I couldn't believe it was Molly's eighteenth birthday. My wife and I were just eighteen when we had her, just two stupid kids who were still in high school. Allison's parents were wild---they had wanted her to go to college, and thought I wasn't good enough for their precious only child. We tried for a few years to make it work, but Allison's parents worked on her enough so that she decided to leave me. She even left US--Molly was just four. It was supposed to be temporary. Allison's parents were paying for college, a fancy private school that never knew about Molly at all. Allison even lived in the dorm and pretended she was as young as her floormates, and she still looked like a teenager.
No one could say my wife wasn't beautiful. She had long, silky blond hair, big hazel eyes, a great body. It killed me when she left, although truthfully, she had seemed bored playing house, and wasn't much of a mother to Molly. So, I sucked it up, became a single dad, working two jobs, having my mom take care of Molly after school. Allison pretty much disappeared from our lives. When she was accepted to law school, I knew it was over. She divorced me and married some hotshot partner in her new law firm.
But, I had Molly, a bright, funny little kid who sometimes tried to take care of ME instead of the other way around. I even went back to school, too, got an associate's degree at a technical college and can do just about anything with computers. I've got my own trouble-shooting firm now. It's true I don't make as much money as my ex-wife, but I have something money can't buy, a great relationship with my little girl.
My little girl---I have to laugh. She's the image of her mother, going to graduate this June at the top of her class. She's been accepted to every school she's applied to, but wants to go to the state university in town. I'm really glad; we've been a team so long I'd miss her like crazy. I promised her I'd take her out to the fanciest restaurant in town for her birthday and gave her my credit card to get a new outfit.
I held my breath as she came down the stairs. She'd picked out a floaty spaghetti-strap dress with tiny sprigs of flowers all over it. It was cute but awfully short, and I did my "Do-you- think-it's-appropriate-dad-thing" but she just giggled.
"I'm eighteen now, Daddy. Relax." She slipped on a little sweater and we drove to Umberto's, which serves fantastic Italian food. The maitre d' helped her out of the sweater and I couldn't help but notice him try to scope out her breasts. I caught his eye, gave him my sternest look. He seemed embarrassed and said, "What can I bring you and your lovely wife to drink?"
Really pissed off now,I was about to reply when Molly grabbed my hand. "Some champagne, don't you think, Ryan?" She winked at me. I'd let her have a taste of liquor at home, and was pretty sure she and her friends had gotten drunk on occasion. She turned to the maitre d'. "It's our anniversary tonight. We're going to have a lot to celebrate."
The man started fussing over us, and I had to admit her lies had gotten us perks we might not have had otherwise. They kept the champagne flowing, and Molly's hazel eyes glittered like glass in the candlelight. Her cheeks were flushed and she laughed too hard at everything I said.
"Honey, you are one bad girl. You've had too much too drink."
"Daddy, don't be a spoilsport. It's the first time we've done a real grown-up thing together. Aren't you having fun?" She fed me a chocolate- covered strawberry, a dessert compliments of the house.
"You know I am, sweetheart. I always have fun with you."
