Disclaimer: All sexual activity is between adults. Enjoy.
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"Oh, and Dad? What are you going to do if you start getting horny towards Mandy like you did towards me?"
My heart skipped a beat. "Oh, god, you really think something like this would happen with her, too?"
"No, idea, Dad. It's your body, your response. You said yourself you don't usually know why you get horny, you just do, and then you respond to who you see. So you could be horny while she's here and have it not be because of her at all. Or it could be because of me. Mandy's never talked to me about any attraction to you, but then again, I never told her how I felt about you, either. I had no idea that we'd actually wind up where we have, just that I wanted to, and my own desire, my wishes, might have had a role to play in your subconscious. That would be something to consider."
"How many wishes was that, again?" I joked.
"Umm, seven birthday cakes and a letter to Santa. Maybe five wishing wells here and there. And a bunch of coins in various fountains. Just in case cumulative effect mattered."
I laughed. "Oh, no wonder I flipped on a dime last night. You had beaucoup magic on your side!"
Suzy lightly slapped my hand. "Anyway, I just think you might need to be prepared for the possibility that Mandy being here will bring out the same reaction in you, even without her trying to provoke it, or having wished for it. And unless we're prepared to sneak around behind her back and risk getting caught, you're going to have to deal with your horniness by yourself until we leave."
"Speaking of leaving, I've reached a decision," I said. "It's okay with me, if you want to move in, effective now. But you're going to have to be the one to tell your mom."
"Thank you, Daddy, thank you, thank you!" She paused a moment, before asking, "This isn't just because it gives you a chance to fuck me more, is it?"
I touched her hand, and said, "No, honey, that's not why. Even if you told me right this minute that you were never going to have sex with me again, it's still the right decision to make. The only reason I could even think of before to say 'No' was because I was feeling afraid of how out of control my attraction was towards you. But now that it's not a secret between us, that reason's just gone."
"Okay, then. I'm going to call Mom. How do you think she's going to take it?"
"Well, given that you said she was unhappy about you coming here two weeks early, I doubt she'll be thrilled to hear that you're staying the rest of this summer and next and possibly making Dallas your long-term home."
She sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, if I have to remind her that it's simply not her decision, I will." Suzy made the call from the kitchen table, as I put away the Chinese leftovers and washed the plates.
I was proud of her for staying calm with her mom, and especially pleased when she said, "Mom, you had me and Mandy almost 11 months out of the year, just because Dad moved to Dallas for the very same job that lets us afford to go to college without having to take out loans. I'm proud of him for working so hard to give me the best possible future, even if you're not. Now I just want to even things out a little, while I still can... Uh-huh... Yes... Okay. Dad, Mom wants to talk to you." She stood and handed me her cell.
"Hi, Paula. How are you feeling about all this?"
"Did you do this? Did you talk my girl into leaving me?" She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"No, I didn't talk her into anything!" I said, feeling angry at the accusation. "She asked me on Sunday, and I took a few days to think it through before saying 'Yes'. And Paula, you know she was going to leave eventually, once she graduates. You're only losing three more summer months with her, for chrissakes. I lost whole years, because you couldn't accept that I was working hard on my career for you and the girls, and refused to even consider moving to Dallas with me when I told you I was going after this position here. You treated me like shit because you wanted all of my time, and now you're going to do it again because you want more of Suzy's? Enough already!"
"That's not fair!" she cried.
"Isn't it? That IS what broke us up. You told me flat out that you didn't love me any more, that you wanted the divorce, but my job was what triggered all of the arguments leading up to that. I accepted the custody agreement only because it was the best thing for the girls and it was only going to be five years before they were both adults and no longer subject to it. Suzy could have asked for this move two years ago, and I would have said 'Yes' then, too. And she's right. This just evens things out a very little bit, and it's not like it's your decision or my decision anyway, it's 100% hers. I only had to give her my permission, but it's her choice, as an adult, whether she wants to live with either of us or neither one of us. And she's really making that choice for adult reasons."
"I know, I know, you're right. It just hurts to feel rejected. Promise me you'll take good care of her?"
I grinned, thinking of just how good I was treating her, and said "Of course. Taking care of our girls is how we got here, like it or not. Bye, Paula." I handed the phone back to Suzy, who talked for a minute more about coming to Minneapolis at the end of the month to pack and get her car, then ended the call.
"That went well," I said, sarcasm dripping like honey.
"Could have been better, could have been a lot worse," Suzy replied, coming to hug me close. "Thanks again, Daddy." She put her head on my shoulder, and we just stood together, comfortable in our closeness.
"I notice you've been calling me Daddy more today? I thought you'd outgrown it?" I asked.
"Actually, Daddy, I stopped when I reached High School because I was tired of being teased for being a 'Daddy's girl', just because I called you Daddy, when that was exactly what I wanted to be, so I forced myself to switch to Dad. Now I am your Daddy's girl for real, and I've decided I like calling you Daddy sometimes. Just when it's you and me, though, as part of our new secret."
Suzy's phone rang. It was Mandy. Suzy let me go to answer it, putting us on speaker. "Hi, sis! I've got you on speaker, Dad's here."
"Hi, sweetie," I said.
"Is it true? Are you moving in with Daddy?" Mandy asked.
"Yes, it is. I guess Mom just told you?" Suzy responded.