Like Father Like Son

So last night I got a chance to sit down with my boyfriend's dad and really talk to him. My boyfriend and I have been together for over a year, but because we live together and his parents are on the conservative side, they've never approved 100% of our relationship. His mother has always been very conversational and made me feel somewhat welcome, though I had the feeling it was all one big show. His dad, however, really never said much. I always took this to mean he was kind of assy and holier-than-thou. Along the way though, I think they realized how much we really loved each other, and slowly his dad started caring more about my presence. He started to hug me everytime we left their house, which really changed the way I thought about him. I really started to see wariness, not assiness; he was being protective, not objective. He just so happens to be a man of few words, which sounds so familiar, because my boyfriend is the same way.
Anyway, a couple of months ago my boyfriend's mother decided she was going to split up with his dad for a while. She felt trapped and doomed to spend the rest of her life as a housewife. She wanted to travel and do things, while her husband was completely content to continue with the life they had already built. It has been a very awkward situation because they would still get together when we would all go to dinner, but everyone knew, she wasn't going home with him. She had made arrangements to live in a temporary apartment and stayed with her mom until she found a place. After months of this, she decided she was ready to come home. She and her Life Coach (yes, she has a Life Coach) had been making "progress" and she was ready to move back in with him and resume their marriage. This came just in time for a family-filled weekend when Bobby's brother, his wife, and their new-born baby girl came into town from Atlanta. We all got together, joined by Bobby's grandmother, uncle and cousins to celebrate and eat. His parents seemed to be really happy, especially his dad, who long awaited the return of his wife. It was a wonderful time and we all felt very close to each other. The following day, she decided her hiatus wasn't quite long enough, and it was a mistake to say she was coming home. Bobby's dad described himself as "crushed" and the way he said it was dripping with heartbreak.
Earlier this week she called Bobby and asked if he could help her take furniture over to her new place, but Bobby refused because he didn't want to get involved. Understandably. We ended up going over there to their house anyway because Bobby had to fix his dad's computer. His mom had left his dad a note on the counter saying she couldn't bare to move anything out, and wanted to come home afterall. She said she would try her best to make things work. His dad knew we had read the note and we sat and talked about it for over an hour. He really was just trying so very hard to make sense of everything. He was happy with their lives together and proud of everything they had built. He was very confused and disheartened that those things didn't seem to be enough for her anymore. We sat and listened and when we left I gave him a huge hug, which he needed. He still doesn't know whether this time she means it or not, and the emotional rollercoaster has been very stressful.
Up until last night, I had no inkling of how Bobby turned out to be such a good person and boyfriend when his parents seemed to be lacking. Turns out, Bobby is so very much like his dad. They have such evened out personalities full of patience and love. I am very grateful that I got to look closer into his life and I feel closer to him than ever.