sure.
As I drove, she sat quietly in the passenger seat, watching things as though seeing them for the first time – and enjoying her new vision.
When I pulled up in front of her house, she turned to look at me, and said 'Thank you, Dan – for everything.'
I answered 'My pleasure', and she responded 'Yes, i think it was.' before collecting her things and getting out. I sat there watching her as she headed toward the front door; when she got there, she turned and gave me a bit smile and small wave before going in. Satisfied she was safe, I headed home – via Paul's store, where I dropped off the jewelry I'd borrowed, keeping my promise.
A few hours later, Kelly and I were in the den – she was studying for a test while I listened to music – when a call came in. I took it, and heard 'You did it to her, didn't you?'
'Did what to who?'
'Had sex with Susan.'
'Good morning to you, too, Steve. No, I didn't have sex with her.'
'Then what did you do to her?'
'Talked.'
'Uh-huh. About what?'
'The fact that I love her. And before you go off on me again, I mean that I love her as a human being, not a potential bedmate or anything.'
'What do you mean?'
'I mean that she's a reasonably intelligent, attractive, decent human being. There aren't that many, so I tend to like the ones I find. She's got a good heart and good character. I love her for those things – not what's between her legs or on her chest.'
I'd nailed him square between the running lights, and I could almost hear him thinking it through before he spoke again, saying 'You're saying you didn't do anything to her? Just talked?'
'That's it.'
'You didn't touch her?'
'I didn't say that, Steve. I said that I didn't have sex with her. Or make love with her, or have any kind of intimate sexual contact of any kind. Okay? Now, you want to tell me what the hell brought all this on?'
'She told me she loved me.'
'You call me up at home and jump in my shit because she told you she*loved* you?'
'It's not what she said, but how she said it that got to me.'
'What, she sounded like C-3PO, or something?'
'No, you dolt. I was sitting in the den watching a game and she came in to sit next to me for a little bit. When a commercial came on, she just said 'Daddy?', and when I turned to look at her, she just up and says 'I love you.' – but from the way she said it, and tone of her voice and everything, I knew that she was different, somehow – that she really, truly meant it and was telling me what was really in her heart, like she didn't care if I was a lawyer or an axe murderer, I was her dad and she loved me.'
'So you assumed that the change was because I'd jumped her bones, and called me up to chew my ass.'
He realized how silly it sounded, and what kind of fool he'd been, and answered 'Well, uh, yeah, sort of. I mean, I couldn't think of any other reason for it at the time. What do YOU think happened?'
'Like I said, all I did was tell her I loved her – and she understood that I meant that I loved her FOR HER, as a person. for all the good things that are inside her, and that I didn't think less of her because of any flaws she thinks she has.'
'That kind of sounds like the way she told me she loved ME.'
'Ever tell her that you love her?'
'Of course!'
'The same way she just told you?'
The silence at the other end was my answer. I went on 'Steve, you ever wonder what she sees in me?'
'Well, yeah, a little. I mean, I know what she's said about you, and I know what your character is like and how you've helped Kelly and all that. But why she picked you in particular, with so much devotion, I really don't understand.'
'Because she knows I love her, and care about her. I don't just do stuff because I care, I also tell her what I'm doing, so that she knows I AM doing it because I love her and care, and why. And I take the time to tell her what it is about her that makes me care about her the way I do – I tell her about the good things I see in her, so that she KNOWS she's a good person. When she knows that I love her for the good stuff in her, she also knows that as long as that good stuff is there, she's got my love – that I'm not going to just suddenly take it away from her for some mysterious reason. And she knows that because I love her for what's inside her, that as she becomes a better person – more courageous, more honest, more integrity, and all that kind of stuff – I'll love her even more. I've shown her that love doesn't have to be some abstract concept; that it can be gauged and measured and traded as a value. When she finally understood all of that this morning, she had an epiphany, I guess you could call it. What you saw was the end result of all that.'
'Where was she when this 'epiphany' happened?'
'Sitting on my lap.'
'What?! You weren't in your underwear or anything, were you?'
'Oh, no, certainly nothing like that. We were both naked at the time.'
Kelly had been listening in, and almost fell over, trying not to laugh out loud.
'What!'
'Sure. It's okay, though – everyone else was naked, too.' Kelly started turning red; I was wondering if she'd blow while we were still talking.
'You're joking, right?'
'Why would I be joking?'
'Oh, dear God.', I heard him sigh.
'What, is there a problem?', I asked.
'You're sitting with my daughter on your lap, both of you naked, and you ask me if there's a problem? How did it happen that you wound up in that situation?'
'Well, when we got back from the Prom last night, we were all sitting around, and Susan decided to give back the jewelry I'd borrowed for all of them. After she handed it back, she took her dress off so she wouldn't ruin it, and so she'd be more comfortable. The rest of them thought it was a good idea, and did the same thing.'
'And you?'
'It's my house. My guests want to be naked, I'm going to be a good host and be naked with them.' Kelly grabbed a cushion and stuffed her face in it.
I heard him sigh again, before he said 'And you're going to tell me nothing happened.'
'Oh, no, plenty happened. They sat around and talked about the prom, and we had a cup of coffee. Then we all went to bed.'
'Went to bed.'
'Yeah. It was late. Kelly slept with me, as did a couple of the others.
Susan was with Jan and the rest.'
'Naked.'
'Sure, why not?'
'And you didn't have sex with any of them.'
'Nooooo. Was I supposed to?'
He ignored the question, and asked 'And this morning?'
'I got up and got the paper and some coffee. I was reading the paper when Susan came into the den, I could tell she wanted to talk to me, so I put the paper down, and we talked a little bit. She asked if she could sit on my lap, and I told her I was always happy to have a pretty girl on my lap. She sat down and I held her for a little while, until Kelly joined us.'
'And Kelly didn't mind finding you with Susan on your lap, the two of you naked?'
'No, why should she? They're friends.' I could see Kelly laughing into the cushion, her shoulders shaking.
