Onion Girl 2.0

Its funny, how things happen.
That I would be reading a book and listening to a song called The Onion Girl this week. A book and song about peeling back layers, being clear and transparent in front of someone.
Almost prophetic, really.
Since... well... January-February of this year (albeit not officially till after March) I've been head-over-heels for a certain Minotaur. And up to this week, its all been roses and kisses and emotions that fly high. All-night conversations, all-day texting... Two "honeymoon-like" meats...
And I'm planning to go see him in January 2009. Which is fast approaching!
There was one thing in the way still, as far as the trip. That was that I couldn't for the life of me find my passport.
Tuesday night I mentioned to my dad that I was taking Thursday of this week off work and going to Vancouver to replace my passport.
And when he admitted that he had it, and handed it over, he very quietly and seriously asked me to not go to Hawaii at all.
He laid out all his fears and concerns for me, his oldest daughter. Explained his position, and admitted how much easier the whole conversation would be if Christian was not a great guy who makes me happy. "It would be so much easier if he was a jerk, or a loser, or something."
After giving my dad a hug and saying I would think about everything he'd said, I went to my room and proceeded to have the longest, hardest, best conversation with Christian that we've had yet in our relationship.
We covered all points, putting all our hopes and dreams for the future (including location, family, faith, child-rearing, finances) out in the open, staying on Skype-Chat for a full eight hours.
And at 3:55 on Wednesday morning, we'd pulled through with flying colors.
I went to work and thought long and hard about how to update my parents on what had happened. My parents are great, understanding, romantic people so I knew that they would listen and be supportive, love me no matter what.
After the longest day of my life, during which I went through innumerable emotional meltdowns, alone at my desk or while talking to Goodwin (who proved himself a good friend and listener, thank you again) or on the phone with my mom (who quietly and lovingly made her own worries known while supporting my decision), I came home and slept for a few hours.
Then it was time to talk to The Daddy.
Which went so smoothly and near-painlessly that I could've fainted. He listened to me, listened to me explain about my and Christian's relationship up to this point, the conversation and discussion we'd had after Dad had brought things up, and how we want to move from this point, grow together. That we'd come through this fire the way we plan to take on the future: together.
And after all that, the nod was given.
As Christian says though, "There was just one more step to fully avoid systemic meltdown and that was having the Meet The Parents talk un-edited version with her dad that we should've had while I was up in Canada."
It didn't happen on Wednesday, we scheduled it for Friday due to Dad being tired and having other plans, etc. But plans have a funny way of changing, and so The Boyfriend Talk happened last night.
I'll let Christian take the reins for that one, but let me just say that for the half hour when Dad was in his bedroom on the phone, I was sitting in the living room running over all the worst-case scenarios for the conversation in my head, stressed to the max.
But as Christian said, "trust between parties was restored, collapse was averted, and she and I are growing in our relationship."
So that is that. A new beginning to a new Minobot future.
The layers are peeled back and away, tears have been shed but we've come through together and the future is ahead of us.