The dreaded conversation with my father had been better that I thought. Father was no longer angry with me and confessed that he was marrying Cassandra mainly because he was very taken with her and not because he thought I needed a motherly figure. He had never felt the same way with another woman since Mother died so many years ago and he was hoping that I would come to love Cassandra in time. I tried to remain stoic but I was teary-eyed when I told him that nobody could replace my mother in my heart. However, if it meant so much to him that I accept them, I would try my best.

For the first time in years, we hugged each other, each too overwhelmed with unexplained emotions. When we pulled apart, I could see relief in Father's eyes and I tried to smile.

I told him that I would still be staying in the school hostel. He looked a little crestfallen but I wanted to be on my own now. Besides, I argued that he and Cassandra might need some time together anyway. Father grinned a little and agreed to let me live on my own for the last semester in my final year.

I told him a little about Dante and that he had been with me since I left home and even gave me his bed at night. As expected, Father had been appalled at the thought of a young unmarried couple spending many nights alone. I reassured him that nothing happened and wisely refrained from mentioning Dante's scandal. I supposed he would object to my friendship with Dante if he were to know about it.

Father thought Dante was my boyfriend too but I explained that we were only friends and if Dante were to ask me to be his girlfriend, he would be the first to know about it.

Father didn't look very convinced that I would keep my word but he did make me promise to be careful with boys. It was then I knew that I would forever be a little girl in my father's eyes. I gave my word and only then did Father let the matter drop.

Trying to like Cassandra proved to be a simple task because like what Joey said, she was an amiable person by nature. Besides being an intelligent and open-minded person, she would listen attentively whenever someone was talking to her. She did not try to force her opinion on a person if he disagree with her. She respected decisions made by others although she could be a little bossy sometimes, especially if the party concerned was my father. Well, he did not seem to mind the very least. I guessed as long as they were happy with this arrangement, it was fine with me too.

Freeing myself of all resentment towards Cassandra helped me to accept her quicker than I thought and it took less than three months for me to finally give my full blessings to their marriage, which was due to take place a month after my convocation in the coming September.

Meanwhile, Dante and I became even better friends. In fact, we were spending so much time together that Ivy approached me again in the middle of the semester, when all of us were busy with our final year projects and the reports which were due in less than 2 weeks.

"Brenda, are you still seeing him?"

"Who?" I was preoccupied with chatting Dante online over our computers.

"I can see that you are." Ivy sounded irritated.

dante : sorry, I got to go, Ivy here is trying to talk to me.
dante [ttypc] - oh, okay, so I'll see you this evening?
dante : sure, see ya.

I stopped chatting Dante and turned my attention to Ivy who was clearly flustered over something.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"I asked if you were still seeing Dante, but I guess I don't need the answer now. You obviously are."

I raised my brows at Ivy and the strange remarks she made last semester came back to me. I dismissed the thought as soon as it entered my mind because Dante had explained to me. I was beginning to wonder if Ivy was jealous of me.

"No, I am not seeing Dante the way you mean and yes, I am still seeing Dante else why would I be chatting him just now?"

"Did you know about Dante's scandal in the states?" Ivy blurted out.

I nodded patiently.

"And you are still seeing him?" Ivy looked at me as though I had horns sprouting out of my head all of a sudden.

"What's wrong with him? I failed to see any correspondence between what happened to him before and my friendship with him."

"I don't wish to see you getting hurt." Ivy sounded really miserable.

"Listen Ivy, Dante and I are just friends." Not for long, I added silently.

Ivy gave me a disbelieving look and said that the whole school thought I was going steady with the notorious Dante.

"Since when did idle gossips bother me, Ivy? You of all people should know better than that. Besides, those gossipmongers didn't know what really happened. What made you think that they were telling the truth instead of spinning some tall tale about somebody who obviously preferred to keep to himself?"

Ivy was silent. I was late for lecture and reassured Ivy that Dante and I would be alright before rushing out of the lab.