Daddy opened the door for me, leaning in to help me buckle up. We’d reached a point where if
both of us were going someplace together, or if he’d walked me to the car, I didn’t even reach for my
belt. That was Daddy’s job.
I focused on his taillights in front of me as we made the short drive home. The stupid, insecure
part of my brain screamed at me that it wasn’t home, it was Theron’s house and he wasn’t even
officially my boyfriend so I couldn’t claim his space as my own. I thumped my palm against the
steering wheel, trying to force those thoughts out of my head.
Daddy was already at the edge of the garage waiting for me when I parked on the wide slab at the
top of the driveway. He opened my door as soon as I turned off the engine. “Are you ready to go in
and get some sleep?”
“I don’t usually go to bed right after I get done with work,” I told him. It was another reason I
hadn’t wanted to come over here on work nights. He woke up early every day, and I didn’t want my
crazy schedule screwing with his.
“We’ll have to see if we can find a way to help you unwind then.” He hefted my backpack over
his shoulder and slid his hand into mine. “Did you have dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, but that was hours ago.” After my screw up, I wasn’t going to give Daddy anything less
than the complete truth. Without asking if I was hungry, he led me to the kitchen and pulled out a stool
at the island. My stool, because it was where I sat whenever he was making dinner. He filled a sippy
with water and handed it to me. I scrunched up my nose. “Juice would be better.”
“That might be, but water is healthier. You don’t need to load up on sugar when you’re supposed
to be going to bed soon.” He grabbed a handful of nuggets out of the freezer, then cut up a few
strawberries and a banana while the chicken heated in the microwave.
I loved the way my mind settled from just watching him put together a late-night snack for me. But
I couldn’t fully relax because Daddy was still upset. I knew he was, even if he wasn’t saying
anything. “Are you going to yell at me for lying to you?”
“Would it make you feel better if I did?” Instead of answering immediately, I took a few seconds
to think about his question. I wasn’t sure if it would make me feel better or worse. I just wanted
whatever was coming to happen so we could move on. Until I knew I hadn’t ruined a good thing, I’d
be constantly waiting for something to happen. Daddy set down a plate in front of me and took the
stool next to mine. “It’ll take me time to process how I feel about what happened tonight. It was
