"I can't believe you're eighteen now, Jennifer!" My mom put her hand on mine and patted it. "I'm so proud of the woman you've turned into."
She sobbed back a couple of tears and then looked over at my dad. I followed her gaze.
Dad sat opposite me, wearing a menacing black suit. His eyes were stern and loveless and locked on me. He had been looking at me like that for a few weeks now and I had absolutely no idea why, but I didn't like it. Not one bit. I gave him a reassuring and nervous smile.
Dad put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. He spoke slowly and quietly but in a voice that was so deep it was impossible not to hear it amongst all the restaurant fanfare.
"Your life is going to change completely now that you're a woman."
Something about the way my dad said that scared me, as if it was a warning instead of fatherly advice. I gulped and looked down at the table and the napkin I was clenching in my lap.
I looked up a moment later with an innocent eighteen year old smile. "Don't be so dramatic daddy, I'll be fine."
Dad stared at me and smirked and then leaned back in his seat, laughing and looking around the restaurant. "You have no idea what's coming."
No one said anything after that. Even in the midst of the noisy and busy restaurant, I felt scared and alone, like I was walking through a dark and scary forest in the middle of the night.
I don't know why dad was being so... Well, I don't exactly know what he was being, but shouldn't he have been happy that his little girl, his only child, was eighteen? I mean, it's not like I was one of those sluts I went to school with. I was a good girl who studied hard and stayed pure. Like, I had never even been kissed before!
Mom eventually broke the silence. "Oh, it was on my eighteenth birthday that I met your father."
Mom turned from me over to dad and put her hand on his. "Do you remember sweetie?"
Dad mumbled something without even bothering to look over at his wife, too busy scanning the restaurant for prettier women.
Mom was unphased and looked back over at me. "He was a decade older but we just had so much in common that I fell for him right away. He seemed to know everything about me already and we got married a few months later. The way I felt about him, and the way I still feel today, oh it is just so intense sweetheart, like he has control of my mind or something. I really can't wait for you to experience it, dear."
It took me a moment to realize what she meant. For a moment, I had thought, and it had sounded like, my mom couldn't wait until I loved my dad like she did. But she obviously just meant for me to feel that way about another man... Right?
"Yeah, me either mom. Hopefully the boys at college will be better than the ones at high school."
"Huh?" Mom looked surprised by my comment. She leaned toward me and whispered in a knowing voice. "Well, maybe you have already met the man of your dreams and just don't know it yet. I think you might have. In fact, he might be sitting right in fron-"
"Quiet woman." My dad's voice was furious and sharp.
Mom shut up immediately and looked down at the table, frowning.
Dad looked over at me. "What makes you think you're going to college? Do you think I'm going to pay for you to go fuck a bunch of frat guys? I'll be damned if I let my daughter behave like a slut."
"Daddy..." I didn't even know I was crying until I replied and heard the tears in my voice. "I'm not a slut. Why would you say that? Can't you just be nice to me on my birthday? Please."
"I've been nice enough to you already. Who do you think has been caring and providing for you the last eighteen years? Her?"
Dad nodded at mom. "Pfffft, she doesn't even work. No, it's because of my generosity and nothing else that you're still alive. If you had of been born in China, your father would have drowned you, you know that? Would you have liked that? Would that have been nice?"
I cried harder. "No, daddy. Of course not."
"Stop crying." Dad commanded. "Stop it!"
He slammed his fist on the table. The restaurant suddenly turned quiet and, even though my eyes were closed and teary, I knew that everyone there was staring at us.
I cried more and more. "I'm sorry daddy. I can't stop it."
"Well you know what?" Dad leaned over the table. "I'm done being nice. It's time to go."
I opened my eyes to see dad push his chair out and stand up. He looked at mom and nodded at me. "Get her."
Mom got out of her chair and came around behind me. She put her hands on my shoulders and helped me out of the chair. "It's alright sweetie." She whispered to me and rubbed my shoulders. "His anger will pass soon enough."
"What are you looking at!?" Dad screamed at one of the waiters on his way out.
Mom and I stopped at the counter to pay. Mom smiled at the worker and handed them her card. "Thank you. Dinner was lovely."
I had no idea how she was acting so normal and casual. Dad had just ruined my birthday dinner before our food had even come out.
Mom led me out to the car. Dad was sitting in the front passenger seat, fuming, his eyes on the road. Mom opened the back door for me and helped me inside and then moved to the driver's side. She hopped in and dad handed her the car keys.
"You're driving. I'm going to sit back there and teach our spoiled little girl a thing or two about being an adult."
"Okay dear." Mom took the keys and leaned over to kiss dad.
Dad got out of the car before mom could kiss him and came around to sit in the back with me. Mom started the car and pulled out.
"Get over here." Dad didn't look at me when he spoke.
There was only the middle seat between us and I didn't know where he wanted me to go. "Huh?"
"Get over here now!" Dad turned to me and grabbed the straps on my dress and pulled me toward him.
I moved as quickly as I could to show him that I was complying and that he didn't need to be so rough but it didn't help at all.
Dad shuffled into the middle seat and threw me over his lap so my stomach was on the top of his thighs. He spanked me. Hard. I screamed and jerked but couldn't get out of his grip.
"You spoiled little bitch." Dad said and spanked me again. "You spoiled little whore. Look at this!"