. Is that okay? We can just watch TV or we can talk about something else.. or.. do something else if you want. I don't wanna ever become one of those 'all about me' people."

The night and several days following their first kiss had been a prime example. When they'd brought Sona back to groom him, Charlie had taken off her overshirt and Connor had completely overlooked her choice of color to freak out for several minutes about the bruise that was forming on her shoulder... He'd been so worried and asked so many times if she were okay, if she needed ice, if she wanted to just sit down and let him take care of everything.. He'd offered more than once for them to just leave and he could take care of Sona on his own tomorrow, but Charlie had just grinned and shaken her head, dutifully braiding Sona's mane as she brushed it out.

[Connor Anderson]

Connor had more or less been on cloud nine since the day in the clearing. Even his parents had noticed he was noticeably distracted when they called. There had been a slightly stuttered affirmation that, yes, he kind of sort of had a girlfriend. He’d mentioned Charlie before, of course, but until that moment his parents had assumed she was a friend. Curtis had immediately devolved into a ten year old, chanting the old ‘Connor and Charlie sitting in a tree’ song. A brotherly argument had broken out over Skype, all the while Connor’s face turning redder and redder, until their parents broke it up. (Which, over Skype, was quite a feat.) Once Curtis was sent off to deal with dishes in the kitchen, Connor had slowly opened up and answered questions, happily telling his parents about his pretty pixie.

Since then, things had been different with Charlie. Good different, but different. Affection flowed more freely between the two of them, and kissing was... well... a common affair. Now he understood why all the seniors with girlfriends seemed attached at the face sometimes. It was nice, and he absolutely loved it.

But he knew he still had to tell her about his family. Not that they were axe murderers or members of a cult or something like that. It was just... yeah. Awkward. It wasn’t a huge secret, but all the same it felt weird both keeping it from her, and the thought of telling her.

But he’d have to do it sometime. So, when she’d invited him down to the student lounge, he’d decided. He was going to tell her. He even had some literature thrown around his desk to back it up. Pictures, magazine clippings, and printouts from sites like Blood Horse about their horses and farm. It was one thing to tell her about it. It was another to be able to back it up.

With everything thrown in his backpack, he took the stairs two at a time from his dorm and swinging into the lounge. He’d somewhat noticed Charlie’s attire, and with a little creativity, he found that two could play at that game. Today he had a black, green, and grey striped t-shirt to go with one of his better pairs of jeans, and flip flops.

He grinned as she deposited herself in his arms, hugging her and dropping a relatively chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away. Distractions were not what he needed at the moment. Instead, he followed her back to the cushy chair, his arm swooping around her shoulders gently. His other hand dropped his bag to the ground.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” They couldn’t exactly hang in his either, without getting into trouble. Sure, he was on good terms with Zeb, but being friendly with the dorm monitor didn’t really help when you wanted to break a rule like bringing a girl up to the dorms. At least, that was his suspicion.

He watched curiously as Charlie brought up her family, blinking in slight surprise. Was it really going to be that easy? Cuddling in, he sighed softly. “You could never be one of those ‘all about me’ people, Charlie. Promise.” He sealed that with a light kiss to her ear. “But, uh... I... wanted to tell you about my family. If you want.” The last part was more or less blurted, mostly because he wanted to give her an out if she wanted it. Sure, she knew he had an older brother, and that his parents were still together, so no stepparents or anything in the mix. But... there was a little more to it than that. Sort of.

[Charlotte Greene]

"Oh? Great! I would love to know about your family! I bet they're super awesome if you're anything like them.. right? --But you probably have lots more to tell. So.. can I go first?" Save the best for last... Which, ordinarily would have meant 'talk about uncle James last' but.. well.. Connor. And Charlie was so sure that her uncle would approve of him, too.. Assuming Connor gave her the go-ahead, Charlie would give him a little squeeze, resting her cheek against his green, grey, and black shirt, his arm around her shoulders as she was leaning against him.. What a great way to spend an afternoon or evening..

"So.. My parents were always.. a little bland, if you will. My mom was a hair stylist when I was really little, and she ended up working as a tailor later on. My dad had a few jobs.. but he was a manager at some store and then he was a supervisor at some plant where he had to wear steel-toed boots and a hard hat.. Then before I came here he got a better job at a coal mine. They're both pretty old-fashioned.. I'm sure I've said before, but my full name is Charlotte Nicole Greene. Charlotte because of my dad's great grandmother and Nicole because of my mom's grandmother.. Neither of them have ever called me Charlie, though.. and really, they didn't raise me as much as my dad's brother did. Uncle James was the best..."

She would launch into some very fond memories of time she'd spent with him.. most of which were fairly mundane but were amazing just because he'd been a part of it with her.. Watching TV.. burning some poor dish in the oven that they still ate even though it tasted overdone because they'd made it together.. washing his car.. walking in the park.. going to see fireworks and driving all the way to Florida once just so they could spend a few days camping on the beach. He'd been kind and looked for good in everything and had imparted the same values on Charlie, according to her stories... No wonder she ended up like she had.

"But he got cancer.. and before I was twelve, he passed away. And he didn't have much money at the end because of the medical bills, but he left me this." From next to the chair, Charlie raised a large ornately bound journal. "It starts on the day I was born and there are entries all the way until the week he died. Instead of taking a thousand pictures of me, he wrote about me.. I miss him a lot. My mom and dad are still together.. still living in South Carolina.. but they haven't come to visit me yet. I don't think they were very impressed when I manifested, but it's okay. Uncle James was more of a father figure than any little girl could need." She nodded and .. kinda zoned for a few seconds before snapping back to reality and easing away from Connor slightly so she could look up and he could see her smile.

"So.. I guess if you have any questions you can ask them.. and if you don't, you can tell me about your family if you still want to. Sorry if I was talking forever. I kinda ramble when I talk about my uncle."

[Connor Anderson]

Connor wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not by Charlie’s enthusiasm. He wasn’t ashamed or anything. Just... worried. That was closer to it. Worried that things would change just when he thought they were perfect as is. Still, he smiled at her. “Of course you can go first.” She could decide for herself later if his family was all that great.

As Charlie spoke, Connor relaxed against her, his hand gently rubbing her arm, especially around the point of her Uncle James getting cancer. He couldn’t imagine having something like that happen to his own family. Sure, they’d band together, but if someone... died... Those thoughts always flirted with his mind when he watched Curtis race. A fall at those speeds could easily kill someone... it wasn’t a fun thought.

“Your Uncle James sounds like he was an amazing person. I wish I could have had the chance to meet him.” Not that he wanted to diminish what Charlie had had with him, or anything. It just sounded like he had had a profound effect on Charlie’s life.

“It’s okay to ramble,” he assured her softly. “I can tell you cared about him.” After hearing about how she’d grown up, it made him even less secure about his own upbringing. It was going to make him sound like a privileged, spoiled brat, which was the last thing he wanted to convey to her. Almost shyly, he pressed his foot against his backpack. He couldn’t avoid it forever.

“So... I live in Lexington, Kentucky with my parents and my older brother, Curtis. Um. It’s... kind of... lots of people are involved with horse racing there. My dad trains horses to run, my mom manages a stable, aaaand my brother is an apprentice jockey.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand before leaning down to unzip his bag, pulling out the folder of magazine clippings and printouts. “And, um, the... stable my mom manages is, um... ours.” There, he’d said it. His parents didn’t work for anyone else, and were successful enough at it to keep it running.

“So, yeah... we have racehorses, and some of them were really good. And are really good.” He passed over the folder containing pictures and articles, pointing them out as they came up. “Blitzkrieg is our oldest horse right now still breeding. He was one of the best racers we ever had, but we have a lot of his offspring too, and we’re hoping one or two picked up his talent. He won the Kentucky Derby the year he entered, but he hurt himself before we could try him in the other jewel races. Um. They’re really long, and important if you win all three because no one’s done it for a really long time, and...” He stopped to breathe for a moment, his face flushing. “Sorry. You’re not the only one who can ramble.” He leaned back to let her look through the folder, trying to stay calm. Now she knew what his family did for a living. As he watched her thumb through, he pointed to a small article on Shining Star. “She’s the reason I’m here. She bit me on the shoulder when we were training her to take a saddle.” Since then Star had gone on to retain that spark, but was better able to channel it into running and showing off, rather than biting at people. “Um. So, yeah. That’s... what my family does.”

[Charlotte Greene]

Connor leaning into Charlie and stroking her arm had done absolutely nothing to keep her stories about her late uncle any shorter.. If anything the contact had only made her think of him more.. She had no idea how long she'd been talking about him.. but then she'd been done and apologized. She'd simply nodded and curled up more against Connor in response to his deduction.

Lexington, huh? That sounded like a place where there would be farms and horses, sure.. So his family actually trained horses? Had their own stable? That was awesome! No wonder Connor was so good with horses.. He must have been raised with them.

But Connor looked nervous.. or.. since Charlie was staring at his leg because of how she was curled up, he felt nervous... and then he was reaching for a bag.. and suddenly magazine clippings and stuff.. And.. he's confirmed what Charlie already figured.. that they owned the stable they managed...

So they owned race horses.. and.. some were really, really good.. Charlie had heard of the kentucky derby.. but it seemed like something only insanely rich people or compulsive gamblers had anything to do with.. and if Connor's family were actually entering horses then they obviously weren't the compulsive gamblers..

Charlie curiously started peering through the clipping he'd given her .. seeing some people that looked like they could easily be Connor's relatives or immediate family.. "Shining Star, huh? Well.. If I ever get to meet her, remind me to tell her thanks, would you? She sent you to me. I should make a wish on her when she runs."

Charlie quietly thumbed through the rest of the scrapbook and grinned. "So now it makes sense where you got your horse-handling abilities from. And so many horses! It must be wonderful there.. Were you.. nervous about telling me that your family is rich or something?" She twisted around so that she was still laying across his lap, but could look up into his eyes..

"I mean.. is that even something to worry about? I should be the one that's worried.. How am I ever gonna get you as awesome of a birthday gift as you could get me? Do you think I could come see your family's stable some day? Is it evne nicer than the one in town? Your horses are so pretty... Are any of them faster than Sona? Sona is so fast!" She paused again, turning back to glance at the scrapbook. "Wow, I was right. Your family is way more interesting than mine. --But you just told me what they did! Tell me about your mom.. and your dad.. and your brother, too. I didn't know you had a brother!"

[Connor Anderson]

Connor hadn’t expected Charlie’s reaction. Not in the slightest. Then again, he hadn’t really ever told anyone about it that hadn’t already had some vague idea already. Back home, as soon as the connection was made to the stables, that was it. Girls were glommed onto his arms and batting eyelashes at him like he was some sort of rock star of the racing world. Which... was ridiculous. If anyone deserved girls on his arms, it was his brother. He was the one risking his neck every time the starting bell rang and the gates flew open. Connor was just a glorified stable hand that just happened to have been born into a successful family. That was all.

“Yeah, Shining Star. And I should have known you’d want to thank her.” It was one of the most endearing qualities Charlie had. “I’ll ask my parents about the upcoming schedule. See if we can stream one of her races so you can make that wish.” She was actually one of the better fillies they’d raced in a while. Colts as a general rule tended to be fasted, with more endurance, but Star was proving that she could hold her own against the boys.

And finally, she caught him out on what he’d been worried about. Biting his lip for a moment, Connor slowly nodded sheepishly. “A little.” And before he could explain the why, she accomplished in dissolving every single reason he might have ever had for being worried. So much so, it took a moment to re-gather his thoughts. “Well, I... it changes things, for some girls,” he finally got out. “And then it’s kind of like it’s not really me they like, it’s... y’know. The other stuff.” And it was all starting to sound very selfish and Connor was ever so slightly ashamed of himself. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I don’t mean that you are one of those girls, not even close, but I’ve known a few and I was worried that it would change things but I can tell it isn’t and...” Inhale. “I’m sorry.”

Of course she thought of it in terms of being selfless and being unable to reciprocate things like gifts. He didn’t know how he could have expected anything else out of Charlie. “I don’t care about presents, Charlie. Promise. And of course you can see them, if your parents are okay with it.” His own never minded company. They had guests often, especially during yearling season, when potential buyers sometimes spent two or three days observing the young horses before deciding on one.

More questions. “Most of them are faster than Sona. I can show you, if you want, when you visit. And you could meet Flynn. He’s a really old pony, but he’s really nice. Both me and Curtis learned on him.” Now Flynn was little more than a lawn ornament that occasionally babysat the weanlings and taught them manners.

“Um. I don’t know what to say. My mom is... well, my mom. She’s really good at her job, but she always makes time for me and Curtis, y’know? Didn’t matter if she was in the middle of making schedules or something, she’s always there to talk to, or if we need help with homework. She’s really patient and nice, but she knows her business, and it’s not a good idea to cross her.” The thought of his mother, who wasn’t all that tall or imposing, staring down someone who thought it was a good idea to get on her bad side. “My dad’s always really busy with training and stuff, so he’s not always available for stuff, but he’s a really good teacher. He taught me a lot when we were first training Sona, and when we’re on the practice track at home he always has pointers to make us better riders. Even if he’s not around all the time, he’s really supportive when he is around.” As for his brother, he had to think about how to present Curtis to her. “And Curtis... he’s... well... he’s my big brother. He’ll do stuff like teach me how to get a better result out of the horses we’re exercising, or help me with homework one day, and the next one he’s putting stuff like rubber spiders in my bed, or turning the taps on when I’m in the shower. He’s kind of a jerk sometimes, but I still love him. And I know he’d like you. My parents, too.”

[Charlotte Greene]

"Well if you aren't worried about my presents, I'll just have to make up for it with my presence.." Charlie took a moment to let that sink in, then giggled to herself and fell back into Connor's chest again. "Your mom sounds amazing.. and your dad sounds like a really hard worker.. and I bet Curtis is a great brother, too.. even if he is a jerk sometimes. That's kinda a sibling's job, right? And I would love so much to watch Shining Star race and to meet Flynn and to get to stay for a few days or a few weeks with you and your family. That sounds so great.."

Great enough that Charlie had almost forgotten that Connor had apologized for something he didn't need to apologize for a few moments ago.. "And by the way, Mister." She snaked her arm around his back to give him a sideways squeeze. It felt right. And despite the mildly accusative tone in her voice, Charlie was grinning and Connor would likely know that she was being silly. "Don't you dare apologize for protecting yourself. You're a super nice guy and you're kind and loyal almost to a fault.. And I believe one-hundred percent that you care about me. If I was in your shoes, I would be careful, too. I can't think of anything that would hurt more than.. than really, honestly caring about someone.. and then the minute you mention that your family is rich suddenly that's all they cared about. If anything, I'm sorry that you've gone through that."

Charlie snuggled up a little more, a little closer, hugged a little tighter and rested her head a little heavier against Connor's chest. "I guess I should probably stop trying so hard to pay for my half of everything, though. If you offer.. I'll try harder to just be grateful if that's what you want. But nothing else changes, right? You don't mind that I'm not rich.. and I sure don't mind that you are. Actually I'm kinda glad. I know that taking care of horses and boarding them costs a lot of money.. I'm glad that you can actually afford it and it's not super stressful on you or your parents. I love Sona to death but I still love you more and it's a relief that you'll never have to sell him because things got a little tight at home."

But as was rather common when Charlie and Connor were snuggling, her eyelids were getting a bit heavy and her grip was starting to loosen a bit... and if Connor didn't keep the conversation alive he would soon have a happily napping Charlie draped across him with her arms gently clutching around his chest. Heck.. what with both of them living in single-gender dorms, it was actually half-likely that they'd become a bit of a staple in the student lounge.

"That journal.. it's the most precious, valuable thing that I own. Maybe it's not worth much money, but it's my most treasured possession. If you wanna read it, I want you to take it for as long as you need."

[Connor Anderson]

Connor blinked, taking a moment to process what Charlie had just said. After a beat, he smiled down and tightened his arms around her. “There’s nothing to make up. But if you insist.” As for her more or less planning out a visit, it was only serving to fuel the fire he’d already started. Surely at break, as long as her parents called the school or something, he could go home and introduce Charlie to everyone? The more he thought about it, the more he wanted it. The next time he Skyped with his family, he’d have to bring it up. “They’d love to have you,” he assured. “And if you wanted to learn more riding skills, Flynn’s the perfect teacher.” It would be a hell of a way to break her into his way of life back home. Meeting his family, going to the racetrack... yeah. It didn’t scare him as much anymore, now everything was out in the open.

The accusatory tone made Connor look down curiously. It was so rare that Charlie spoke to him like that that he wore an expression more at home on a confused puppy. It didn’t last long, though, and he was quick to grin back down at her. “I don’t know if it was protecting myself or... what, but I’m glad you’re okay with it.” Some girls weren’t, and tended to ramp up the drama over it. It wasn’t worth it, which was why he’d almost been grateful to transfer to Hammel. With no one knowing him, it was easy to pretend that he didn’t come from a wealthy family. He didn’t even dress like it. Designer labels were nice, but it was just a more expensive article of clothing to wear through. Farm life wasn’t exactly easy on clothes.

As Charlie cuddled in closer, Connor relaxed further. The talk could have gone so many different ways, but he was glad it had ended like it had. Gently carding his fingers through her hair, Connor sighed softly. “No, Charlie. Nothing else changes. And my parents promised me that Sona has a home forever, even if he was a really bad racehorse. So you don’t have to worry about him.” Of course, part of his boarding costs were offset by his working at the stable and doing most of Sona’s routine care himself, but that was complicated and he didn’t want to think about complicated at the moment. He was content just to relax. It was no wonder it was so easy to fall asleep with Charlie around. She was warm, and made him relax and let go in a way he’d never really had before.

The offer to read her journal surprised him, though. For something so... intimate and personal to be offered up to him was almost unthinkable. Yet it would allow him to get to know Charlie in a new way. “You’d really let me read it?” The proposal more or less floored him, and he honestly didn’t know what to do with it.

[Charlotte Greene]

"Of course I would," Charlie yawned with so much nonchalance it might seem that it was a complete given that Connor should have access to anything he ever wanted to know about Charlie or her past. "I wanna know everything about you.. and I want you to get to know everything about me you want to know.. and the only other person I've ever been so comfortable around was Uncle James.. and I know he would really like you.. and he would want to warn you about the things he figured out about me when I was growing up. When to give and when to take and what my favorite foods and old movies are and the vacations I loved most and the things you should definitely bring up if they ever bothered you and the things you should totally ask me about if it seemed like they were bugging me.. That kinda stuff. He isn't here, but he took notes from the day I was born till the week he died.. and I've tried really hard to be the girl that he loved like his own daughter so I think most of it should be pretty accurate still."

All of this spoken so calmly and matter-of-factly that it was like it all should have been common sense. Charlie wanted Connor as comfortable with her as he could be, and she wanted him to know the good and the bad and everything in between. What she failed to mention was that she'd also kept her own writings in the journal.. Everything she'd written since it had been given to her. Silly short stories.. her recollections of her trip to Hammel and her stories of her back pain and insomnia and how she'd accidentally dusted some boy named Dante once who she figured really needed a friend. How she'd been dragged to the mall by a big cat shifter once, carried a girl from the track all the way to the infirmary, how a little girl thought she was a fairy princess and how happy that had actually made Charlie.. And of course, the most noteworthy of events she'd written about. Her developing relationship with Connor. How relieved she'd been when he'd agreed to try to help her in the gym and their first impromptu 'date' in the cafeteria.. Almost every time they'd spent more than five minutes around each other.. how warm and safe and happy his presence made her feel. How her back never hurt as much when he was around, how wonderful their first kiss had been..

Connor would find Charlie's journal a veritable wealth of information.. It even included (more than once) the phrase 'I think that if he were ever to ask me to marry him some day I would have to say yes and hug him and never let go'. It listed her favorite books, her least favorite books, had poems and short stories about Connor and Sona.. Connor could quite literally read Charlie like an open book....by reading this book. And she wanted him to have it if even a small part of him wanted it. For as long as he wanted it.

She honestly wasn't sure what else she could give him.. but if she came up with something else, she would offer that too as long as it got her another evening of lounging and being this close and comfortable with Connor. Because as far as she was concerned, being with him was the single best and most worthwhile part of coming to Hammel.

But despite all the fluff and cutesy stuffs, Charlie was happy to talk about anything Connor wanted, or she was happy to put him to use as a super comfy space heater to lay on and nap with. Always.

[Connor Anderson]

The only way Charlie could possibly get to know Connor in the intimate way she was offering for him to learn about her was... well... by talking to his family. While he trusted his parents to keep from embarrassing him too much, Curtis was another story. Connor had been convinced more than once that his brother’s sole reason for existing was to embarrass the heck out of his little brother. He did it with friends, with relatives... so really, Connor wasn’t going to trust he wouldn’t take full advantage of having Charlie around. Still, the offer of letting him see the book really was special in a way he couldn’t fully describe. Carding his fingers through her hair, he smiled affectionately down at her. “Then I guess I’ll just have to try to be a person he’d trust looking after his daughter.” That was all he wanted – to be someone that Charlie’s parents, as well as her late uncle, would approve of and entrust to keep her safe and happy.

Common sense or not, it was still a sort of honor for Connor to be entrusted to read something so person. Now he was scratching his head wondering on how to return the favor. Beyond the typical baby books, his parents hadn’t really kept track of things in such detail for him or for Curtis. Not that he minded. The only thing he could possibly think of in return, however, was quite literally bringing her to his home and letting her question his parents when they had the time. Curtis, not so much, if only because he would bring up every embarrassing moment of Connor’s life he could remember, and quite possibly make some things up purely for the entertainment value. No, the longer he could keep Charlie and Curtis separated, the better. “My parents never kept anything like that for me,” he admitted. “But I promise, when we visit, you can ask them anything and everything you want about me.” It would probably please them to have a girl be so interested in him, but it was only fair. They’d have to find a way to do it. Maybe he’d ask in the main office the next time he was walking by.

Out of habit, his hand trailed from Charlie’s hair to her shoulder, gently kneading the muscles there. By now it was an unconscious act, performed without prompting of any kind. It was an easy thing to do for her as she lay with him, and one he actually enjoyed doing. It was the kind of zen-like motions that served to relax him as much as they did her. “I’ll talk to my parents later, to see if we can come for a few days next break. As long as your parents are okay with it.” Stepping on toes wasn’t what he wanted to be doing.