04.
Freedom
Hand in hand, naked and unashamed, Bree and her Daddy left the bedroom and started downstairs. The morning was warm and the air was comfortable as she followed him through the house she already knew so well: past Jenny's bedroom, and her own room where Bree had slept so many lonely nights; down the carpeted stairs, with walls decorated by smiling family photos and decorations; to the first floor with its mix of hardwood floors and throw rugs, and the grand living space with familiar furniture and the couch where they'd sat together just one night earlier—another lifetime ago, it seemed. Lastly, they entered the tiled kitchen, which was cool under her bare feet.
"It's all so strange," she said, half to herself.
"What's that?"
"Being
here
. In
this
house.
Just
the two of us, the way I always wanted." She smiled up at him, squeezing her arms tight around his waist. "It's just wonderful."
"It's certainly a better house having you in it with me." Daddy kissed the top of her head again. "Now let's see about getting that empty tummy filled up."
"I think you've done a pretty good job of
that
already, Daddy." Bree gave her best wicked smile—it didn't hold a candle to his, but she tried her best.
Daddy didn't blush, but his smile did seem to soften a bit at the edges. "Well, we're just getting started. For now, while I'm cooking, I want you to go around and make sure
all
of the curtains are closed and the blinds are pulled down."
"Yes, Daddy!" Bree went to work, hurrying from room to room and closing up all of the windows as ordered. More memories came back to her, all the years she'd spent in the house, spending time with Jenny and their family. She didn't see anyone out the windows, which was a small blessing, but at least the other neighbors wouldn't get a view of something Bree was in
no
mood to share with anyone. She also stuck her head out the back door and flipped the switch that automatically closed the bamboo blinds for the covered screen porch area.
When that was done, Bree returned and found Daddy mixing up batter in a bowl. She climbed onto a stool on one side of the long counter to watch him, smiling, folding her arms on the countertop. "What're you making for us, Daddy?"
"Crepes—which is just a fancier way of making pancakes." He winked at her.
Bree laughed. "I always loved when you cooked for Jenny and me on weekends, back when you tried making a new breakfast every time." An unprompted memory resurfaced and she kept on laughing. "Daddy! Daddy—remember the time you tried making banana split waffles?"
He winced. "You didn't have to remind me of
that
fiasco."
"And when we
finally
finished them, we had
such
a sugar crash. Not to mention the upset stomachs afterwards! Oh..." She wiped a tear away. "My God, what a
mess
that was."
"Well, you girls were a captive audience!" He gestured with both hands for emphasis in between bouts of stirring his mix. "A house husband has to do
something
to entertain himself, after all." He gave an empty smirk and shrugged as he started the burner and buttered up a pan.
Bree was quiet for a few moments as she watched him cook, setting her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hands. "You've never like being a 'house husband,' have you, Daddy?"
Daddy shook his head. "No, princess, I haven't. It's the life I ended up leading, and it meant I got to watch you girls grow up into the pretty young women you are now...but this isn't the plan I had."
"What plan was that?"
"I wanted to be a chef on a cooking show."
Bree sat up, giving him a long stare, eyebrows going up. "Really?"
Daddy held her stare for a moment, then he grinned as he flipped his first crepe. "No, silly girl, not really."
Bree snorted and leaned forward again—if she was naked, at least she could give him a little show. "C'mon Daddy, tell me. I want to know. Honest."
"I don't know, baby." As one crepe was finished, another started coming. "I honestly don't. I studied computers back in college—maybe I should've done something with them. Maybe I could've been a writer, or a programmer, or an engineer. I could've done a
lot
of things. But..." He shrugged. "I hitched my wagon to Cathy early-on because she was smarter than I was, and I was in love. That's the way of the world sometimes. Now she flies everywhere doing what jet-setting professionals do, and I get to make crepes naked with a beautiful girl who wants me for
me
, not because I can keep a house clean."
"Why didn't you go get a job when Jenny and I were older?"
"Same reason I don't have a job now," he answered, giving her
the look
again. "It's important that kids come home to a parent in the house, and... Well..."
"Well what?"
"I...never had that growing up. So I wanted you two to have more than I did." Daddy said it quietly, but he didn't hesitate, either.
Bree nodded, speaking quietly. "I'm glad you did."
"You two were worth the extra effort." Daddy picked up the plate of hot, steaming crepes and stopped at the fridge to fetch a bowl of cold fruit and a can of whipped cream, carrying them around the counter to take a seat next to her. "That brings up another subject, too."
"It does?"
Daddy nodded. "It's probably best if we keep this thing between us, kitten."
Bree flushed, but she nodded quickly. "Yes, Daddy.
