At the Festival with my Daughter - Part 1
"Hey, Dad, what are you doing next weekend?" my daughter, Amelia, asked as soon as I picked up my phone.
I paused before I answered, "Um, nothing, why?"
"Well, you know how Rachel and I were gonna to go to CRSSD next weekend?"
"Yeah, sure, I remember you mentioning that," I said, tentatively. I had no memory of Amelia talking about going to CRSSD whatsoever. CRSSD is a weekend-long EDM festival that happens twice a year in San Diego - once in the Spring, and once in the Fall. I had actually been before, with Amelia's mother, but that was years ago.
"Okay, so Rachel can't make it," my daughter continued.
"I'm sorry to hear that, hun," I replied sympathetically.
"Yeah, it kinda sucks. We have two weekend passes, and we have a hotel room right across the street."
"Well, I'm sure you can find another friend to go with you, especially since it's all already paid for."
"That's why I'm calling, Dad. You should come with me. I know you and Mom used to go to CRSSD..." Amelia's voice trailed off.
"Yeah," I sighed. "But that was a lifetime ago."
We lost Amelia's mother, my wife, three years ago. Amelia was already in college on the east coast, so I dealt with the loss mostly alone. The first year was a blur of misery. The shock. The loss. The packing-up and moving-out. The loneliness of a one-bedroom apartment in place of a three-bedroom house. The next year was a slow and uneven march through the stages of grief. One step forward, and then two steps back. Three years later, I still missed Amelia's mother, but not every second of every day. It helped that Amelia moved back to San Diego after graduation because she motivated me to get out into the world. I had started surfing and going to the gym again, but I hadn't started dating. Maybe one day.
"Dad, it wasn't
that
long ago."
"Well, it
feels
like a lifetime ago. I was a different person then. Your mother and I, we, it was just different."
"And that's why you should come with me. You know, Mom told me that you two used to roll together."
"What?!?!" I said with non-convincing surprise. "We didn't...how...what...no we didn't," I said, lamely.
"Dad, you and Mom didn't hide as much from me as you think you did. I was a teenager. I wasn't a baby. Besides, Mom pretty much told me everything anyway," Amelia said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "She told me about the first time you took molly together at your first CRSSD, and how you made it like a yearly tradition."
I was speechless.
"Dad, it's fine. I'm not judging. The way Mom described it - I think once she said it saved your marriage. The way it made you feel more open and connected. It's cool. It's like you were doing MDMA therapy before it was a thing."
"Yeah, uh, I guess." What Amelia said was true, and her mother and I were adults, so why should I be ashamed of what we did together when we were married? And Amelia was 24 now, and she graduated from college and was adult, so why should I hide it from her at this point?
"And she said the sex on molly was AMAZING!" Amelia said with a giggle. I think Amelia could hear the gears of my mind grind to a halt, and her giggle turned into a full-throated laugh.
"Amelia! I..." I couldn't form a sentence.
"Dad, relax. I already told you, you guys didn't hide stuff as well as you think you did. I know about the toy drawer. I saw all the party outfits you got Mom. I know you two went to Blacks Beach and Sea Mountain all the time. You were hot and in love." Amelia paused. "I hope I have all that one day."
I didn't know what to say. The best I could come up with was, "Yeah, of course. I'm sure you will."
"Anyway, Dad," Amelia continued, sounding almost annoyed that our conversation got side-tracked, "I thought about it, and I think we should go to CRSSD together. We don't have to go both nights if you can't hang. But I already have the passes and the hotel."
"I don't know, Ames. Are you sure you wouldn't have more fun with somebody else?" I adored my daughter, and since we lost her mother, spending time with her became my favorite thing in the world. At the same time, I felt the weight of loss sit heavily on my shoulders. Was this some kind of pity invite? What if I ruined her good time?
"Dad," Amelia's voice became serious, and I could almost see the stern look on her face through the phone. "I want to go with you. So, come to CRSSD with me next weekend." It wasn't a question.
"Of course. You know the answer is always 'yes' to you," I said with warmth and affection.
"I know." I could hear my daughter smile through the phone. "I gotta run now. But we'll talk later. Love you."
"Love you, too."
I stared at my phone for a moment. I was suddenly feeling conflicting emotions. Memories of CRSSD with Amelia's mother sent my heart racing. Whenever we did molly together, we found new ways to be honest with each other, to listen to each other, and to accept each other. We would stare into each other's eyes and get lost in our own little world in the crowd. We would kiss like teenagers and spend hours just caressing each other as we danced and swayed to the music. And when we would get back to our hotel room, the sex
was